The Story of CL Whiting & her Leaf Leather
C.L. Whiting's Leaf Leather is sought out by museums, worn by celebrities, carried in the world's finest galleries, and collected by men and women throughout the globe.
Leaf Leather's story began more than 25 years ago in upstate New York, where C.L. developed a love for nature and a passion for detail. While working part time at a small leather shop and studying art at a New York university the opportunity arose for her to become an apprentice under an Italian engraver who was retiring and hoped to pass along his technique for making finely detailed tools to someone who would appreciate it.
After years of study, C.L. began to create her own process. By combining her drawing skills with the specialized engraving skills she learned in apprenticeship and devoting countless hours to her passion for detail, C.L. discovered the ability to produce tools in the shape of leaves with uncanny microscopic detail (see closeups).
She withdrew from the university and over the next two decades developed more than 5,000 tools in myriad intricate leaf patterns. Only with time, the highest quality materials and utmost personal attention to detail are the handbags and accessories designed by C.L. Whiting released for sale -- each piece a unique work of art, tooled like an artist painting a picture, and no two ever alike.
