ATHÉALIER is a small-scale leather goods and workshop company based in Brixton, London.
Origin of ATHÉALIER
Raised in a rural corner of southern Spain, I was introduced to leatherwork in early life, handed down the skills by a family friend who was a professional leather craftsman. Fast forward 20 years to living a hectic life in London, ATHÉALIER was founded from a desire to return to a slower and higher standard of making. In a world that feels full of fast production and disposable design, ATHÉALIER is a response of considered craftsmanship grounded in respect for material and method.
The name combines atelier — a place of quiet and considered creation — with my own name, Théa. It reflects what this venture is about: a small, intentional workshop preserving and teaching techniques that have endured for centuries.
Every piece is made by hand end to end: the designs; the choices of cuts from full-grain hides; the dyeing and burnishing of edges; and the saddle-stitching. My products have been developed slowly and refined through use; nothing is released until it has been tested and lived with.
Alongside a small collection of leather goods, I also my open home workshop doors through intimate leathercraft and wine evenings - offering others the opportunity to work with exceptional materials and experience the satisfaction of making something enduring by hand, whilst enjoying a good wine!
Materials and sustainability
All leather used at ATHÉALIER is sourced as full-grain hides from A&A Crack & Sons - a UK supplier and distributer for some of the worlds finest tanneries and suppliers for almost 40 years. I mainly work with Badalassi Carlo Pueblo leather, characterised by its natural marks and distressed finish, it is renowned raw beauty. This is also the leather I provide for workshop participants making your own products.
The sustainability of leathercrafting is something I've thought about deeply. I ensure that all leather sourced is vegetable-tanned and upcycled meat industry waste, which at least currently produces way more hides than the world knows what to do with. Paradoxically, I hope for a future where this is not the case! The properties of natural leather are also unparalleled by somewhat ingenuine promises of "environmentally-friendly" vegan or faux alternatives, which are typically made with unbiodegradable plastics and fray within fractions of the time, ending up in landfill. ATHÉALIER is about creating small-scale, properly crafted leather goods that last for decades (I also offer a lifetime repair service) and acquire a protective and characterful patina with use and time.
