vintage & handmade leather bags at
Erin Templeton in vancouver, bc
handcrafted and handpicked with love and care
erin templeton
erin templeton was born and raised in the mountains outside of Vancouver, Canada. she began making leather accessories in 1999, while studying shoemaking at Cordwainer's College in London, England. she continued to study leatherwork in Australia, and once home in Vancouver, she began concentrating on handbags.
by 2007, her studio graduated from renting the boiler room of a local tailor shop to the actual tailor shop, where she opened her studio/storefront to the public in Vancouver's historic Chinatown.
a vintage buyer by trade, erin always found the masses of unloved leather inspiring, as each piece is a reminder of who it once was. all designs are lovingly handmade in-house in recycled leather, imported cowhides, or a selection of exclusive and locally tanned elks and bison. truly the biggest part of the story is recognizing and uniting the elements.
erin's fascination with the past informs designs that aim to defy trends. she uses minimal hardware and simple, strong construction, which allow people to adjust, change, and make pieces their own. it is her hope that each piece is able to be a life long friend, and to mix freely with new and vintage pieces.