Leather Crafting 101

Christina Roth is a leather goods manufacturer based in Salzburg, Austria. In her workshop, she makes leather products to order and also repairs and recycles old pieces. After setting foot in a saddlery workshop for the first time, she was fascinated by the sound of the old wooden floor and the smell of leather. Initially, she took up this art as a hobby, but later turned this passion into a profession and began traveling the world to learn from the best bag makers, including Tsuyoshi Yamashita in Japan.

By handcrafting with traditional saddlery stitching, she is keeping an ancient craft alive, and her factory is currently the only business in Austria that trains an apprentice in this profession. In addition to the recognition her work receives in the media, Christina is also an ambassador for this unusual profession and participates in several television programs, collaborates as a jury member in competitions, and gives lectures and workshops.