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THE PAST

In 2017 I started dabbling in leathercraft after being inspired by some of the tooled leather guitar straps of country and western singers. Over the next few years a made a handful of drinks coasters and wrist straps for friends and family as birthday and Christmas presents.

 

In 2018 I finally had enough courage to take on a larger project, the personalised WILDE leather guitar strap, which I proudly wear even to this day.

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In 2020 I started a dedicated Instagram account to show off my newest creations, which then quickly turned into a large catalogue on items. This is when I launched the WILDE'S LEATHERWORK online store.​ I also rented a workshop which helped me hone my skills and style as I then crafted a substantial amount of stock over the next 2 years.

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In 2022 I suddenly had to give up my workshop, which had become structurally unsound and a safety hazard due to an extreme leak, mould and other safety issues, luckily nothing was damaged.

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THE PRESENT

It's now 2024 and I am without a dedicated workshop and temporarily unable to create any more items, however due to my past hoarding of stock and low initial sales I have kept the website up and running and all orders and sales will be fulfilled as normal. This period without having a workshop has given me the much needed time to work on my online store and also learn about the nature of selling and marketing, something which I had neglected and shied away from in the past.

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THE FUTURE?

The plan for the future is to re-home my workshop, build up sales so I can hired a small team of content creators, sales marketers and more, who can help with bringing affording handmade leather items to the general public. I would love to work with other local businesses and creators to help support the local economy and help reverse the diminished interest in independent businesses.

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That's my story up to now, however it will not be the end...

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Thanks for reading and take care,

G. Wilde