Light as silk and robust as leather, horsehair has a fine sheen and a pleasant surface. Its strength and durability make it the ideal choice for Albert Kriemler to create Akris accessories. Furthermore, Akris is likely the only fashion house that incorporates horsehair into jackets for women, like traditional men's and bespoke tailoring for structure and shape.
The horsehair used to make Akris fabrics is sourced in the mountainous regions of Mongolia. In a traditional ceremony, it is cut from the long tails of wild, free-roaming horses and grows back in a natural process lasting two to four years.
Cutting horsehair does not harm the animals - it is comparable to a haircut - and the craft supports the way of life of the indigenous nomads.
Creating refined horsehair accessories requires masterful artistry and expertise at every step. In its processing, horsehair is demanding, even downright stubborn. The historic looms, which were developed to weave horsehair in 1884, produceonly 2.5 meters of fabric per day, making the material very rare.
Introducing horsehair as an unexpected accessory material fitting Albert Kriemler's passion for unique textiles, the Ai bag was unveiled in 2009. Each Ai bag requires hair from the tails of two horses; the name Ai translates to "love" and was chosen in honor of a famous Japanese horse. Another nod to the equine world paying tribute to the animals that provide the raw material for the bags.
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