Traditionally handcrafted leather goods, made in Chicago, IL.
When I moved to Chicago from my hometown (Peoria, IL) in 2019, adjusting to city life also meant a significant downsize. My apartment was tiny. I no longer had enough space for my usual creative outlets and like many, was fascinated by the leatherwork I saw in short, ASMR-style clips served by social media. The pandemic closures cost me a job but allowed me the time for a serious deep dive once I acquired the first tools. At first, I just wanted a belt more durable than what I could find in stores.
Years later, that flash of curiosity has blossomed into passion and commitment I could not have predicted. Mooney Leather Goods has grown, driven by an obsession for craftsmanship and high quality materials, and I am excited to provide the kind of elevated, durable alternatives that initially drew me in.
Providing another option, an option driven by passion.
There are many ways to arrive at “luxury.” One way is to research the construction and material sources of high-end fashion houses and go for that. That certainly is effective, but another path to luxury is trial and error. Buying hardware and leather and seeing how it wears, how it feels, and how it looks and refining over time. Vegetable tanned leather ages beautifully in the right conditions, but does not hold up well as a watch strap liner. Application, style, craftsmanship, and sourcing all play into every item I make. With a thoughtful curation of materials, there is no punchy slogan. This why I am committed to transparency about the choices I make in my workshop.
Luxury Materials
I’m a little old-school in my work style. Each piece goes from an idea in my head, to a thick cardstock pattern measured and cut by hand, to the first leather prototype. Every step of the process is done by hand. This isn’t nostalgia for the olden days, this is because many of the traditional techniques yield a higher quality item. Saddle-stitching, by hand, allows a consistent amount of tension on each stitch meaning that one stitch will not unravel the whole stitch line. Finishing the edges by hand, either by burnishing or edge painting, seals the edge and protects the fibers of the leather from exposure to moisture in the air over time. One pair of hands doing all this work is a very special thing to me, and I hope that it shows in the precision and durability of my work.
I love to share the process each item goes through, share what I know about the history of the craft, and what is possible in the medium of leather.
100% Handmade, Start to Finish
Transparency and Information
My initial dive into leathercraft was often frustrating: navigating a sea of strong opinions, misinformation, and a notable lack of transparency from many commercial brands. What exactly is genuine leather? Why do luxury bags feel so different than the leather in shoes, even if they are both real leather? Getting into making things with leather required getting through the murky, confusing veil of counterintuitive language. This often takes time and it can be difficult to find a clear, thorough, and trustworthy breakdown of all these terms and how to shop for leather goods. While there are a lot of things I don’t know and writing/teaching is well outside of my expertise, I am committed to openly sharing what was freely shared with me over the years.
Let’s get into the nitty gritty!
Contact
Email
mooneyleather@gmail.com
Instagram
@mooneyleather