Discover / The materials
Leather & Hardware
Genuine leather, thoughtful details, and a second life for materials worth keeping. A closer look at what goes into an Upgrade Apron.
01 / The leather
Good material.
Another chapter.
Upgrade Aprons uses genuine high-performance upholstery leathers, predominantly sourced from European hides. Crispin brings remnants and overage from more than 40 years of upholstery work back to the cutting table, giving them a new purpose as aprons.
The leather is the starting point for each piece. Its color, grain, and the shape of the available remnant help inform the combinations of apron body, pockets, and straps. The photographs here show that variety up close, from softly textured blue to richly colored burgundy.
Material origins
Making more of
what already exists.
Leather is the original upcycled material: a by-product of the food industry, put to use rather than discarded. Tanneries strive to recover energy from waste and reuse water as part of their sustainability efforts.
Upgrade Aprons adds another chapter by repurposing upholstery remnants and overage. Rather than starting with a new supply for every apron, Crispin works with leather already on hand, finding a place for smaller pieces in pockets, straps, and contrasting details.
The result is a collection shaped by the materials available, with combinations that do not need to look alike to belong together.
02 / The hardware
The details that bring it together.
Look beyond the pockets and you will find another layer of choices: the attachment of a strap, the finish of an eyelet, and a line of stitching that either blends in or stands out. These are details from individual aprons; hardware and strap arrangements vary by piece.
A little contrast.
A matching leather strap keeps the color story simple, while bright metal and blue thread add definition. The rounded end of the strap sits against the apron body, leaving the attachment visible.
Or a softer line.
Here the stitching follows the same color family as the apron, allowing the leather texture and contrasting pocket to take the lead. Similar construction can have a very different character through color alone.
Ties, buckles & the reverse side
There is more to an apron than its front.
Woven ties & metal eyelets
The black tie in the first photograph passes through a metal eyelet and is knotted at the apron edge. Its woven texture contrasts with the leather beside it.
An adjustable buckle closure
This apron uses a woven belt with a side-release buckle and strap adjusters. The close-up shows the closure from the back, along with the stitching behind the front pockets.
The other face of the leather
The soft-looking, fibrous reverse is a different surface from the finished front. Together, the two sides reveal more of the material than a product photograph alone.
03 / At the workbench
From a remnant
to a useful detail.
The work starts with the pieces themselves. On the cutting mat, leather is considered alongside the tools and hardware that will turn it into something useful. A stitched pocket rests beside an unstitched piece, showing the small decisions that give the finished apron its shape.
Rounded corners, a contrasting pocket, or a different thread color can change the feel of a piece. That is where Crispin's upholstery background meets the practical needs of the person who will wear it.
Meet CrispinFind your combination.
Explore the current aprons, or talk with Crispin about colors, pockets, and the way you work.