Souvenirs from times not yet forgotten
In the latest collab, Appenzeller Gurt has teamed up with the vintage label Souvenir from Zurich, which has tracked down twelve old Appenzeller belts for us. The belts are all from the last century, in good condition, made by different producers and now exclusively available on appenzeller-gurt.com. And for Appenzeller Gurt, this is an important step towards a circular economy.
Sometimes it takes a place and an encounter, in this case at the Herbst Salon at Barfussbar in Zurich. Caspar Schweizer, founder of Souvenir, a vintage label from Zurich, and Caspar Eberhard, founder of Appenzeller Gurt, inevitably come to talk about the second-hand sale of Appenzeller belts. Souvenir already has a few of these in its product range, but Caspar Eberhard is still working on the online second-hand platform in his head. Everything is easier in pairs, which is why the two Caspars have decided to jointly launch a curated selection of worn Appenzeller belts.
Souvenir se souvient
Souvenir is a vintage label from Zurich, which specializes in Swiss products and Americana from the 20th century. On the one hand, Caspar Schweizer focuses on basics like sweatshirts, hoodies and jeans, which are a good secondhand alternative for new goods. On the other hand, Souvenir offers carefully curated one-of-a-kind pieces, which are mainly from Switzerland. In addition, Souvenir has an archive that lends selected rarities to fashion, film, and advertising professionals.
shopsouvenir.ch
instagram.com/souvenirsport
Of ponies, suns and embossed ornaments
Among the twelve vintage belts collected, there are also some rarities and belts with special ornaments, most of them handmade in Appenzell. Made in the last century by Appenzell belt producer Daniel Fuchs or his father, individual pieces can also be attributed to the Fässler family of alpine saddlers. All belts are worn and in good condition, minor defects are shown in the photos and descriptions. Many of the belts have developed a beautiful patina over the years, which is not found on new products.
Another step towards a circular economy
Appenzeller Gurt tries to challenge the status quo not only with surprising collaborations, but also with regard to the manufacture of its products. On the one hand, Appenzeller Gurt understands this to mean fair and mostly local production. On the other hand, 100% sustainable cow or deer leather is used for the majority of the products. The raw material for the cowhide comes from certified organic farms in southern Germany and now from Surselva GR and is vegetable-tanned in a pit tannery in southern Germany, i.e. without the use of chrome or other chemicals. In addition, Appenzeller Gurt replaces ornaments that have fallen off free of charge and shortens those that have become too long belts.
Where the journey can lead
Schweizer and Eberhard hope that demand for the worn belts is high. Because they are far from finished: "We hope that we can continue to expand the collaboration," says Schweizer. However, the two are not giving any more details. So it will be interesting to see what else is in store.
Entire collection digital on appenzeller-gurt.com
The collection is available from 14 April the Appenzeller Gurt website. 12 individual pieces from 75 to 95 CHF including shipping (CH), worldwide plus 20 CHF.
Credits
Photos: Julian Del Grande, Laura Kneisel
Creative Direction: Caspar Schweizer
Models: Nilu Schaumburger, Julian Del Grande, Laura Kneisel
There are no products in the shopping cart.