13 June 2024.

How important is this question to you: Do you know where and how your leather (or any fashion) items are being made?

With an ever-increasing focus on the ethical production of clothing and accessories, the onus is on the consumer to be aware and not take clever marketing at face value; i.e. to make an informed choice. Let's say a brand touts that they are proudly Australian. They may even say their goods are designed in Australia. Great start, so let's go to their 'About' or 'FAQs' page on their website, where we expect to see where their products are made, and how. Except, we don't. In fact, there's an alarming lack of information.

We could easily draw the conclusion that their goods are being manufactured offshore, cheaply, in a production line, with basic skills, and the very real possibility of unethical conditions. Unless they specifically state otherwise, this is a fair assumption to make. What this means for that 'proudly Australian' brand is that they can mass produce goods at a low cost, and then sell those goods at an excellent profit, whilst their consumers are happy that they're supporting an Australian business.

Ever wondered how they can possibly make a profit during those huge EOFY and outlet sales? It's because their cost of goods sold is so low. Cost of goods sold means the cost of materials and labour to produce an item. If an item can be sold so cheaply, it could very well mean that the materials are sub quality; the labour is unskilled and/or not being paid a fair wage; and the conditions for those labourers are unsafe.

To sum up - next time you're wanting to support an Australian business and want to consider ethical production, do some homework first to ensure you're making an informed choice - and don't be afraid to ask questions! Disclaimer: my thoughts are my own and are not directed towards any particular business or individual.

27 June 2024.

This topic might not be for everyone, but I for one am mighty curious about it.

How often have you had a stroke of genius, an ‘Eureka’ moment, an original idea that you were truly excited about, sat on it for a while…only to find that someone else is doing it already? You can’t explain it – you don’t know them, you haven’t seen their work before, and they haven’t broken into your house and stolen your notes. So how did they get your idea (or did you get theirs)?

A maker friend (the talented Miss Flower Creations – check out her beautiful work if you haven’t already) told me about this audiobook she’d listened to, by the author of a very popular book (I won’t mention the name in case it’s a copyright thingy). The author had met another writer and was telling them about a book she was writing…the other writer listened in shock, as the first author described the plot for a book that she, the other writer, had already started on, but put aside some years ago. How did this happen? If you don’t like woo-woo stuff, exit now, but what they put it down to was a chance meeting the previous year, where they met for the first time but felt an instant connection – and the idea jumped from one to the other.

The idea was waiting for someone to give it life. It hadn’t come to fruition with the original writer, due to circumstances, but it was itching to burst forth. It waited until it felt the right catalyst and jumped and was given life (and a very successful one at that).

I don’t know if this phenomenon has a name, but something certainly happened when those two random strangers met. However…what about when someone else has your idea but you’ve definitely never met them, and they haven’t stolen your notes? Well, this I can’t answer, but it does happen frequently enough to me to make me wonder if ideas really are original to a person.

Or are they already out there somewhere, waiting for the first person to give them life, but there’s a bit left over and it finds another person? Something to ponder… Disclaimer – any factual errors are my own.

23 September 2024.

Make all the things? That is the question that’s been on my mind a bit lately.

I recently read an excellent blog by Leathercraft Masterclass about selling your leatherwork – the premise being, what should you make – and further – what sells?

This is actually harder to answer than it seems. There are many leatherworkers out there, making lots of different things. There are many customers out there, who like lots of different things. In the aforementioned blog, to make all manner of things is encouraged to reach a wide range of customers. It’s suggested to tackle anything and everything, even if you haven’t made it before or don’t have any interest in it. It does make sense – if you’re only making one type of thing, or a small range, your market narrows considerably.

On the other hand, there are strong arguments for going deep over wide. You can develop consistency of style, you can become known for something in particular, you can hone into your niche and your ideal customer. These things develop an indelible identity, which helps form trust in your brand, which leads to longevity. I can see pros and cons in both situations, which makes this selling gig so very hard. I sometimes get enquiries to do custom work that is completely out of my field. I usually turn it away or redirect to another maker in that field, but am I doing myself a disservice? Should I learn more to expand and offer more styles – or will that be confusing to a potential customer? We all know there is such a thing as too much choice; it’s overwhelming, you can’t make a decision and you put it in the too hard basket.

Additionally, making something that I have no interest in really doesn’t feel right to me personally. One, there will be a maker out there who genuinely loves doing that and I’m happy to try to direct business their way; two, I feel on an artistic level that the work won’t be imbued with my style and therefore it might hurt my brand ethos. Thirdly – there is so much more to learn and refine in the areas that I am passionate about, that I will never be at a loss for a challenge.

So, wide or deep? Make all the things? It’s a hard call in a still-young business, trying to stay afloat. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, either as a maker or a customer. Please feel welcome to send me a message!

21 October 2024.

I often mention 'equestrian style', but what do I mean by that? This won’t be a fashion history lesson, but a nostalgic insight into what equestrian style is to me, and how it underpins my brand.

‘Equestrian style’ typically relates to the traditional clothing found in the foxhunting field, which has evolved into the clothing worn by equestrians – that is, those that ride and compete in ‘English’ style riding, i.e. dressage, showjumping etc. It is the opposite of the western cowboy vibe.

Picture tweed blazers, tailored pants and shirts, sleek knee high boots, discreet scarves, leather gloves, impeccable grooming. The tack (or saddlery) used in equestrian disciplines generally favours simplicity and elegance. It is in stark contrast to western riding where we can see jeans, bright shirts, fringing, intricately tooled leather, big heavy saddles etc.

Riding generally is divided into English and Western (there are more categories than that but the simplification suits this post). There are few brands who effortlessly blend both together, the best of which is the inimitable Ralph Lauren. There are of course very familiar luxury brands who consistently tie in their brand with the equestrian world, namely Gucci, Chanel, and Hermes, the latter whose tagline is ‘the horse was our first customer’.

Away from fashion, you can see the influence of equestrianism in homewares as well…it’s in pieces made from leather (or purporting to be) with stitching detail, the shape of bits and stirrups, notes of hay and leather, to name a few. It all evokes a history when the horse worked alongside man and helped build our world, and was our companion in recreation as well.

So how do I transfer equestrian style into my leatherwork? Mostly, it is using the centuries’ old traditional methods of British saddlers to create practical pieces that are understated and elegant. The details should blend quietly into the background yet bespeak quality. I envisage how my work might complement the equestrian lifestyle, whether at work or play…and I always keep the beauty and history of the horse foremost.

29 April 2026.

Today, 29th April 2026, is World Leather Day.

Organised by Leather Naturally, this day invites all interested to unite in promoting the qualities of leather. The theme this year is Make It Leather, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to share why I choose to make it all with leather! I hope you enjoy the insight into what makes EKP Leatherwork tick.

1. I choose to use a natural product. Leather is a by-product of the meat industry, and it gently returns to the earth after a long and useful life.

2. I design pieces that are practical and timeless, so that you can use them in any season and beyond any trend.

3. My items are made to last but can be easily repaired, so they stay in circulation for longer.

4. I make to order, or in very small batches, to minimise wastage and deadstock.

5. I repair and repurpose, to help keep broken items going to waste.

6. I honour the life of the animal by highlighting the individual marks of each hide.

If you’re interested in learning more about what makes leather a wonderful natural medium to work with, do check out www.leathernaturally.org for further information.

15 June 2026.

Some thoughts on custom work.

Firstly, this may be an uncomfortable read so let me be clear that I appreciate the custom orders that come my way. I’m thrilled that you’ve chosen a small, local business, and I relish the opportunity to make something unique and lasting for you, and oftentimes learn something new about leatherwork. I also count myself lucky to have wonderful customers who appreciate what goes into making. But for the work that I take on, there’s more that I don’t, and I feel compelled to share why.

Style. Very often, I get asked to copy something. As a professional courtesy, I don’t copy other unique designs (and I expect the same courtesy in return). It also doesn’t make sense for me, as a maker who designs their own pieces, to make something that doesn’t look like I made it. Also, there’s a vast amount of different leatherworking techniques and styles out there, and I don’t do them all. It’s a little bit like asking a watercolourist who does animal portraits, ‘hey I like your work but can you do a human portrait in oils?’ - well, as they say, oils ain’t oils. And I always hope that you’re coming to me because you like MY style!

Time and remuneration. Here is where I want to touch on the difference between maker and manufacturer, as I see it. If you go to a manufacturer, there’s an expectation that you have already designed the object and possibly have a 3D prototype, and exact specifications, and you can say ‘please make me x amount of this’, and they can produce exactly that through processes made for production.

When you go to a maker, you bring an idea, sometimes just a thought, and it’s up to the maker to make your thoughts into something real and functional. It’s difficult to convey the amount of time this takes, particularly if it’s a unique and one off piece as is often the case. It’s HOURS upon HOURS of thinking and planning and designing, before you even get to the making. And the making takes such a long time because beyond the familiar, learned skills are the uncharted waters of creating a completely new thing. Many makers don’t charge for the hours of doing the thinking and planning, but to make a living they must charge fairly for materials and labour and skill, so that brings me to remuneration.

It’s reasonable to expect a certain level of quality in exchange for your hard-earned cash. It’s unreasonable to expect someone to work for next to nothing. Before you gasp at the cost, or try to haggle, try to imagine the shoe on the other foot. Let’s say you’re experienced in your job, you work hard and meet KPIs…but your boss doesn’t think you’re worth the wage you agreed on, despite your experience and knowledge, despite the hours you put in, often over and above. How do you take that? You probably wouldn’t.

It’s also unreasonable to expect 1996 prices in 2026, or even pre-COVID prices for that matter. Now, the problem with pricing leatherwork is that there is no industry standard, so as a buyer how do you choose between, for example, a $30 belt and a $150 belt? Generally speaking, the price difference is in the quality of materials and the quality of work. And it’s ok to choose the $30 belt if that’s the one in your budget. It’s not ok to be impolite about the $150 belt because it’s not in your budget.

Additionally, it’s rather hard to compare the cost of a mass-produced item made in an environment that doesn’t support ethical or sustainable working and living, and one custom made for you by a professional craftsman running a business in a first world country.

In closing, none of my musings are meant unkindly; they’re meant to hopefully encourage some understanding of what goes into custom work and why it should be paid for fairly. There are sadly not many who do undertake this type of work and it’s usually because people aren’t prepared to pay for the amount of work and expertise involved - and it’s also jolly hard!