I met Tyler and immediately, I knew: This is a girl who knows her bags. I love meeting designers whose passion is visceral. Her creations aren’t just about bags and applying exotic skins; they’re about life and all of her experiences. Tyler finds herself inspired by everything, everywhere, and her spirit is succinctly imbued in her unique designs – which are detail-infused yet with a level of simplicity that speaks volumes about their meticulous quality. Each bag has so many subtle details just waiting to be discovered, which you won’t until you’ve had the privilege of owning one.
For instance, the hardware on the Jamie clutch has a tubular closure which latches shut with a magnet but to fully secure as well as hide the mechanism, there’s a slick piece that slides over so the ultimate effect is seamless perfection. Her larger bags feature feet on the bottom molded into the shape of precious pine cones (they’re her signature; her zipper pulls are also pine cones). The pine cone symbolizes the third eye, your mind’s eye that feels and senses the world around you. I love that! The interiors happen to be as immaculate as the bags’ exteriors, always indicative of acute attention to every aspect of the overall bag.
After an amazingly fun afternoon of chatting with Tyler, I knew I just had to share her passion and knowledge of the exotic skins that all bag-obsessed Snobs would love to hear about. And to see Tyler Alexandra designs in various skins, including toad! You will be pleasantly surprised to see how chic toad can be when done in the right application!
1. What is your fascination with skins?
The natural beauty of exotics has always excited me. No two skins are the same, making each piece that much more special. Calf leather is beautiful, but expected, and to me, luxury is anything but expected.
Exotic skin bags create an excitement/desire like nothing else. They are show-stopping pieces that last forever. The perfect bag to me is a clean, simple shape, letting the skin speak for itself. Texture is everything…and nothing out there can compete with exotic’s natural textures.
2. What is the difference between python, cobra, anaconda and watersnake? What makes each ideal for certain bags? For example, is python better for bigger bags and cobra better for clutches? Talk about the aesthetics as well as the technical aspects.
Python is the most expensive and luxurious skin of the snake family, recognizable for its striking, centered, back-cut scales. Anaconda is often used as a lower cost substitution for python, because the anaconda’s scales resemble the python’s front-cut (smaller scales without the larger scales going down the middle, which is the back-cut). Both species of snakes can grow to be extraordinarily large, meaning one skin can produce a lot of product. Python and anaconda can be used in both large and small-scale products due to the width of the skins and scales. The look of watersnake is very similar to that of the python’s back-cut scales, only much smaller, meaning smaller products are much easier to produce. But, it is common to sew sheets of watersnake together, creating a panel look, which makes it much easier to craft a larger bag or jacket. Cobra scales are similar in size to that of the watersnake, but have unique half moon-shaped scales. Cobra is usually produced in its natural colors, unlike like watersnake, of which you can find many different treatments.
3. Why do you think ostrich leg is left out and we only see the quill portion? How can it be executed to have the same luxurious feel?
Ostrich leg skins are much smaller than ostrich hides, meaning it takes many more skins to make a single bag. A basic clutch might take six ostrich leg skins to make, versus using one ostrich skin to make two of the same size clutches. I like to use the leg because of its elegant and unique shape. I often get stopped when carrying my ostrich leg clutch, and have people ask me if its croc or alligator. The skins are super luxe and rare, which I love…and the price points are much better than alligator!
I only use ostrich leg on smaller, structured pieces, because of its long narrow shape. The skin needs to be stretched in order to show off its full beauty, so that eliminates using it for softer shaped bags; stick to the quill of the ostrich for that.
4. Fish skin seems so fragile. How is it possible to be used for a bag and withstand daily use?
Fish skin is delicate. I use it solely for evening bags and clutches. It looks more like a material than an exotic skin, almost like lace. I love it because it’s so soft, feminine and surprising.
5. Toad is the most interesting skin. I’ve never seen it used on a bag and I’m wondering why because the results are spectacular. Do you see it rising in popularity?
I love toad! Toad skins are very tiny, making it super difficult to produce anything larger than a small clutch. But there is nothing wrong with using it solely for chic evening bags because of its rich and unique texture. I hope it will gain popularity, but it has one fault…its name. People tend to associate toad with ugliness. Trust me, though, toad clutches are definitely fit for a princess 😉
6. What is the difference between crocodile and alligator? People ask all the time and it would be interesting to hear your take on why you would use one over another. And speak to the rarity and cost, as well.
Physically, crocodiles have narrow jaws, compared to the alligator’s U-shaped jaw. The alligator’s top jaw hangs over the bottom jaw, covering most of its bottom teeth, while the crocodile’s jaw is about the same size, showing more teeth. Crocs (15-18ft) tend to grow larger than alligators (14-17ft) so when producing a large item, croc skins are the way to go.
The two reptile’s skins are virtually identical, aside from the small dot (the integumentary sense organ), located inside all the crocodile’s scales. So if your handbag doesn’t have dots, you know it’s an alligator. Alligators are native to the Americas and China, while crocs are found in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. American Alligators are considered the most exclusive and highest quality skins, which is why I use them for most of my bags.
