Last week I had the pleasure of meeting up with the amazingly talented, Ken Diamond in his Vancouver studio. Ken makes things out of leather, and he makes them all by hand! People are really buzzing about his work, and his moccasins were recently featured in Hobo Magazine.
One of the first things he showed me were the moccasins and as I ran my fingers over all the little details, I realised that the beauty of his leather work could only be fully appreciated in person. Sadly the internet is only optimized for two of the five senses, so your Ken Diamond experience is limited to the 20 or so photos I took during my visit.
Ken makes everything from belts to bicycle seats. Here’s an original design pressed right into the leather band on a great little hat for the rockabilly set.
A beautifully impolite drink coaster.
And a matching beer can sleeve. Love the detailing on the anchor.
Ken’s moccasins (this is the pair he actually wears) get better with age.
Vans x Ken Diamond, complete with braided laces.
Creative Recreation x Ken Diamond. Somehow Creative Rec dropped the ball, and this amazing collaboration never saw the light of day (but Ken’s got the greenlight on a crazier project, and I’ll tell you all about it as soon as I’m allowed).
Just another day at the office.
Everything is hand-stitched and hand-dyed by Ken himself.
If you’re looking for high quality one-of-a-kind leather products, head on over to Ken’s site and support a real craftsman.
*!!! – In my haste to post up this spotlight I failed to mention that Ken Diamond’s better half, the lovely Jolene Eeuwes, is the hands behind the moccasins! So the last line should read “support real craftspeople” – apologies Jo!
