About
Westwood Leather Co was born from a love of thoughtful design, quality construction, and a rejection of fast fashion.
I started working with leather recently after years of studying and working in the apparel industry, where quality is often overlooked in favour of low prices and speedy trend-focused production. My interests shifted toward Japanese selvedge denim and other garments and accessories that are designed to outlive the wearer.
Leathercraft, for me, is the perfect marriage of handmade quality and functional design. I cut and sew every item by hand and strive to make my items as polished as possible while celebrating the unique character of the leather. I think every hide tells a story and I am honoured to turn these amazing raw materials into things that are equally useful as they are beautiful.
I create every item at my home studio on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, where I am inspired every day by the shapes and colours of the nature that surrounds me. My items are all proudly Made in Canada with leather sourced only from ethical tanneries in the USA & Europe.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
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Meet the Maker
Hi! I'm Olivia and I'm the face (or...hands) behind Westwood Leather Co. I'm a Canadian leathersmith based in BC with a background in fashion design. I am originally from Toronto, where I studied fashion design before working in different areas of the apparel industry, from manufacturing to wholesaling.
I also had the pleasure of studying in the denim capital of the world, Amsterdam, at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. This is where I really began to dive into the topics of sustainability, ethical manufacturing, and slow fashion.
But, I soon traded in my sewing machine for a life of adventure by spending 3 years travelling North America with my partner while living in our 1984 camper van, Clementine. Though the pandemic halted our travels, I've been grateful for the time to develop my leatherworking skills and grow my casual hobby into a blossoming business.
My goal is to create items that are beautiful yet durable and will be along for the ride—wherever you go.
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Proud to be Local
Nanaimo is an amazing city and I'm stoked to be a part of it. Check out other local businesses at Shop Local Nanaimo.