PAPA: ‘the most minimalist and durable belt ever’ fastens securely without a buckle

olivier taco designs buckle-less belt

French designer Olivier Taco strips belt design back to its basics and crafts the minimalist, durable, PAPA belt out of Italian vegetable tanned hides. Embracing the beauty of refined craftsmanship and pure leather the belt discards the need for an ostentatious buckle, placing emphasis on the strap itself by almost entirely removing the typical ‘clunky’ fastening. Instead, the designer introduces a discreet, one-piece stainless steel clasp that secures the belt with no moving parts. In another iteration, the Stealth model, there is no buckle at all, and instead the two ends of the belt fold and tie into one other securely using a traditional French system.

the Stealth model | all images courtesy the author

embracing refined craftsmanship and raw leather

On a mission to create the ‘most minimalist and most durable belt ever’, Olivier Taco decides to focus on simplicity of design and high quality craftsmanship. The PAPA belt strap is crafted out of thick, high quality leather made in a family owned factory in central Porto, Portugal. The edges are beveled, sanded, slightly burned, waxed and polished for a refined finish, increased comfort, and durable quality. With no weak stitching, ‘funky synthetic’, or cardboard inside, the belt is set to last for generations.

PAPA Stainless 30

Emphasizing the beauty of the strap, the designer replaces large decorative buckles with a discreet clasp. Cut from a 2 mm stainless steel sheet then folded by a hydraulic press, the ‘buckle’ attaches firmly onto the strap by three metal rivets. ‘You would have to drill them to detach the buckle from the strap. No moving parts, no problem. This buckle will never fail,’ notes Taco. Taking this a step further, on the Stealth PAPA belt the designer employs a traditional French system to remove the buckle completely.

The PAPA belts will be available on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter until December 3rd, 2022.

the minimalist clasp disappears behind the thick leather strap

Olivier Taco strips belt design down to its basics

buckle-free Stealth PAPA belt draws on the French system

crafted by a family owned factory in central Porto, Portugal, specialized in belt crafting since 1984

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project info:

name: PAPA belts
designer: Olivier Taco

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom