As far as I can remember, I always loved art work. To me, the craft store was the definition of true paradise. Little girl, my drawing book and my box of Prismacolor pencils would follow me everywhere (iPads didn’t exist back then…). As I grew up, it was only logical for me to build a career that would stimulate both my artistic and my analytical mind.
Studies in architecture and wood engineering led me to Switzerland and Germany, where I lived for 6 years. I discovered leather crafting in 2020, as I was seeking for a creative occupation to pursue in my free time. Thanks to Youtube, I came across very talented artisans that shared their knowledge about the craft and that was the spark that ignited my passion for this art.
After about one year of continued dedication where I focused on learning new techniques and improving my workshop skills, I decided to nurture my entrepreneurial spirit by launching S.Belair leather. Slowly but surely, I acquired different tools that allowed me to expand my know-how. I am constantly looking to enhance my craftsmanship, striving everyday towards perfection.
Besides the pride and joy of having my own little company (and be my own boss!), I really appreciate every step in the process of creating durable, customized fashion products. Selecting the right leather for each project, marking and cutting the leather, assembling the parts together, hand-stitching everything and finishing the edges, all of this in a quiet environment with as only music to my ears the main material rustling and tools crisping. Working in a room surrounded by the beautiful, earthy fragrance of leather is definitely a sensorial experience that is incredibly relaxing to me.
Creating a custom product is time intensive: each gesture has its importance and the success of the project rests on patience, respect of the material and a good dose of concentration.
At the end, there’s nothing more pleasing for me as an artisan than holding the finished product in my hands and inspect the new born article from all possible angles, thinking: wow I just did that! That feeling of pride and sense of accomplishment is worth all the gold in the world!
