It all started when…
I've always had a love of textures, colour, people, stories, light, places, history, music, source and soul. This all came together for me as a creative medium in 2009 when I purchased an industrial sewing machine with the very definite and passionate vision of creating bags from recycled leather. As with all passions comes a particular type of madness. In my case, it was having just had my fourth baby and without the basic knowledge of knowing how to sew.
After running my other day business in leather restoration, I would teach myself how to dismantle and re-sew outdated leather jackets into one-of-a-kind leather bags. After 14 years and a lot of challenges and celebrations, I've most definitely become a very proficient and passionate recycled bag maker. All my work is intuitively designed without the need for patterns with a simple self-healing mat, measuring tape, rotary cutter and a pair of scissors. A glance at a garment is enough for me to know what can be achieved out of any piece. For the last four years creating bespoke leather bags to-order and ready-made, along with other recycled garments, has become my full-time mission, for which I'm very grateful to call my job.
Citizen Leather is about people. It belongs to people, my family, yours and all the stories and belongings we hold close. All of our products are New Zealand sourced, New Zealand designed and New Zealand made in the mighty Manawatu. Sustainably sourced second life leathers and textiles, and the manufacture of our goods in New Zealand means there are no added air miles or extra footprints on our already well-trodden planet and I'm incredibly proud of that.
- Layla Cann