Markus Richtmann
When passion and perfection collide.
Hello Markus, thanks for taking some time to talk.
We have admired your bags for a while now - how long have you been doing this?
- Well, I have been an entrepreneur for almost 25 years now, mainly in the restaurant industry. It had been a few years where I longed to work more with design and it’s been about 2,5 years now that I have been working with leather craft.
So how come you made that shift from restaurants and food to being a bag designer and leather craftsman? That’s not exactly related fields?
- Right..it was a coincidence really. I wanted to see if I could make a case for a knife and as I was working on that my wife asked me if I could make a bag. I took that challenge and started to sketch out some ideas. That design became the Everyday Carrie which is still one of our most loved products. I became just obsessed with the craft, material and the process and of course in the past 2,5 years I have continued to create more products. Mostly bags but also a few other things.
“IF EVEN JUST ONE STITCH IS WRONG,
THE PIECE IS RUINED. “
What is it about leather that’s so appealing to work with?
- Leather as a material is intriguing to me as a designer. Of course it is sustainable and a good choice from an environmental perspective. But it’s also got that exclusive and luxurious feel to it which I think complements a simplistic design philosophy really well. But the other thing is the material challenges me as a designer to really be considerate and think things through carefully when working out a new pattern. If even just one stitch is wrong, the piece is ruined.
Is there a part of the process that you enjoy more?
- I have the most fun when time allows me to create something new. Maybe it’s a new pattern for a bag and you have an idea and you feel ‘Yes, this is going to look great’. Then of course I’m an entrepreneur through and through so developing the business is also a place of joy and inspiration for me.
So how does it work when you come up with a new product? Does lightning just strike and you have a finished vision or does it start small and grow over time?
- To create something new is a long process for me. I am very detail oriented and need everything to be just right before I’m happy with it. Usually it starts in that I have had many people ask me for something particular. Like for example the Phone & Card Carrie - I probably redesigned and made 10 different versions of that over 6 months before I felt it was good enough.
- I can wake up in the middle of the night with an idea on how to close that bag or whatever I’m struggling with. There are so many decisions to make and they all have to end up in a product that feel like it’s coming from me. The overall look, the color, the shine, the straps, the placement of the logo, the rivets and eyelets..
There’s usually a bit of angst when my babies launch. Everything has to be perfect.
“To create something new is a long process for me. I am very detail oriented and need everything to be just right before I’m happy with it. “
I’m curious about what it’s like to take that step from being a passionate hobby creative to taking your passion on as a profession. What was that like for you?
- To take that step from hobby to business is exciting of course. For me it happened rather quickly because people wanted to purchase my products very early on. In that regard my journey to being a designer and creative has happened extremely fast and I have just been following the momentum. For me though, I have basically never been employed in my life - as an adult I have always been self-employed. If I had not had that background I probably would have been terrified to make that step.
- What’s been most difficult for me has been to get to understand the fashion industry. I mean, I’m an oldster from a small town up north. How do I reach out? What kind of margins? What’s cool on the web nowadays? Colors scare me… I’m in over my head in many ways. But the fun part is that I get to create stuff and work with something that is mine and that I am passionate about.
- Going from being a hobbyist that make things for yourself to being a producer is also challenging. To scale up production is necessary to make it financially sustainable to keep it up, but you don’t want to lose the craftmanship. I have built a new studio in the garage so I can sew more bags at the same time and I invested in better machines. That level of scale-up feels like it’s working for now and with keeping that balance.
Does it ever get lonely?
- Hmm. I like working and spending time with myself. It allows me to focus. I usually go down to the restaurant to work once a week or so and that’s some social time there. I might hire someone at some point as well but not because it gets lonely…that’s not really been an issuse as I’m so heads down in the work.
“Quality for me is really something that comes together in the combined product. The material, the shape and look of a product and in the finish of the details. It’s not necessarily tied to the time it takes to produce a product.”
Your products feel very exclusive in a way and at the same time they have enough of the rustic left to remind us that it’s a crafted piece made by hand. How do you resonate around that balance? I’m thinking that expression and brand are important aspects to be able to charge a financially sustainable price for a crafted product, but that there’s a fine line between that and being compared to the rest of the commercially available products in stores. Do you feel like it’s difficult to take the right price for a quality craft or do people understand and appreciate the value?
- I have a philosophy for my design and that is reflected in the products. I like my designs clean. Everything in it’s place. Details need to be functional and stand back or they will not be there. I’m inspired by natural and simple shapes like waves, boulders, spider webs, trees. If a design requires a seam in the middle of the bag I will rethink the design. I don’t want unnecessary seams or pockets or riveted straps on the front. That balance between luxury and craft is all in the design of the product. Pricing a good looking and well made product is not difficult as long as you land your design choices right. Because they will impact both the time it takes, the cost of material, the functionality and look of the finished product. In my experience it’s more difficult to design something with function and beauty than it is to master the craft.
So what does quality mean to you and how do you relate to that?
- Quality for me is really something that comes together in the combined product. The material, the shape and look of a product and in the finish of the details. It’s not necessarily tied to the time it takes to produce a product.
So you run your business from a small, slightly remote place in the north of Sweden. Do you feel like that has an impact on your ability to do business on your craft?
- Sure. I think for business there would probably be an upside to be based in a larger city. But for inspiration and that peace of mind it’s a huge benefit to be where I am. I could go hunting in the morning and sew during the day or all night if I get in the mood.
What about materials? Where do you find them and is it an easy thing to shop for?
- Yes, this took me quite some time to figure out but you learn eventually. I get most of my leather from Tärnsjö garveri. Their quality is amazing. If I get in the mood for anything else I look in Italy or Germany. It’s a bit of a jungle but once you’ve done your homework and found your places you’re set.
I noticed it seems a lot of us crafts people are creative in more ways than one. Is that true for you as well? Can you tell us a little about what you do besides your leather craft?
- I have a few creative outlets but I tend to be on and off them in periods and sort of do them one at a time. I like building things, I renovate a lot and then of course there’s food since I’m a chef from the start and that’s actually a very creative art as well.
So let’s say one wanted to give leather craft a go…how easy is it to get started? Do I need to get any tools to get going? Any tips on where to start?
- You really don’t need much. You need to get some leather, a needle and thread that’s up for the job and an awl to make the holes to stitch through. YouTube has a lot of great content to help you get started. Then just try making something and improve from there.
