TRADESROGUE ARTISAN LEATHER HOUSE: SELECT WORKS
INTRODUCTION
TRADESROGUE is the only pure fashion-oriented work that I will show in my portfolio going forward in my career. This is because TRADESROGUE is a culmination of all the skills I grew and nurtured over the many years I spent in that area of product design. TRADESROGUE has lived as an artisan brand in my family for hundreds of years. Originating in Kilkenny, Ireland, my ancestors were armor and jewelry tradesmen. The brand has been passed down from generation to generation, with each successive antecedent putting their own stamp of eccentricity on the goods they made. My goal was to continue my family’s tradition of fine metal work and pair it with fine leather craftsmanship and the modern treatments I had developed over my career. TRADESROGUE fuses bold design with fiercely elegant style. Each item is crafted with the finest quality materials and meticulous hand sewing. Many of the custom design elements are inspired by far away places I found myself traveling and making things over the years. These bags are created to elicit feelings of freedom, adventure, and pride. These products are made for the men and the women who work hard, play hard, and who thirst for exceptional pieces that stand the test of time.
PROJECT MILESTONES
• Brand Architecture
• Factory Design
• Retail Design
• Product Design
• Metal Design and Fabrication
• Pattern Drafting
DESIGN GOALS
The goal of the project was to take control of my families brand and update it into something more modern, while creating pieces that were as well made, as they were aesthetically timeless.
Design Labratory Walk Through
This is a walk-through of the TRADESROGUE development laboratories, where all of the products are developed. In this film, I do a walk-through of the facility and explain the process behind making the products this house is known for.
© 2017 Nathaniel Smith
Train Line Hobo for TRADES ROGUE
Beautifully handcrafted with exotic leather and custom brass accents, this unique bag is inspired by the shape of the original hobo bags, which were two handkerchiefs tied together. The handmade whip accent replaces the rope used by hobos to keep their possessions close when hooking and jumping trains. This item was one of our signature and most popular pieces. The CW Network developed a story around this bag for one of their shows, displaying the bag and the name of the brand.
Date: 2011-2012
Size: 8“H x 16.5“W x 6“D
Italian new buck calf
Caiman crocodile panels
Custom metal accents in cast brass
Handcrafted braided leather whip accent
Emerald green suede lining
Trades Tote for TRADES ROGUE
My goal in designing this soft tote was to make a big city day bag that held the constructed qualities I was building into the collection, while still being as light as possible and having a soft feel so it would be convertible. I wanted a twist on it that could transform an all day bag into something that could be used for evening as well; a true day bag. Versatile, large, and not too heavy were all qualities I heard when interviewing women about what they were seeking in a product.
Date: 2011-2012
Size: 14“H x 18.5“W x 5“D
Italian new buck calf outer
North African Perch panels
Wrapped leather handle
Custom metal accents in cast brass
Emerald green suede lining
Weekender for TRADES ROGUE
My goal in this was to create that really something special showstopper. Rarely do people pair Ostrich Shin and the main hide together. It is an expensive combination to do for such a large bag, but the results were too amazing for me to pass up. I have always adored these two materials together, so it was an easy decision for me to do this.
Date: 2011-2012
Size: 11“H x 18“W x 7“D
South African A grade ostrich skin
Ostrich shin panels accents
Custom metal accents in cast brass
Inside, emerald green suede lining
Hobo for TRADES ROGUE
Every bag brand does a take on this shape, and I wanted mine to be something special while still utilitarian. I have been carrying around this old West Indian bracelet for years that I felt really played as that “special something” for this. So I took off the octahedron beads from the bracelet and I built them into multi-rounded pins of different count, similar to watch band construction, making them easier to use in manufacturing.
Date: 2011-2012
Size: 23.5“H x 18“W x 8“D
11” shoulder strap drop
Italian new buck calf outer
North African Perch panels
Custom metal accents in cast brass
Inside, emerald green suede lining
The Original Curves [Women’s] for TRADES ROGUE
These are my signature lines. I have been doing versions of this jacket for men and women my entire career. I work the fit personally to each person. This particular one is for Alison Rivas, my best friend. I constantly rework the pattern and change it. In my early career I would produce large runs of this jacket, but as time went by I stopped doing it. The reason for this is because having the fit exact to the users form was the most important aspect of getting the piece right, and I am not willing to sacrifice that.
Date: 2002-2012
North African Perch Skin
Spray painted and sanded lamb skin
Silk screened silk lining
leather center back label
Riri zipper, custom sterling silver snap covers.
The Original Curves [Men’s] for TRADES ROGUE
This is the men’s version of the same jacket in the above entry. This particular piece was for Dylan Lane, who performs under the name iLL.Gates. The process of this item grew out of my work as a graffiti artist in my younger years. When I was out painting, I would inevitably get paint on everything. By accident, I learned the interesting effects of spray painting leather and pulling back the surface of the paint with sand paper. Most of my tanneries would completely freak out when they saw me doing this hand process to the hides, but the effect is so unique and interesting.
Date: 2002-2012
North African Perch Skin
Spray painted and sanded lamb skin
Silk screened silk lining
leather center back label
Riri zipper, custom sterling silver snap covers
Crock Trench for TRADES ROGUE
This is jacket number one of two for a very close friend Peter Menuez, who is no longer with us. These two items were a reflection of his many personas. The first was a vestige of the shadows, when he would enter a room he would immediately fill it. The lines in this piece were an artifice about that environmental take over.
Date: 2012
Outer in black New Zealand lamb and black vegetable tanned caiman crocodile from Colombia, black riri zipper, hidden snaps, embossed goat skin center back label and crimson thai silk lining.
Moto High Collar for TRADES ROGUE
Peter’s second piece was a commentary on his humor and social self. I chose a Devo white, with heavy rough royal blue Thai silk lining. We spent a great amount of time on this jacket doing experimental treatments that made it feel molded to his form. The patterns were cut to original position and the leather was shaped and bent to match his shape. We then pulled the excess piece work back and walked the pattern again to make sure it would align to the final construction.
Date: 2012
Outer in egg shell white embossed boa lamb skin with egg shell twisted and wrinkled lamb, black riri zipper, hidden snaps, embossed goat skin center back label and royal blue thai silk lining.
