The Story

Der Leather

der was created by Nic Der in 2019 in Providence, Rhode Island. Beginning with a collection of leather harnesses meant to distill classic shapes to their most minimal and sensual forms, der harnesses transcend pure utility and bring impeccable craft to wearable accessories. An attention to the natural contours of the body and a deep appreciation for leather craft inform the elegant designs. Craftsmanship is central to der harnesses and hardware is used sparingly to allow the leather work to be the focus.

Process

Each piece is crafted by hand by Nic from the first cut to the last stitch. Starting with high-quality materials like full-grain vegetable-tanned leather and solid brass hardware, der harnesses are created using traditional leather-working techniques typically reserved for luxury handbags. Every harness is leather-lined, stitched and the edges are painstakingly burnished and painted several times to create a smooth polished edge that is both elegant and comfortable.

Nic Der

With a background in architecture, industrial design, and fashion, Nic has a keen awareness of both aesthetics and function. He began working with leather in school, where he learned the traditional craft of handmade shoes. Most recently, Nic served as designer and photographer at Lotuff Leather, a handmade luxury leather bag brand in Providence, Rhode Island. His work at Lotuff has appeared in Vogue, GQ, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast Traveler, Esquire, Refinery 29 and others.