HOTD – Yeti Leather Tote

This is not a numbered HOTD because this bag is not yet in existence but it will be!

My favourite boots are made in Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa by Dael – a fantastic leather artist. He owns and runs Yeti leather (all urls will be below), a company which hand makes boots, bags, belts, wallets, passport holders. You can have custom designs made but all mine come off the shelf.

I have two pairs of boots and a wallet from Yeti.

Here are the boots. The pair on the left are about six years old and have been through snow and slush every single winter. The pair on the right are two years old and have also been very badly treated by snow and salt and rain. Each stitch is done by hand and they are lined with sheepskin. They cost about £80 per pair.

Below is me about to do the highest bungy jump in the world in the newer pair

Below is me ziplining in them across Tsitsikamma Falls in South Africa:

My idea is to design a bag and let Dael make it for me. I would like it to be in the same leather as the wallet above but in A4 size with beadwork and a shoulder/arm/hand length strap. Zulu beadwork makes messages with the beads so I will either think of a message and let them created it, or chose a shape and a colourway. I like ladybirds, butterflies, bumble bees and dragonflies so maybe something like that.

What do you think?

If you are interested here are the details for Yeti:

• Here is how their items are constructed
• Here is their online catalogue
• Here is their home page