FASHION
Luxe Leather Craft:
GENERATION TO GENERATION BY TEMO MPODI LEATHERSMITH HANSPETER WINKLMAYR, WHOSE HANDS TURN LEATHER INTO LUXE BAGS, PURSES AND OTHER FABULOUS PRODUCTS, IS THE CURRENT INCARNATION OF A FAMILY LEGACY HANDED DOWN THE GENERATIONS.
W
hat made your family develop a passion for luxury leather?
It was after a long, and terrible war; there was a demand from clients for better, more sophisticated, and luxurious products to match a more positive outlook.
How has Winklmayr Leathercraft managed to stay successful in the industry for so long?
Relationships – with suppliers; with the people who dedicate years of their lives to working with us on our mission, and relationships with clients
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both new and existing, some of whom I got to know shortly after my arrival in South Africa in 1981.
Relationships are so vital… How do you ensure that each handbag and accessory you create has a unique touch?
My family believes the secret is in the handle – and the handling – of a product. At Winklmayr, each product we make has a discernible feel, and a substance that is unique to the touch. It’s created through the way we work with the leather and what lies beneath the observable surface of the bags. This was hammered into me by my