SO LONG 2018, HELLO 2019!
So many wonderfully creative and productive things happened here at Heavy Leather this past year. I want to personally thank you all for your support, enabling me to keep this business, which I love so dearly. Here's a glimpse into the year in leather:10 YEARS IN BUSINESS!
2018 marked my 10th year working on Heavy Leather NYC. The business has gone through a ton of transformations, ups, and downs. It is continuously evolving with new products, new retail sales outlets, and above all, growing to reach new customers.SUPERBOWL LII
The 2018 Superbowl halftime show was performed by Justin Timberlake. A custom Heavy Leather NYC strap made an appearance on stage alongside him, on the shoulders of Elliott Ives.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE TOUR STRAPS
Shortly after the Superbowl performance, J.T. took notice of his guitar player's strap and requested a few of his own. I went on to create 3 custom straps for him, which he wears now for every show on his tour. I'm looking forward to more collaborations with him in 2019. You can read more about the story behind the straps HERE.
TONY IOMMI SIGNATURE STRAPS
CARL HARVEY 'ONE LOVE' SIGNATURE STRAP COLLABORATION
Carl Harvey from Toots & The Maytals requested a signature strap, similar to the 'sweet leaf' Heavy Leather custom strap he owned. We worked on a design with three hearts running up the front, in the colors of the Jamaican flag.
NEW SLINGSHOT CAMERA STRAP SLIDE EXTENSION
This small addition to the Slingshot camera strap was a long time in the works and makes a huge difference for the strap function. The old design was flawed in that the carabiner swivel hook created friction when pulled up the length of the strap. The slide function is now swift and easy and the camera has an extra layer of protection due to the added safety leash. The Sling Extension is available for individual sale HERE.
GEEZER BUTLER & DOYLE WOLFGANG VON FRANKENSTEIN SIGNATURE VEGAN STRAPS 2.0
This past year I designed updates to both the Geezer and Doyle vegan straps. Both of which are more versatile and sell at a lower price. The new Doyle style looks mean, with his signature stitches art printed throughout the strap.
THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT
I was called to make 2 custom tuba straps this year for Colbert's Late Show band, Stay Human. They are incredibly talented and it's an honor to have worked with them.
SCI-FI HOLLYWOOD HUMAN COLLARS
I collaborated on the design and production of light-up 'human' accessories for a Hollywood film. More on this in 2019.
NEW STORES, NEW CUSTOMERS
This year Heavy Leather made an appearance on the shoulders of a ton of new musicians and is sold in additional retail locations. You can now purchase the camera straps in Canada, at The Camera Store.
THE BEST OF HEAVY LEATHER CUSTOM
I was given the opportunity to do some incredible custom projects in 2018. Below are a few photos of leather and non-leather creations/collaborations that were challenging and rewarding.
NEW ENGINE IN FOXXXY
The official Heavy Leather vehicle, a '77 Chevy Camaro, got a shiny new V8 350 engine. Orders headed out on time!
A VACATION, FINALLY
This summer I closed the shop down for 2 back-back breaks. One was a week on 2 wheels, riding my Harley in a loop from Los Angeles- Yosemite- Lake Tahoe- The Sierra Mountains- Oakland- Big Sur- Los Angeles. A few days later I took off for a 2 week trip to NYC. All orders went out on time and the business was still alive 'n' kickin' when I returned. That's happiness!
Cheers to a successful, happy and healthy 2019!
Photo by Joey Falsetta, 2008. The first Heavy Leather NYC photoshoot.