For the Love of Leather: Custom, Cleaning, Couture

Custom Handbags
Viv Pickle
238 West 10th Street
212-924-0444
A custom-bag shop that’s a playground for would-be-Wangs with no sewing skills. First, select a shape from a series of templates—like “the Spear,” a slim clutch for your lipstick-and-credit-card-only nights out, or “the Flatsy,” a portefeuille for toting magazines to pedicure appointments. Then choose your fabric, lining, handle, and extras like zippers and monograms. “We aim to please,” says owner Susan Botwick Murphy. “One guy designed a tall, cylindrical, double-sided canvas bag with an adjustable handle so that he could carry home the antique lamps he buys at flea markets.” Sound too artsy-craftsy for you? Scarlett Johansson didn’t think so. “Hers was an atomic fifties-style Mama Saber in reproduction bark cloth,” says Murphy. If your big event is a wedding, reserve the studio for a private “Pickle Party” and have an individualized message applied to each bridal bag, gratis. Allow five weeks for delivery ($40–$100).

Custom Leather
Samuel Jackson Design Company
646-613-9379
31 Crosby Street, between Grand and Broome Streets
Open Monday through Saturday noon to 8 p.m.
Samuel Jackson, the proprietor of a SoHo shop called, well, Samuel Jackson is a kick-ass guy in his own right. As we discovered, this SJ, with partner Natti, earns cool points as a purveyor of butter-soft handmade leather and suede messenger bags, portfolios, clutches, and purses, as well as sexy-as-hell clothing, like '70s-style drop-shoulder and cowl-neck knit dresses and tops (nicely priced, to boot!). And you can have just about anything custom made. We'd say the Samuel Jackson Design Company definitely lives up to its name. Just ask Courtney Love. She's a regular.

Marrakesch
76 East 7th Street
212-780-9574
Tiny tailoring shop where owner Fattah Abehal can transform a set of high-waist leather jeans to sexy low-riders for $35. He also takes custom orders for originals in leather and other fabrics.

Carla Dawn Behrle
(212-243-8877)
134 West 26th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Suite 1202
Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Always wanted a pair of leather pants custom-made? Now's your chance. Custom pants, were $1,200-$1,600, now $850-$1,150. Men are included, too.

Georgie Kaye - Leather Outerwear Fashions
Address: (By Appointment Only)
150 West 30th St (Corner of 7th Ave), New York, NY 10001
(212) 279-4885
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm/Sat 9am-3pm
Striking leather designs from creative trendsetter Georgie Kaye will put you ahead of the look-alikes. After 27 years of manufacturing jackets and coats for top department stores and specialty boutiques, this leather house will open its doors to the public. Choose from over 30 styles for men and women, or custom order the leather jacket of your dreams crafted on premises.
With rich colors, a full range of lengths and sizes (petite-large), sleek leathers and luscious fur trims and liners, Georgie Kaye delivers a sumptuous feast of fashions for fall. Items will be priced from $250-$2,000, retailing at $375-$4,000. When it comes to cutting-edge fashions with style and flair, Georgie Kaye delivers.

Custom Boots & Shoes
E.Vogel
(212-925-2460)
9 Howard Street, between Broadway and Lafayette Street
Pick yourself up by the bootstraps, and trot over to E.Vogel, "Custom Boots to Measure," a tiny shop that's been around since 1879. Owned by cousins Dean Vogel and Jack Lynch, descendants of founder Egidus Vogel, the store specializes in killer (albeit pricey) custom-made riding boots for both men and women. Designed to fit any calf or foot, styles come in an array of colors, linings and leathers. (And you thought you'd never find the perfect fit for that beautiful runner's calf -- see, you can!

Copy Shoes
You know when a pair of shoes is making your feet especially happy.
Make it last by having a copy made by T. O. Dey, 9 E. 38th [5th/Mad] 212.683.6300.

Other sources on the web:
http://www.dayshoes.com/customshoes/

Shoe Repair
David Shoe Repair Store
646-486-2680
460 Hudson Street, at Barrow Street
Go see Raphael David. A cobbler for nearly 35 years, he knows from tending to anything you put on your feet (okay, except socks). Whether it's scuffed leather or suede, worn or torn linings, molded mid/outer soles, he'll resurrect your tired and weary pups for a very reasonable price.
Whatever the damage, you can rest assured that he'll get your ass into gear.

Leather Repair and Tailoring
Modern Leather Goods
212-947-7770
212.279.3263
2 West 32nd Street, 4th floor
Up on the fourth floor, healing for broken straps, dirty fabric, and other city-living hazards.
It's natural. Holding on to anything for too long means you're bound to become attached. Of course, there are different kinds of baggage. Ah, but unwarranted, passionate, almost fervent attachment to your favorite purse? There we can help. Hit Modern Leather Goods, New York's greatest leather-repair shop. We brought in a sorry-looking satchel -- a favorite Dolce & Gabbana that had given out (much to our dismay) -- and presto! Two weeks later it was good as new (and for a very reasonable price, we might add).

Artbag
212.744.2720
1130 Mad [84th]
From copying a handbag to zipper replacement, restitching, and hardware replacement and replating, Artbag has been repairing leather goods for over 65 years. They also sell vintage and contemporary bags.

Marrakesch
76 East 7th Street
212-780-9574
Leather repair/alterations. Tiny tailoring shop where owner Fattah Abehal can transform a set of high-waist leather jeans to sexy low-riders for $35. He also takes custom orders for originals in leather and other fabrics.

Garment Cleaning
Leathercraft Process
Roselle, NJ, 908.241.2600
Leathercraft Process has been the go-to company for leather cleaning for eons now. If you don't want to go to them (they're in), you can ship stuff to them and they'll ship back gratis. You can also take garments to Meurice Cleaners, 31 Univ [8th/9th] 212.475.2778 and 245 E. 57th [2nd/3rd] 212.759.9057, who use Leathercraft.