PATTERN ISSUE NO. 846 47

TEXT BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN SIMONETTO +ASSISTANT EMMA ROGERS

FEW THINGS MANAGE TO DISTINCTLY appeal to the senses more than leather. The smell is intoxicating, nostalgic, and organic, wafting into the nostrils to deliver a calming dose of pleasure. To the touch, leather is smooth. The hand glides across its surface easily, the fingertips encounter-ing slight ridges and rough patches of the hide, a diary of the life of its bovine owner.

When transformed into a product, leather takes on a new existence. While maintaining the character of its being, it faces tight stitches, embossed ridges, careful folds, clean cuts, rough embellishments, artificial texture, and softly-worn suede. The look is different depending on the hands that formed it.

Indiana is lucky enough to have several leather crafters, all with different aesthetic, but a true dedication to producing quality leather goods. Although the materials they work with are similar, each craftsman takes his or her own approach to the hide.

HIDE BOUND

2TRUEN JAIMES HOUSE OF 5TH

5TYLER MECHEM LM PRODUCTS

4CHRISTIAN RESIAK HOWL AND HIDE

1BROOKE LINDEMANN LEATHER.FEATHER.STONE.

3MICHELLE WARBLE BUSTY’S FUN BAGS

47

PATTERN ISSUE NO. 848 49

1LEATHER.FEATHER.STONE.ORGANIC CHICBrooke Lindemann is the founder of Leather. Feather. Stone. Created in her home studio, she shapes pieces of leather using the raw edge and true shape of the hide to inform her designs. This results in chic and simple products with soft textures and visual aesthetic. Each product is as unique as the hide from which it originates.

Lindemann is a stay at home mom who decided to take on a creative career at home. Her company is largely run from Etsy but her products also appear in select boutiques. Her company has taken off in just a few short years, but actually began in 2011 with an unfortunate accident.

“I had a pair of moccasin boots that I absolutely loved but my dog ate all the fringe off,” says Lindemann. “I bought some pieces of scrap from a leather store in Indy and replaced the fringe. I made it really wild and shaggy, and basically improved them.”

She used the leftover leather to create belts and cuffs to sell on Etsy. That transformed into clutch bags and evolved into a full bag collection. She sources her leather from a local family owned leather business, one that she prefers to keep top secret. Her choices in leather are very selective, and each product is informed by the natural raw edge of the hide.

“I buy leather that I’m drawn to and that I know will make beautiful items,” says Lindemann. “For example the crackle leather that is used on some of my bags, I have no idea where it comes from, and I can’t even find it online. I enjoy the hunt of stumbling into something awesome. It keeps things fresh for me and creates a demand for my product.”

Lindemann has general patterns that help provide a standard in shape and size for her bags, but she always leaves the edge open for interpretation. Another variable is the tassel that adorns each bag. The result is a snowflake line, similar products, but each organically unique. She also creates accessories outside of the bag collection using the leftover leather to create tassels, cuffs, and earrings, utilizing as much of the hide as possible. The majority of her business revolves around playing, something that sets her apart.

“I grew up watching my mom sew, and I’m not great at sewing clothing but I’ve got an eye for detail and aesthetic. It’s important for me to have a nice finish to things. I’m self–taught but I have honed my craft. I’ve always felt like more of a sculptor than a seamstress.”

2 HOUSE OF 5TH LUXURY ARTISANSituated at a luxury price point, House of 5th is delectably designed. The accessory line spearheaded by Truen Jaimes started in 2008, but only turned to leather goods three years ago. The company focus is to create fine leather goods & accessories that cater to the tech and travel savvy customer in an artisan fashion. The resulting product is a bold yet streamlined approach to fashionable tech.

House of 5th’s selling point lies in elaborate finishing techniques and originality of design. Jaimes has full control of the operation of the company, and all production is done by artisans in his Fountain Square studio. Eighty percent of the leather is dyed in house with their 19 proprietary colors. The top surface dye fades and distresses in certain areas to show the beauty of the leather over time.

“We only use vegetable tanned, top–grain, premium leather for our hand died line,” says Jaimes. “It ages nicely and softens over time, but it is very thick so it doesn’t tear.”

The process of construction is a mixed production strategy using industrial machinery or hand stitching, depending on the product. Part of what makes House of 5th so successful is their investment in top of the line equipment, acquired over time, to allow for advanced, streamlined production in–house. Instead of placing concern on money saving techniques, Jaimes seeks ways to make products more hand finished and artisan.

“I use what I call a reactionary design process,” Jaimes explains. “Where a lot of designers will be fine just focusing on trend, for me it’s really important to study and analyze the data of what’s trending but then offer the consumer something that they’re not going to find somewhere else. Sometimes it’s a forced design method. If I find something that I really want to do, but the market is already responding to it, I will force myself to design in a different direction. I want it to be relevant, but I want to create something that is not on the market.”

House of 5th’s latest collection is archi-tecturally inspired, thanks to the recent completion of his own home and new studio, made evident by the punching and linear designs that mimic those found in the industrial space. Even as his designs develop, Jaimes still aims to keep the focus on the quality and production techniques that truly create the luxury artisan products.

4 HOWL AND HIDETRADITIONALLY RUGGEDChristian Resiak never intended to start a leather business; he simply saw a product and decided that he could do better. In less than a year, this idea transformed into Howl and Hide, a completely hand sewn and American made leather company.

“I would stay up for hours and teach myself how to hand sew on crappy old leather jackets,” says Resiak. “I spent a lot of time studying and refining how to do this traditional trade that’s been long forgotten. It’s evolved to what it is.”

Functionality is the biggest focus of Resiak’s designs resulting in simple, timeless pieces. Preferring to skip the trinkets, there are no gimmicks to hide behind. He prefers clean silhouettes and few embellishments to let the leather and construction processes speak for themselves.

“I take pride that everything is completely hand stitched,” says Resiak. “You lose the integrity of the item by machine stitching. I know every stitch that goes into the bag because I do it with my own two hands.”

3 BUSTY’S FUN BAGSWHIMSICALLY CRAFTYBusty’s Fun Bags are just as interesting as the name. Created by Michelle Warble, the bags incorporate upcycled leather goods and often patterned upholstery fabric for a whimsical and homespun aesthetic. The name derives from her old roller derby nickname, Busty Sanchez, and the company came into existence after her retirement from the Naptown Roller Girls team. Although she only makes them on the side of her full–time job, the craft has gone from a hobby of creating her own bags to making products for others.

“I really had no sewing experience, just home economics in seventh grade, but I decided I could do it. I sewed a purse, and it went from there. I started with regular fabric, moved up to quilting and upholstery weight fabric, then on to vinyl, and now I’m working with leather.”

The bags have clean lines, geometric patterns, and raw leather. She sources the material from both old leather clothing and local leather shops. Her products are then either hand stitched or constructed on her industrial sewing machine in the attic space of her home she’s dubbed “The Sweatshop.” She sells her bags online and at various craft fairs to artsy customers in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Louisville.

“I see things in the market I like and then use my weird twisted mind to put my own spin on them.”

“We have a strap here that is 10 years old. It has been toured around forever, and it looks better than the day we made it. We think of things in advance to keep products from breaking down,” says Mechem. “In the bags, the stitches will end and we’ll anchor it with a rivet—that way the stress of years of use has two types of securement there that keep it from tearing apart. We anticipate how it’s going to be worn and react to that.”

The aesthetic of the bags at LM Products is timeless and somewhat rustic, but all edges are finished and polished. The function is built in, and the shapes and design of the bags are classic, no exuberant flourishes needed. The leather looks pre–worn, showing the marks from the construction process and the hands of the leatherworkers. The beauty of the bag only increases with age.

Mechem plans to expand the accessory aspect of the business, creating more products and moving past the music focus, but he says there’s nothing that can take him away from LM Products. He plans to one day pass the trade on to his son, who is now only 2 years old, if he’s willing and ready.

“One time when I was younger there was me, my father, grandfather, and great grandfather all working together at the same time. Four generations. Not a lot of companies have that kind of legacy anymore.” ✂

5 LM PRODUCTS RUSTICALLY CRAFTEDLM Products may be a familiar brand that comes to mind, but more in relation to the music business. The company started in 1975 and is internationally known for selling quality guitar straps and musical accessories. LM Products has been passed down for generations, and now Tyler Mechem runs the company alongside his father, LJ. But Mechem has taken on his own project within the company, creating leather bags and accessories with the same high–quality crafting expertise passed through his family.

“I thought about breaking away from LM Products early on, giving the bags a different name and branding them differently, but I’m so proud that it’s a family business. I want to keep that aspect with the name. I didn’t want to have some contrived brand for the bags; it’s still just us in the workshop making it,” says Mechem.

While about 30 artisans work on the guitar straps, only Mechem and one other lead craftsman create the bags. The workshop is filled with craftsmen who have been with the company for upwards of 20 years. Mechem learns from working alongside those makers and from his father and grandfather. He consults his father with bag designs, who helps him to push the concepts further past the first iteration of the product. He uses the experience gained from his family to uphold the brand’s quality.

All of the leather Resiak sources is full–grain hide from American raised cattle. He prefers leather that shows distress from the life of the animal, adding a rugged appearance to the product without having to rough it up himself. He is very passionate about sourcing everything from the United States, even his tools.

His traditional American values and construction methods make for a lucrative small business that has picked up quickly, but Resiak plans to stay small. His products are made to order, so although he has a collection of designs, he will only start creating a bag when a customer places an order.

“I’ll finish a bag, put it in a box, and send it,” says Resiak. “I don’t take it off a dusty shelf. It’s from my hand to yours. It’s me making it specifically for you‚—maker to consumer.”

LEATHER. FEATHER. STONE.PHOTO BY POLINA OSHEROV

HOWL AND HIDEPHOTO BY POLINA OSHEROV

HOUSE OF 5THPHOTO BY ANNA ZIEMNIAK

HOUSE OF 5THPHOTO BY ANNA ZIEMNIAK

BUSTY’S FUN BAGSPHOTO BY MICHELLE WARBLE

LM PRODUCTSPHOTO BY TYLER MECHEM