I found several gems in Portland this weekend. Orox Leather Company is a family business of
leather artisans with a workshop and retail store in the Chinatown and Pearl
District of the city. The operation started
from Oaxaca, Mexico with Don Pepe in 1933.
Several generations later, the label was moved to Oregon and run by
grandson Jose Martinez and great grandson Martin.
When I first stepped
into the store, I inhaled the rich smell of good leather. The shop offered handmade bags, shoes,
wallets, belts and gifts made by craftsmen right in front of your eyes. Like many
independent companies in Portland, Orox Leather tries to be a sustainable
business by using eco-friendly finishing methods and locally sourced or
recycled materials.
In chatting with Martin, he expressed that having the
workshop on site with the retail store was perfect for collaborating with customers’
directly on custom pieces or responding to the most demanded trends.
Rather than smacking on dye and paint to cover textural
differences, I loved the rugged, hardy bags that were finished to truly
showcase the character of the skins instead. There were a lot of masculine, doctors’ bags
and innovative messenger-like styles. A
bag that resembled an attaché had a front zipper instead of top to have a
cleaner shape and line. Hand tooled
sandals were part of their original product lineup and looked like what every
Oregon resident covets. Smaller goods
had a great hand-feel.
This company combines family, fashion, a great
coming-to-America story and a great product! Shop local!
No comments:
Post a Comment