Traveling to Japan to study with GO Designer Leathers - 2017

In 2017 I made my first leather craft related training trip to Japan to study with the master of hand-stitched leather goods: Go-san of GO Designer Leathers (http://www.gobag.jp/). I wanted to choose an item that would incorporate as many construction techniques and facets of leather craft as possible in order to make the most of my time with Go-san.

After flip flopping several times between bags and small goods, I settled on a zipper clutch - fully lined, one piece gussets, luxury and craftsmanship to the max. I was then told that this would require 3 weeks to learn. This was music to my ears, as I love Japan, and any excuse to stay there for an extended period of time is fine by me. After my time with Go-san, I did indeed learn the ins and outs of making a zipper clutch. More importantly however, I was armed with a new set of skills and knowledge that could carry over into all types of small goods. I learned a tremendous amount with Go-san and I honestly feel this training catapulted me forward a decade in terms of skill development and advancement. I look forward to training with Go-san again. Below are some photos of my training - Photo credit: Go Designer Leathers (www.gobag.jp)