Leather at the heart of London Craft Week

7th December 2020

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London Craft Week is now in its sixth year and its annual growth has ensured it will be back for many, many more. The festival this October brought together more than 250 makers, designers, brands and galleries. Leather featured strongly throughout, as you would expect in an event that celebrates artisanry and craftsmanship.

From the luxury designs of Mulberry to the intricacies of bookbinding, our favourite material was at the heart of the festival. We can’t cover all of the events it featured in, but here’s our pick…

Mulberry held a series of talks on sustainability at their Regent Street flagship store. Following the launch of the Portobello Tote, the luxury leather brand is making huge strides in its mission to become 100 per cent sustainable. It has introduced a ‘gold standard’ leather to its signature collections and the Bayswater, Amberley and Iris are now available in heavy grain leather from environmentally accredited tanneries.

Jodie Strachan is a book binder, her craft has embraced the use of leather for as long as books have needed binding. She has worked with vinyl, acrylic and metal but found those materials lacked the special feel of leather. She now works at traditional bookbinders Barnard and Westwood and welcomed visitors throughout the week to exhibit her skills and share her love of leather.

Cheaney and Co., one of Northampton’s finest traditional shoemakers, held workshops on how to polish and nourish leather. The drop-in sessions, at their Coal Drops Yard store in King’s Cross, taught how to give a longer life to their already immensely durable shoes.

London Craft Week will be back even bigger and even better next October!