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© All rights reserved
© Bogdan Gîrbovan
© All rights reserved
© All rights reserved
© All rights reserved

Ionuț Marin

  • MOTA
  • Leatherworker
  • Bucharest, Romania
  • Master Artisan
Ionuț Marin Leatherworker
Contact
Romanian, English
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+40 724528054
© All rights reserved

When metal meets leather

  • • Ionuț is a self-taught leatherworker
  • • His designs are based on a masculine, sculptural vision
  • • The custom-made metallic details constitute MOTA’s trademark

Trained in metal sculpture and self-taught in leatherworking, Ionuț Marin combined his two specialisations after realising the resemblance between leather and metalworking techniques and the impressive results of bringing them together. He opened the MOTA studio a few years ago, driven by his passion for his craft and inspired by renowned mavericks who paved the way in their fields. Although Ionuț envisioned selling his creations to men, the bags he makes are also popular with women. His designs have a sculptural approach, whilst the metallic elements have become his trademark. Ionuț has a PhD in applied arts and is an assistant professor at the National University of Arts in Bucharest.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Bogdan Gîrbovan
  • © Bogdan Gîrbovan
  • © Bogdan Gîrbovan
  • © Bogdan Gîrbovan
Photo: © Bogdan Gîrbovan
Frattina

Nappa calf leather, hand woven using the famous 'intrecciato' technique from Bottega Veneta, was used to make the body of this bag. The shape of the bag creates a generously sized interior, perfectly adapted for a weekend escape. It features four x-shaped metal accessories, a trademark of the brand.

Length 55 cm
Width 18 cm
Height 35 cm

Photo: © Bogdan Gîrbovan
Monaco

The Monaco bag is part of the Vintage Cars series, where each bag is inspired by a specific car model represented by a particular metal feature. In this case, the source of inspiration was the Ferrari 458 Italia. The metal part was created from copper, and varnished and painted with the same techniques as used for the cars. Four craftsmen were involved in making this bag.

Length 28 cm
Width 7 cm
Height 39 cm

Photo: © Bogdan Gîrbovan
Aaron

An original MOTA design, this bag has become one of the company’s signature pieces. Created from nappa leather, it features accessible pockets and quilted shoulder straps. The perfect bag for everyday use, it is remarkably comfortable to wear.

Length 28 cm
Width 12 cm
Height 43 cm

Photo: © Bogdan Gîrbovan
Marconi

The Marconi briefcase was handmade using the finest brown nubuck leather. It was stained with blue silicon paint to intentionally disrupt the clean lines and to combine the traditional and the contemporary.

Length 38 cm
Width 10 cm
Height 35 cm

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