1992 Leather Atelier, Sydney. Restored with care. For a longer story.

Ink and watercolour drawing of Thang cutting a roll of tan leather at his bench, H-strap sandals lined up in front and the workshop sketched faintly behind

Leather, by hand

The Atelier

Shoes and handbags, repaired and restored by hand at Thang's own bench in Sydney.

Hand-finished by

Thang Vu

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One bag · six steps

  1. Sketch: worn tan bag corner with frayed, loose stitching

    01The wear

  2. Sketch: two hands lifting old stitches with a steel awl

    02Unpick

  3. Sketch: hands saddle-stitching the handle with two needles

    03Stitch

  4. Sketch: a knife trimming the leather edge

    04Edge

  5. Sketch: a brush laying fresh cognac dye, a dye pot beside it

    05Colour

  6. Sketch: the restored top-handle bag with a brass lock

    06Home

Leather, restored

Handbags

Handles, edges, straps and linings, brought back by hand. Good leather deserves a longer life.

Hand-finished by

Thang Vu

Book a repair

At the bench · shoes

Sketch: two hands stitching the welt of a tan brogue on a wooden last
Sketch: fitting a new stacked leather heel with a hammer and brass nails
Sketch: polishing the toe cap of a tan oxford with a soft cloth and wax
  • Resoling
  • Heels
  • Stitching
  • Polish

Leather, restored

Shoes

Soles, heels, stitching and scuffs, mended by hand so a good pair can keep on walking.

Hand-finished by

Thang Vu

Book a repair

The care routine

  • Soft brush · light foam

    Clean

    Sketch: a soft brush and light foam lifting dirt from a tan bag
  • Balm · soft cloth

    Condition

    Sketch: balm worked into tan leather with a soft cloth, an open tin beside it
  • Dye pots · swatches

    Recolour

    Sketch: three dye pots, a dauber and colour swatches on a leather offcut
  • Buckles · locks · rings

    Re-plate

    Sketch: polished brass buckles, a turn-lock and D-rings on a tan strap

Leather, revived

Care & Colour

Cleaned, conditioned and recoloured by hand. Worn hardware re-plated, and care products for home.

Hand-finished by

Thang Vu

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Layer by layer

Anatomy of a handbag

A bag is a stack of parts: handle and strap, flap, body panels, lining, a layered base and the brass that holds it together. A good restoration starts by finding the one that has worn.

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Sketchbook exploded drawing of a top-handle satchel: handle and strap, flap, body panels, gussets, back panel, lining, layered base and brass hardware floating apart
  1. Handle & strap01
  2. 02Flap
  3. Brass hardware03
  4. 04Studs
  5. Rivets05
  6. Body panels06
  7. 07Back panel
  8. 08Lining
  9. 09Base board
  10. Side gusset10
  11. 11Base panel
  12. 12Brass feet

From the sketchbook

On the bench

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Sketches from the workbook, drawn for this page. For your own piece, message us on Facebook.

Same passion. Higher standards.

The tools of the trade

Flat-lay · sketchbook

Sketchbook flat-lay of leatherworking tools: stitching chisels, awl, round knife, wheels, burnisher, mallet, rule, divider, needles, waxed thread, beeswax, strap cutter, brass hardware, bone folders and leather swatches
From the workshop Photo: a row of finished H-strap slides on the workbench, black, navy with red footbeds, and brown
Photo: H-strap slides on Thang's bench, Sydney.

More than repair

Repairing beauty
since 2020.

Good leather deserves a longer life. Message us on Facebook about the piece you want to bring back.

  • 01Shoes repair
  • 02Handbags restoration
  • 03Clean & care
  • 04Recolour & refurbish
  • 05Hardware plating
  • 06Care products
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As it came inBEFORE
As it went homeAFTER

Before & after

Real jobs from the workshop, coming soon.

These frames are waiting for photos of Thang's own work. No stock images will go here.

Restored with care. For a longer story.

Good leather deserves a longer life. Message us on Facebook