Hasta La Ideas

A finely crafted cover for a range of artisanal jobs

Venerable leather goods purveyor Moore & Giles sources the finest hides from around the world to find the perfect fit for each product. For their latest release, a leather work apron, Moore & Giles worked with two types of vegetable-tanned leather—gorgeously dark hides from Virginia and supple, honey-colored Tuscan skins. Using centuries-old tanning techniques, these two leathers have been traditionally constructed to hold up to the abuse inherent in bartending, wood working or, really, any other job that requires an apron.

After working with New York cocktail bar PDT on a leather-bound encyclopedia of recipes, Moore & Giles returned to have mixologist Jeff Bell give the robust apron a test behind the bar. The artisanal craftsmanship of the leather offers an appropriate parallel to Bell’s finely crafted cocktails, while the apron’s two front pockets and kangaroo-style pouch offered plenty of easy access storage.

The leather work apron features an adjustable neck strap and two body ties, and is available in two distinct colors that age with time to develop a beautifully worn, naturally polished patina. For more information see Moore & Giles online where the apron sells for $375.

Hand crafted leather saddles from a fashion design professor turned bespoke upholsterer

Known to the cycling community as one of the premier bespoke bicycle upholsterers around, Australia’s Busyman Bicycles shines through custom craftsmanship in an industry salivating for specialized components. As the brains and braun behind the one man operation, Mick Peel turns regular old saddles into custom masterpieces by hand upholstering with traditional tools and a level of knowhow only earned through years of tinkering. His precise, and often intricate designs extend from classic perforations to perfectly mainicured letters and logos.

With a BA and MA in fashion desgin, nearly twenty years of lecturing on the subject and a sizable stint as head of the fashion design program at Melbourne’s RMIT University, Peel’s experience with elaborate pattern making and knowledge of functional design made for the perfect pathway into the world of custom saddle making. And as if his educational experience weren’t enough, Peel also did a fair amount of graphic design for Adidas Australia in the 1990s and has dabbled in furniture design here and there as well.

Regardless of the discipline at hand, Peel feels his knack for design comes from simply doing. “I do design by making. My knowledge of materials and techniques and the memory accumulated in my hands through crafting have become very much my tools and method of designing. In my practice designing and making are not separate things.”

As one would imagine working with a wide range of saddle designs means finding just the right materials to get the job done. As Peel points out, each leather has it’s own different characteristics and properties. Sheep is extremely soft and easily stretched but can be quite fragile, whereas cow leather is generally more balanced in terms of mold-ability, strength and durability. “My favourite material is definitely vegetable tanned, full grain kangaroo skin. It moulds more easily than cow skin and performs much better in both tensile strength and abrasion resistance. I will always choose kangaroo if it meets the specifications of the job at hand.”

While the expertly crafted saddles are Peel’s specialty, he also dabbles in crafting custom handlebar tape and other specialized bicycle components. For a closer look at Peel’s handy work see the slideshow below and keep an eye on the often updated Busyman Bicycles blog.

An Icelandic duo’s first accessories collection references the nation’s most prolific saga with Viking Age materials

Staka marks the first collection in an ongoing series between Icelandic product designers María Kristín Jónsdóttir and Bylgja Svansdóttir, comprising a curious mix of finely crafted unisex leather neck accessories. The aristocratic vibe of each piece stems from the design duo’s concept for the range, which draws inspiration from one of Iceland’s most notorious narratives, the Brennu-Njáls saga. Like all Icelandic sagas, the author remains anonymous, but the extensive storyline is centered around a familial feud which brings the idea of masculinity into question. The designers were also particularly taken by the tale’s leading lady, Hallgerður Langbrók, a femme fatale “who was notorious for her majestic appearance and temperament”, explains Svansdóttir.

Cut and molded from “Viking Age materials”, each piece is designed to tell a story about the wearer’s social status, but the beauty lies in their ambiguity. “We want each person to have the freedom to decide their own story and social status,” explains Svansdóttir. “The responses we’ve gotten so far have been very interesting, people guessing which pieces famous characters from The Icelandic Sagas would have worn, etc.”

Each equipped with their own portfolio of distinct works, the pair met while both exhibiting at Reykjavik’s Spark Design Space. Having bonded over a shared passion for unconventional jewelry and accessories design, they will continue to evolve the Staka line together, adding to the exciting range of unusual statement pieces.

Staka 2012 is available in limited supply at 38 þrep in Reykjavik, which stocks an equally exciting inventory of fashion and design goods.

Modern leather goods inspired by ancient techniques

A self-taught woodworker, Jason Ross‘ foray into leather goods happened by chance. While working on a furniture project in a friend’s woodshop, Ross noticed a band saw running on a leather belt and was so impressed it still worked that he “immediately contacted the company and bought scraps by the pound,” he says. The natural artisan taught himself how to manipulate his newfound medium and began integrating leather into his woodworking.

Today Ross peddles his expertly crafted leather accessories under the moniker Artemas Quibble, a name that suggests his continued interest in ancient objects and techniques. Working out of his studio in Brooklyn, Ross and his team create each belt, bag and jewelry item by hand for his own label as well as for his collaboration with Donna Karan.

“I enjoy reading how archaeologists think through the purpose of things and materials,” Ross explains. Gleaning insight from his favorite archaeology website, Ross learns from the methods of thinking and draws conclusions from fragmented evidence. These informed interpretations provide a foundation of authenticity for a mien blending the primitive with the modern. “I generally look for an aesthetically pleasing decorative or functional element that can’t be traced to one culture or another,” he notes.

Ross’ understanding of material also stems from his father—the inventor of the first plastic push-pin for Moore Push-Pin—who taught him about memory in materials. This guidance helped Ross develop one of his ingenious techniques, based on a “rivet-less” closure system in which a piece of leather is looped around itself or a piece of hardware and strung through a hole to hold it firmly in place without any give, even as the hide wears over time.

The idea really clicked when Ross began deconstructing an African hunting bag given to him by Graham Cassie, on which, he says, “leather thongs were stitched through holes to hold the various panels of the bag together.” He explains, “I could not, in most cases pull the old straps through the holes. The holes had been stretched and seemed to lock around the leather. I was forced to cut the straps in order to deconstruct the leather.” Ross uses the ancient concept to lock leather to leather as a way of holding hardware, which he also forges in his workshop.

A former Calvin Klein model, Ross’ interest in accessories seems like a natural progression, but his obsession with his craft goes beyond a connection to fashion. “I think that I appreciate beauty in discarded objects and remake those things, perhaps there is a connection to reading about excavations and discovery,” he says. The pieces he creates truly reflect his thoughtful nature and talent for combining the past with the future.

Select Artemas Quibble items sells online, as well as at Urban Zen and ABC Carpet & Home in NYC. See more images in the slideshow below.

Photos by Ruediger Glatz.

Our trio of basic accessories for your pocket mainstays

There are a few essentials you never leave home without: your keys, your phone, your wallet. These represent the survivalist accessories of modern life, and they should be carefully considered—after all, they remain the stronghold of minimalism and functionality in a world of excess. The following leather goods are handsomely spare selects that do everything required and nothing else.

wwSlimmy Coloma

The size of your wallet can say a lot about you—overloaded back-pocket bricks indicate hoarder tendencies, and anything requiring a snap release signals high maintenance. This pliable option has three enclosure slots to keep cash and cards separate and the durable, American-made Korchmar leather is fully tanned with vegetable dyes, resulting in a rich color. The handcrafted wallet is available from Koyono for $129.

Hard Graft Phone Fold Wallet

In a world dominated by cards, it may seem excessive to carry a wallet at all. Besides providing stellar protection for your phone, this case comes with a slot to carry the shortlist of everyday cards along with space for cash. The felt liner is kind against scratch-prone screens while the tough leather outer amps up the heritage look. Made in Italy, the wallet is hand-finished by Florentine craftsmen and can be found at Hard Graft for $89.

Alice Park Lanyard

We’ve always felt that bulky fobs are unnecessary. Lanyards serve as the perfect key accessory, providing ease of access without adding too much weight. Alice Park‘s calfskin option comes in a rainbow of colors to fit your personality. The brass and nickel rings link with a detachable hook to prevent fiddling with key rings, while the generous length allows you to latch onto purse handles and belt loops if you don’t want to rock the drape. The lanyard is available at OK for $45.