Is there anything else that you really want to do and haven't done yet?
'I think i need to do more styles, I need to do backpacks and oh I'm going to do a mens collection as well. I think I'm going to do some really basic simple satchels and I'm going to use some black and brown leather and then mix it up with a wax cotton, you know like wax canvas, Like Barbour coats. Im going to try that na get a little photoshoot together for that. Then i can approach mens magazines, I'll put up laptop covers and things like that in there too'
Its interesting how that when you were at uni though because when we get asked about what we want to do when we finish, its interesting how it changes
'yeah i think by the time you leave uni and you've worked at a couple of different places, it takes a bit of time to figure it out, some people just know don't they. Someone i know wanted to be a mid wife and she knew all her life she wanted to be a mid wife'
We always have to toile everything, do you have to toile it or do you just make it in the leather straight away to see if it works?
'I just make them in the leather. I usually just use some off cuts because its leather, theres always going to be a scar or scratch or something, a bit i can't really use so i just use those bits and make them up. But honestly most of the time they're just really simple designs so i know they're going to work'
You know the D rings and zips do you do them yourself?
'Yeah, theres loads of places, London Trimmings, I can just pick them up from or i can just order them online but once you've gone to all these places you realise that everyone in the leather business knows each other, its quite handy. When i went to get my zips from these people, they recommend me someone who could stitch the bags and then they knew a zip guy who you can buy them wholesale off. so people have helped me out along the way'
Obviously you need to make a profit so do you work it out if you were doing it in bulk or do you do it individually?
'individually, but i mean I've just bought a roll of zip and then figured out how much that bit of zip costs. Everyone uses the YYK zips because they're cheaper. I got a Comme De Garcons jacket which was so ridiculously expensive and all their zips were just cheap YYK zips.
After talking about Sophie's bag she made at uni
'Basically my friend Joe did later cutting onto leather, you see that monogram there, he could engrave that onto leather but then it smells like burning skin'
What would you recommend is the best leather to use on bags?
'the thing is i really like this leather and I've tried out a few but its never been quite right. Its not been the right thickness so I've always gone back to this and i think its over priced, its from Alma leather, they've got a big place in the west end and then they've got one in white chapel so they are nenouned for being expensive but because i really like this leather and keep using it, i keep going back to it. So i do reckon thats pretty high price because I've got other hides for cheaper. unless i can find something else that matches it i'll go for it but at the moment i'll stay with it cause its slightly waxy, its just like the perfect thickness as well.
And this is other stuff, this isn't doubled, just enough for a strap, i've just done one side and did it myself. All the small bits i can just put on myself'
Do all your friends get them as presents?
'They used to but not any more. My friend Diana, we call her dirt bag. I've just got this patient leather bag and gold letters which I've really crudely cut out with my hands and it just says dirt bag and its really cool in big writing. Then all i have to do is glue it on and get them to get it stitched. So i might off that on the website as something you can have on the bag. If you wanted a little joke or message or word or anything then you can just order it. Or even just big initials on it. So the workshop i use they've got all the embossing machines so i can do that, i just haven't got around to putting it on my website yet but i will do eventually'
Do you have a specific name for each bag?
'Erm, well when i did the AW collection i did name them all after people that had bought the bags. So Melody Morton was one of the bags because she ordered a gold and leopard print bag off me and it was her idea to put those together so i named it after her. Ive named them for the last collection still probably do the same for the next'
Are there any compromises you've had to make?
'I'd say the only difficult thing is wanting to do lots more designs but then having to slow down because the more different designs i make, the more leathers i buy, i can't afford to buy so much. I have to keep it to a certain amount of colour. you see this hairy one, i bought it in a bright pink, bright blue and bright orange for summer but i need to use up every last piece of it'
You could make coin purses and stuff?
'yeah i still do coin purses and oyster wallets. Its just restricting because its not like fabric you can buy that by meter, you've got to buy the whole hide which is really expensive and then you've got so much wastage from scars on leather. So I've realised now that I'm adding on 20% wastage, when i buy a hide i know that 20% of its going to be waste. Its an odd shape for one so you can always fit the pattern on, I have kept them so i can use them for bits. In fact its not even 20% its 30% waste. You but it by square foot so if they say thats £2.50 per square foot, i have to think thats £5 because I've got to add 20% tax on top of that and 30% wastage so it doubles in price. You've just got to be clever about using the off cuts. its good to have little bits a lower price points because its something to buy then, like a little key ring'
You know the PR girl does she work full time or is she part time?
'no she's part time, she set up her own company and I'm just on her books now as one of her clients, so i think she has other clients as well. She came round my house and saw my stuff, she looked at my stamp that says handmade in east London and she was like oh you know handmade is one word.
Thats another thing thats difficult, being on your own, you have no one to pick up on things like that or no one to bounce ideas off. It dos your head in sometimes being on your own. Im really glad to have her, even if she's just on the phone'
What do you think the grand plan is, to keep expanding the business?
'To have my own offices and people working for me and a shop obviously. A flagship store in London and then try and get them over into America and Australia, because they're quite bright colours some of them. When i was with another website, do you know boutica, they're like an online boutique. They basically host the website and all these designers sell their stuff on there. they take a cut of the sales but i used to sell loads to Australia, so theres a couple of websites I'm on like that.
Because they take a cut, I'm trying to push the sales onto my website, get that going and then get a sort of recognition and hopefully people will remember and come back for more'
Do you enjoy it?
'yeah, yeah i do and actually thats why I'm doing it because I'm not actually making much money really and even if i do make money, I'm spending it again on PR or collections or photoshoots. The money just comes in and goes out but i do really enjoy it thats why when i think back to uni as well, you're kind of considering everything and doing it properly and in real life you're like shit just do it. Make mistakes as you go along.
Thanks for meeting us
'Thats okay, i really need to check out that leather place whats it called?'
GH Leathers
'i have a friend who's all ethical and I'm always like i get my leather from Itlay but I'm never going to outsource to China, i want to keep it in the UK. I want to be in contact with the people making my stuff, see them everyday, chat to them about designs. I couldn't imagine sending stuff out there and then getting it back like what is this. Everything is handmade, i cut every piece of leather, every things controlled as i go along, that will definitely stay like that and then the ethical thing on top.
I was looking at your website and it looks so professional
'Really? honestly if you look at my photos, my photos are awful. This is the thing, this is why I've got someone it, Ive just shoved the pictures on there. so some are cut out and some are bigger than others. From a photographers point of view, when i get things photographed at this place she just looks at my website and is just like Sarah, that is really out of focus and I'm like is it. Now she's made me really conscious and yeah she's really particular and she's going to sort out my images and then everything will be the same size.
Its just another thing to do. have to do that and then we've got tax return and then I've got to do a new collection, so loads of stuff to do and then keep on top of orders'
You know you're doing a new season, how far in advance do you have to do it?
'Right, i should have done it already. this is the thing i need to start being on time because obviously with press, magazines and stuff, i need to more forward.
Because I'm not selling massive wholesale items, its not that big of a deal. But i spoke to the PR girl and said I'm going to do this SS collection and don't make it a big deal out of it being SS15 and maybe use it next year as well. For wholesale so they can see it and buy it next year in the shops so i think we can do it like that. I really should have done it last summer, so I'm going to try and spread this new collection over 2 summers. I can use stuff I've already got and mix it up. Maybe add a few bits next summer but a least the bulk of it and the photoshoot i can still use otherwise I'm going to spend a few grand on photoshoots'
Do you use professional Photographers?
'yeah, the last photoshoot i did, i hired a studio, a model, a photographer, a stylist and a make up artist. It cost me a fortune. Im glad i did it because the pictures came out really well'
I read on your website as well, weren't you stocked in Jager?
'yeah, they found me actually. Not this christmas but the one before. so i've got a core collection i run constantly. so they had my first collection, so that was really exciting'
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