Accessories Artisan

Where There’s a Mum, There’s a Way 

Breakin' the Rules Like Proper Brits:  The Cambridge Satchel Story  by Gene Fowler  British mum Julie Deane found herself in a pickle one day back in 2008. Her eight-year-old daughter was being bullied at school and Deane decided to move both the girl and her six-year-old son to a private school. But she and her then-husband were £23,400 short of the £24,000 annual tuition for both children. (The British pound,
Accessories Artisan

Mean Jean Leather 

By Nick Pernokas  Thirty-six-year-old Lyndsi McGee grew up in central California. In her twenties, she moved to Los Angeles. Perhaps it was the ghost of L.A.’s pop culture, that is so prevalent there, which fueled her love for 1960s retro fashion.  “I was an avid vintage shopper,” says Lyndsi. “I always loved the classic Sixties saddlebags.”  Lyndsi purchased a lot of the old handbags from thrift shops. By the time
Accessories

On the Fringe 

By B. Crawford  People in Austin, Texas, like to live on the fringe of music, architecture, business and politics. But no one lives more on the fringe of the Austin fashion scene than Kimberly Brown, the founding force behind Austin-based Fringe Hill Design.   “When I started my company, I felt like I was on the fringe of everything. Like I didn’t fit in perfectly anywhere. I was just a little
Accessories Leather Supplier

TEAM SPIRIT IS AT THE CORE OF A YEAR-OLD, GROWING FAMILY BUSINESS 

Missouri company supplies leather and other custom cut parts, like sweatbands. And they offer leatherwork classes.   By Lynn Ascrizzi   Sometimes, what is small, nearly invisible and seemingly insignificant, is what holds things all together.   Such is the case with the humble sweatband, that important but little regarded band of leather or other fabric sewn inside the base of a hat’s crown. Various kinds of hats and caps, be they Stetsons,
Accessories Artisan

Weinaug Leather – Classic Western with an Alien Twang

By B. Crawford If you bring a knife to a gunfight, at least make sure it has a nice sheath. Tooling a bull on a dead cow is ironic. These words of leatherworking wisdom come straight from Kingsbury, Texas, workshop of 25-year-old Trevor Weinaug, the founder of Weinaug Handcrafted Leather. Trevor is 100% Pure-D Texan, the direct descendant of a German immigrant who made his way to the hill's northwest
Accessories Artisan

Revisiting Western Skies Handmade        

Emergence of the Circle by Gene Fowler  Throughout the American West and Southwest, the vast cathedral of space that looms and soars above the landscape inspires and humbles all who behold it. In praise of this great natural temple, the name Western Skies has been applied to everything from motels to golf resorts, insurance agencies to RV dealerships. Event venues. Jewelers. Realtors. Veterinarians. Steakhouses. Candles, contractors and campgrounds. Art galleries. 
Accessories Artisan

Lost Dutchman Leather Nears Double-Digit Growth 

by Liisa Andreassen  In September 2020, we ran an article about an up-and-coming entrepreneur Nate Walker, founder of Lost Dutchman Leather. We were excited to catch up with him again and learn all that’s happened since we last talked. To date, he’s seen a huge growth spurt in his community and continues to push his creativity in design. In fact, over the last year, he’s realized about a 40 percent
Accessories Artisan

Lifetime Leather Co. 

By B. Crawford  ShopTalk! is proud to have supported the age-old skills and resilience of leather craftsmen for the last five years. In this, our yearly anniversary issue, it is only fitting that we reach back into our own heritage and shine the spotlight on Ty Bowman, a craftsman whose story was told in our December 2018 issue, who continues to honor the tradition that so few follow in modern
Accessories Artisan

Duane Ballard Custom Leather 

Easy Rider by Gene Fowler  “As long as I get to mess with leather,” jokes artisan Duane Ballard, “I don't really care what I'm making.” To prove it, he sports tattoos of a swivel knife and a traditional oak leaf tooling on the back of his right hand.  But, while he does find leatherwork of any kind to be a satisfying activity, Duane generally concentrates on custom motorcycle seats and
Accessories Artisan

Carlos Macias: The Lost Buckaroo 

By Nick Pernokas  Forty-five-year-old Carlos Macias was raised in the small town of Elk Grove, California. This urban setting in a non-horsy family wasn’t the background that most people would think of for a cowboy. Carlos received a nudge in that direction from an aunt who was involved in “The Painted Ladies,” a drill team that performed at rodeos. She put him on his first horse when he was little