Retromantics

Hi my name is Bryan, I'm the founder of Retromantics Studio, home of vintage-inspired, handmade leather goods. I started doing leathercraft because I wanted to take part in an ancient tradition that's as old as civilization itself. My goal is to learn the old ways of doing things , and find new and interesting ways to apply these age-old secrets to my craft.

I became interested in the craft of leather while running a successful vintage clothing business. I stumbled onto a cache of vintage Coach handbags at my local thrift store and fell in love. That's when I started researching, learning about Bonnie Cashin, who was the head designer at Coach throughout the 70's, 80's, and 90's. I loved the way she combined timeless designs with heirloom quality materials and a simple, confident style that defined New York in the 20th century.

I'm inspired by the great French luggage makers like Louis Vuitton, Goyard, and Hermes, and the bagmakers of Milan, like Prada, Gucci, and Fendi. However, it's not their designs that I respect so much as their dedication to QUALITY. I don't want to make "designer" bags, I want to make QUALITY bags that people can use year after year, and then hand down to their loved ones for generations to come. Sorry for rambling, but I get excited when I start talking about leathercraft and bagmaking. Thanks for such a wonderful community, and I'm looking forward to learning and developing in the craft with all these fine people. God bless, now let's bend some leather!