These vests are individually hand crafted and made to order.
Please contact us after you have purchased online so we can go through your measurements with you and allow 6-8 weeks for the production of this item.
The 'natural hair on hide vest' was introduced to the Wild Hide range and is incredibly soft and softens even more with use.
The natural fibre breathes, allowing you to wear it to maintain warmth as well as in warmer conditions that you would not otherwise be able wear a synthetic vest.
The design allows you to adjust the seams to suit your body type. The ties at the front allow you to close the vest with a knot or bow... or you can simply leave them hanging as an added feature.
Handcrafted at Creators Nest HQ, Yass Valley.
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Size
One size fits most... adjustable shoulder and side seams.
(for exact measurements of panels please contact us)
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Production Time
These vests are individually hand crafted and Made to Order
Please allow 6-8 weeks for the production of this item
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Handcrafted Details
These are meticulously handcrafted using full grain kangaroo leather vegetable tanned pelts, which I source from an Australian owned tannery that has been run by same family for 6 generations.
The tannery specialises in tanning kangaroo skins and creating kangaroo lacing which is where I also source my offcuts from. Each component of these vests are hand cut, with some parts sewn on industrial machines using heavy weight thread, but mostly the panels are hand laced together at the shoulder and side seams which allows you to widen or tighten the vest to suit your body type.
Each and every hole for the lacing work is hand punched, with 70 grommets (eyelets) each set by hand, added to reinforce each hole. At the end of each strand of lacing a silver bead and handcrafted tassel is added to ensure that the lacing work does not come undone, so you can adjust the size without having to completely re-thread the lacing.
The back of the neck and armhole edges are also hand punched and laced reinforcing the edge and securing the facing, with around 10 meters of lacing creating this beautifully finished edge.
All of this takes numerous hours to complete but makes for a uniquely crafted piece, created with much love and passion for quality craftsmanship.
No two vests will be exactly the same.
Colours of pelts will vary as they are natural in colour, not dyed. Colours of facing will be selected to suit the colour of the pelt.
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The Inspiration
The kangaroo is one of the most wild & free of animals in our environment, roaming these lands at will. With increased numbers meaning the over grazing of farmland causing starvation of the kangaroos and livestock, culling practices have been put into place to keep numbers at bay.
I chose to work with this uniquely Australian, fine yet strong leather as I know it is not factory farmed. The preservation of our beautiful earth and minimisation of waste is what initially inspired the smaller items in my leather craft range.
To be able to use as much of my materials as possible has become a rewarding challenge as a designer... finding new ways to utilise this resource while showcasing its characteristics is how a lot of my small items in my collection were born.
After working with kangaroo leather offcuts for many years I have fallen in love with its quality, strength and lightness... so it was only fitting that the first product I introduce in my new WILD HIDE range be created from full kangaroo leather skins, allowing me to create offcuts of my own to feed back into my RESCUED AND REPURPOSED range.
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Environmental & Animal Care Statement
I am NOT AT ALL an advocate of animal cruelty, factory farming or caging animals in order to make clothes.
Just as much as I am NOT an advocate of the production of fabrics and clothing that destroy our environment and/or communities in countries that we cannot see with our own eyes from the comfort of a shopping mall... the devastation mass produced clothing is causing for them can easily be overlooked from a far.
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Sustainability
These skins are a result of Australian National Parks & Wildlife harvesting, keeping our local eco-system in balance.
This is slow fashion at its best... it's not about buying for season it's about investing for a reason.
Indie producers like us will play a big part in shifting the current over consumeristic practices. When you invest in our craft you're buying something you'll treasure for years to come.
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Customer Testimonial
