Hackney-based Kate Sheridan creates vegetable-tanned leather accessories and wearables that combine heritage British craft with modern functionality. We visited Kate and her in-house team of craftswomen—Amy, Molly, Miriam, and Caroline—to learn about the processes and teamwork that go into producing her leather goods.
On entering Kate Sheridan’s Clapton store, the soft aroma of leather and the handmade sound of craft combine into a unique retail experience. Like her products, the store celebrates functionality as a core principle in its design. The till area also serves as a belt bar workshop, where customers can choose from various customisable options and watch as their belt is made in front of them. Kate’s inclusive approach also invites her customers to be part of the process. Kate explains, ‘Our customers can select their fit, colour, and hardware, meaning they can be a bit of a designer. It’s a really nice thing to offer.’ Below the store is a busy design studio and workshop where leather accessories are lovingly produced using traditional craft techniques, including the Jigsaw bag and Loux wallet designs. The atmosphere of goods being made upstairs and downstairs lends a family feel to the workshop. ‘It’s a really nice environment to work in. There’s no pretence here; what you see is what you get. It’s often quite messy on the shop floor, where we work. I think many of our customers like that chaos and drama when they come in’ KS.
Watch the interview with Kate Sheridan
Kate’s journey into the leather goods trade during her study of footwear and accessories at Cordwainers, part of the London College of Fashion. Initially, she focused on becoming a shoe designer, winning a work placement at Patrick Cox whilst completing her studies. Kate then worked at Johnny Moke, where she began to experiment with leather jewellery, which was featured in Vogue. Kate then made the decision to set up her own business. Today, Kate Sheridan successfully collaborates with Toast and also has products stocked in Parisian department store Merci Merci. Above all else, Kate is grateful for her team ‘I’m very lucky because I have an amazing team of women that support me, and it’s incredible what we get to do’ KS.
One of the main jobs within the workshop is finishing leather straps. A gum solution is applied to the edges of the leather to seal it before it’s hand-painted. Kate explains, ‘This is the thing that you will find us doing all the time. Our factory in Suffolk makes the body of our wax cotton Giga and Midi totes, and we assemble the bags here, once we have completed the straps.’ Each leather strap has its own colour tone, which requires the mixing of paints by eye to match it to the body of the bag. Kate Sheridan’s in-house production also includes their riveted products. Alongside this, the team also take on different roles that match their personal interests. Molly has a background in fashion and enjoys the making and designing of products, whilst Miriam does PR, marketing and styling of their photoshoots. Miriam explains ‘There are a lot of nice things about working here. It’s a Hackney establishment; everyone knows Kate Sheridan, and you can walk around the area and you can see all the bags, some I haven’t seen for a long time. People come in and say ‘Look at my bag, I’ve had it 10 years and it’s still going strong’.
All of the leather that Kate Sheridan uses is vegetable-tanned, made from cows’ leather, which is a byproduct of the food industry. Most of the leather comes from cows in France, whilst the skins are tanned and prepared in the Pisa region of Italy. Each leather is unique and will shape the product over time. Miriam continues ‘Bags change depending on how customers wear the item. No bag will be exactly the same and it’s nice to see how it changes over time. It becomes someone’s item, and it is beautiful to see how the leather and the bag become one person’s own thing.’ The store often receives calls from customers who have had their bag for many years and request a repair, rather than find something new. ‘It’s really nice that people have a proper connection to the product and don’t want to get rid of it.’ Miriam.
In 2022 a second workshop/ store was added in Victoria Park. Just like in Clapton, a belt bar workbench means customers can see their purchase being made. This honest approach to manufacturing and retail seems utterly modern, yet at the same time, it evokes the history of leather working, where products were made and sold within the same space. Kate has created a British manufacturing and retail business where the provenance of materials and the skills of craftspeople take centre stage.
‘My brand has always been organic, with slow growth. I’m not a machine. I’m just a person’ KS.
Photos and words by David Wickham Film by Matt Allen
