Made in Tasmania
Original owner of Lake Leather, Ian Lake, grew up with his parents doing leatherwork on the kitchen table at home. He himself started his leather-trade career making goods and selling at country markets up and down Australia’s east coast. Having settled in one place, Ian had always continued to make his own belts onsite in Cobargo. With the move to Tasmania it only makes sense that our beautiful retail store should have a workshop of its own, too. The on-site workshop at the Evandale store has been producing goods for well over a decade now. Our new owner Georgie has a good grounding in leather craft, too. Trained and qualified by the world-famous Society of Master Saddlers in London, Georgie has used this training as a basis for growing her role at Lake Leather since being employed 12 years ago by Ian. Being able to offer good advice on care and repair, as well as offering some leather-craft training to our maker Annie, it has made us more than just a retail shop - making some of our own leather handbags as well as sourcing many others from around Australia. Annie has been with us since the workshop opened. She came to us as a consummate sewing machine-operator, having cut her teeth making horse rugs, curtains and more. We have a fine selection of goods made on-site by Annie, from coin purses all the way up to travel bags. We line most of our designs with suede instead of material, and we use only the finest solid brass fittings for the metalwork - zips and buckles etc. - wherever possible. We are very excited (and somewhat full of trepidation!!) about the newest addition to our on-site making. Last year, we purchased the equipment for a slipper factory and have installed it in the garage at the Evandale shop. We are very soon going to be launching The Tasmanian Slipper Company, producing sheepskin-boot slippers and slides right here in Evandale. We are looking forward to learning lots of new skills
We not only make some of our own items on-site here in Tasmania, but we like to support other Tasmanian small businesses too. Featured on the previous page is Studio Koak’s ‘Evie three-in-one’, in a beautiful hair-on cowhide. Evie comes with a long strap to wear on your shoulder or across your body, a short bellyband so you can wear her as a bumbag, or you can remove both and carry her like a clutch. Studio Koak is made in Wesley Vale, Tasmania. Also shown, is Studio Koak’s phone satchel and a number of items we make on-site in our Evandale workshop. Our workshop maker, Annie, has been with us for over well 10 years and has developed her leatherwork skills over the years. She came on board as an experienced machinist, and now makes all our belts and the many other items we make onsite. We have recently purchased some machinery from our favourite slipper suppliers when they retired. We are about to embark upon an exciting new venture - The Tasmanian Slipper Company - making sheepskins slippers, scuffs and boots right here in Evandale, Tasmania. We are very excited about this new phase in our production, and hope to be ready to launch this winter. We also sell a large number of leather handbags, purses, tote bags, travel bags, work bags, boots & belts from around Australia.
