The bad news: A rip here or a tear there and your favourite designer handbag finds itself banished to a dark corner of your wardrobe for want of expert leather repair. The good news: Expert leather repair for your chic leather items is here.
There's a lot more to leather repair than a little stitch and a dab of glue. Your beloved item may need restoration, reconditioning or a repolish and any old cobbler's shop is not the place for such loving attention. Enter Ndust Shoe Repairs, the shoe and leather repair shop in Al Barsha that hires global skilled craftsmen to pay the minutest attention to the repair and restoration of high-quality leather goods.
Kimberly Mahmoud, the brains behind the concept, had been a corporate career woman for almost two decades. She decided to take a break from the corporate world and moved with her husband and children to Dubai from the US in 2008. As she settled into her new life, one of the things that really bothered her was the constant fine film of dust that settled over her beautiful pairs of shoes and leather accessories. Soon she realised she had nowhere to go for repairs and touch-ups of her shoes and handbags. And she was not alone. The next step was to set up her own workshop to address the needs of many like her. Towards the end of 2008 she began putting her business plans together.
Armed with her talent for organisation and management she sourced and hired skilled craftsmen and in June 2010 launched Ndust. "When we moved to Dubai, my 18-and-a-half-year career in the field of technology had just ended," says Mahmoud.
"My move to the UAE with my husband and children was a well-deserved break. I wasn't at that point ready to re-enter the corporate field. My focus was on tending to the needs of my family as we settled into our Dubai life. I immediately realised I still wanted to have the flexibility to pursue my creativity. It took me a year to work out how I could be creative and be a good mum to my kids."
Her idea, though born from her own personal limited access to quality shoe repair services (a common facility in the West), is not, she says, a trifling one.
"People imagine and identify a shoe repair shop to be small, congested and in most cases here, offering very limited services." Her workshop, she says, is driven by quality, harnesses highly skilled workmanship, guided by attention to detail and offers repairs and restoration of all kinds and for all types of leather items, from designer to the everyday.
The discipline of repairing an item is not just a job for Mahmoud. She is of the firm belief it is our collective responsibility to conserve and reuse our resources. If you truly care for your environment, she says, you would get your damaged shoe repaired rather than discard it because it has a minor rip.
"We at Ndust help to extend the life of these sometimes expensive investments. Repair and reconditioning leather products reduces our carbon footprint, saves landfills from the millions of shoes that are thrown out each year and reduces the amount of toxins that can seep into the environment and water supplies. For our cost-conscious and eco-friendly customers, we believe this is an invaluable service."
From stitching, sole replacement to shoe stretching, sole guard installation (even red ones for the Christian Louboutin fashionista) and dyeing and heel tip replacement, Ndust does it all. It also offers pick up and delivery services and will come to homes, offices, hotels and shops.
Mahmoud is happy her business sense and family priorities are not the only things driving her. She also offers community outreach programmes in schools to help children understand shoe repair and the importance of conservation.
In October 2010, Ndust piloted its first community service programme, the Ndust Educational Workshop (NEW.) It hosted more than 50 second graders, teachers and parents.
The feedback has been overwhelming, Mahmoud says, and it gives her reason to continue such programmes. This year she plans to roll-out the NEW Tour and pilot her shoe and handbag recycling programme, Save Our Soles (SOS) for Soles to Keep.
Mahmoud today is a project management professional (certified PMP) from the internationally recognised Project Management Institute (United States) and also a member of the Shoe Service Institute of America.
Bag of tricks
The must-haves in your shoe and handbag closet, according to Ndust:
Shoe care
Shoe trees To absorb moisture and maintain the regular shape of your shoes, always insert cedar shoe trees after wearing them.
Shoe creams To renew colour and cover scratches in between professional polishing. Remove surface dirt and dust then apply Meltonian or Tarrago shoe cream that is the same colour or slightly lighter than the colour of the leather. After the shoe cream has dried, buff the shoes with a soft brush.
Shoehorn To protect your heel counter (inside heel of shoe) from unnecessary wear, always use a shoe horn when putting on your shoes.
Dry shoes To minimise shoe odour or foot fungus, always allow shoes to completely dry inside and out, by not wearing the same pair of shoes on consecutive days.
Shoe bags To protect leather from scratches when travelling or storing shoes, wrap shoes in shoe bags or soft material (flannel shoe bags or cotton pillowcases.)
Protect soles To prolong the life of your leather-soled shoes, have your cobbler add a rubber sole protector (stylishly thin, this rubber top sole protects the outer sole from wear and tear.)
Handbag care
Beeswax To keep zips and fasteners working smoothly, run a piece of natural beeswax (found in hardware stores) over the zip's open teeth, then slide back and forth.
Baking soda and coffee To remove odour from your handbags, place baking soda or coffee beans inside a breathable cloth bag (cheesecloth) then place bag inside the handbag for 24 hours.
Paper and cloth To retain its original shape and to prevent wrinkles, stuff your leather handbag with some soft tissue paper or soft cloth pieces.
Baby wipes To clean fresh stains or minimise mould growth on leather handbags, carefully use baby wipes on the stained area.
Note: Ndust recommends a periodic professional clean and polish to strip the handbag of all bacteria, mould and layers of polish and to moisturise the leather.
Soft brush To remove grease from your suede or sheepskin handbag, sprinkle baby powder on the stain and let sit for 24 hours then use soft brush (toothbrush or suede brush) to remove all, if not most, of the stain.
Mild detergent To prevent unpleasant smells or bacterial growth in your fabric bags, opt to machine wash your cotton totes in mild detergent and hang or flat dry to reduce shrinkage.
By the way …
Ndust provides high-quality customisation and repairs for luxury stores and brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, John Lobb, Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Burberry, Lancel, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Opera, Brioni,, Giuseppe Zanotti,
Prada, Emilio Pucci, Braccialini, Dolce and Gabbana and Bloomingdale's to name a few. The service is offered for items such as men's and women's shoes, handbags, luggage and belts.
Inside info
Ndust Shoe Repairs on-site workshop is in Al Barsha 1, behind the Mall of the Emirates. In addition, Ndust is available online at www.ndustshoes.com or you can join it on facebook. To find out more about preventive leather care, write to info@ndustshoes.com
