Sea Island Life Magazine Fall/Winter 2014 | Page 14

southern style

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A CLASSIC COMEBACK
AMERICAN-MADE LEATHER ACCESSORIES ARE BACK IN A BIG WAY.
BY OLIVIA J. EPPLEY

owboys started the leather craze
when they sported cuffs to safeguard
their wrists from kicking hooves. In
the 1980s, heavy metal band members made leather jackets into a benchmark
for cool. Nowadays, you don’t have to be an
animal herder or a punk rocker to don durable
leather goods. Popular then and posh now,
American-made brands have revitalized the
leather trend in more ways than one.
For travelers, getting the most out of everyday essentials such as an iPad case, backpack
or belt is key, and leather is both a durable and

and is associated with luxury,” says James
Libby, personal stylist at J.Hilburn. “Plus,
leather has this timeless quality about it, which
is certainly desirable to someone on the go.”
What’s even more alluring is that many of
these accouterments are created right here in
the United States. J.Hilburn’s leather belts are
custom-made for each order and epitomize the
quality craftsmanship that is a long-standing
tradition in Texas leather working.
This display of American pride is exactly why
Detroit-based Shinola was founded in 2011.

With a demand for domestically produced
leather goods (ranging from vegetable-tanned
forms to repurposed leather scraps) on the
rise, the Shinola team recently relocated to a
12,000-square-foot factory where workers craft
items like the journal cover for iPad mini,
a product that is fully sourced and manufactured in the U.S.
“Leather has an incredibly long history and
will last for many years to come,” Libby says.
“The pieces are both fashionable and functional. It’s no surprise that leather accessories
are experiencing a resurgence right now.”

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