When I discovered Ubrique, I fell in love with the place and the people behind the craft. It’s a small town in southern Spain with generations of highly specialised leather-working knowledge, and what makes it special to me is that this savoir-faire is still genuinely alive. People work alongside their parents, techniques and tools are passed down through workshops and families, and even something as simple as a patacabra – a simple wooden tool used for many different leatherworking tasks – can be passed down through generations, carrying decades of craft in one object.

I could have produced elsewhere, more easily and more cheaply, but there is something increasingly precious to me about an object that still carries the evidence of human hands, time and skill. Making in Ubrique is one way LOUÉ can contribute to keeping that knowledge and heritage alive.