Meet The Makers

The town of Ubrique is located in southern Spain. It's beautiful but remote. It has no airport or train station, and even its buses are irregular. It's located at the bottom of a valley surrounded by large hills, meaning the easiest way to get there is by car, although the roads are winding and steep. The town is located 75 km south of Seville. This whitewashed village, known as Pueblo Blanco in Spanish, is where many leather brands are made.

It began over 200 years ago, initially with tanned leather. Over time, this activity evolved into the fine leatherwork for which the city is so famous today.

Today, leather is purchased elsewhere, already tanned, and Ubrique's residents focus on more specialized manufacturing work. Thus, more than half of the city's inhabitants work in the leather sector and produce most of the leather goods sold in the country, in addition to supplying many major foreign fashion houses. The techniques required to produce these items to the highest quality have been passed down through generations. Our workshop owner, Mr. Sánchez, says that most of the city's residents learn these techniques as children, watching their parents at work.

"That technique can only be passed down from parents to children because it's highly specialized. It's in our blood.", says Sánchez.

It's these kinds of skills, honed over generations, that have attracted many brands. Word of mouth is often how designers have learned about Ubrique.

In Ubrique, what they know how to do very well is help you because they have a lot of experience. They've been doing this for centuries. This type of slow but precise craftsmanship is disappearing and it's increasingly difficult to find it elsewhere. The whole concept of craftsmanship is dying. The beauty of this place is that it's not just a street or a couple of houses. It's an entire town.