The Bag in Braid: Wearable Works of Art

The next chapter of A-ESQUE is presented as part of Sydney Contemporary at the HŌLUS-BŌLUS exhibition. 

The Bag in Braid presentation is 24 one of a kind braided bags developed over eighteen months at our Melbourne Atelier.

Each piece is built from hundreds of individually cut, skived and hand-plaited leather strips, before braiding even begins. The making takes days rather than hours, and it stays visible in the finish.

"I have always been drawn to the craftsmanship of braiding and weaving in the art world," — Amanda Rettig, Founder and Creative Director. "I've continued to think about how to translate that at the Atelier, in a contemporary way, in leather. We started with simple knotted and braided straps last year. From there, we have slowly turned these into three-dimensional forms that became our new bags."

The Bag in Braid is an arrival, not a pivot. For all its technical ambition, the collection stays true to our founding idea — that considered, everyday pieces bring joy to daily life. It mirrors thirteen years of our design language rather than departing from it.

With each piece intended to be one-of-one by construction, the pieces offer wearable art forms where no two pieces are alike.

Left: Article № 8, Braided Clutch. Right: Article № 19 Braided Bag, Fringed

The Exhibition

Presenting The Bag in Braid at HŌLUS-BŌLUS, curated by Emma Elizabeth and Cassandra Bird, as part of the Sydney Contemporary offsite program.

The collection is presented within an immersive apartment exhibition exploring the collision of contemporary art and collectible design. 

Our design philosophy is centred on treating each piece as a considered work of art, not simply an accessory. The Bag in Braid is a natural extension of this belief. Within the curated space at The Second, we exhibited as art — twenty-four one-of-one forms presented in and around remarkable works by Australian artists and designers.

The Collection

The Bag in Braid will be officially available online from 1 October, 2026 or on personal request, with prices starting from $2,000. The full capsule will be available at A-ESQUE World on High Street, while Parlour X will be the exclusive home of a highly curated collection in Sydney.