Harber London is a business born from the desire to create something beautiful that can’t be found anywhere else. Co-founders Armando Isaac, William Mosquera, and Caroline Maldonado were overwhelmed by the amount of laptop sleeves and smartphone cases on the market — and underwhelmed by the craftsmanship. “We saw so much we weren’t compelled to buy. But we thought we could make something that other people would love,” recalls Isaac. “When we came across Etsy, we realized, we can do this, so we should do it.”
Before launching their suite of sleek, artisan-crafted leather goods — which includes laptop and smartphone sleeves, wallets, and camera accessories — the founders spent two years traveling the world and learning as much as they could about leather and wool, design and construction. Issac says the months spent making the shared dream a reality never felt daunting because it was also time spent with his family: Caroline is Isaac’s mother, and William is his brother-in-law and best friend. “Having a business is fantastic, but doing it with my family is priceless,” Isaac explains. “My mother, Caroline, has over 30 years of experience as a fashion designer. She was a big inspiration for us. Now, design is all we do, it’s all we breathe. When it’s something you’re passionate about, you really can’t get enough.”
Read on to learn more about Harber London’s work and how their Etsy feedback shapes their new collections.
Your brand is all about luxurious products that are old-world in terms of craftsmanship, but created to protect very modern gadgets. What is it about that contrast that appeals to you?
We’re always trying to create timeless pieces for our modern lifestyles, using the most exclusive materials available. We’d like to believe that technology would never replace the feeling of nature, and that’s why we love combining traditional craftsmanship and the oldest natural materials known to mankind. This is why almost everything we make has the same old-school touch.
Adjustable camera DSLR leather strap with felt lining, $60
Walk us through the process of how you go from an idea to a finished product.
We make mood boards for collections. If it’s a simple design, we might create up to 10 or 15 paper samples, but for something more complicated, it could be around 30. Then we make a real sample. We have an artisan who helps us with all this — his name is Antonio, and we’ve been working with him for a year. He’s in Ubrique, a very small town in the south of Spain. Ubrique has a leather-making heritage which is one of the best in Spain and in the world.
After we’ve done the sketches and the samples, we send them to Antonio. When he sends us a final sample, we use the product ourselves and we also share it with friends and family; each person gets a questionnaire asking what they think about the materials, the logo position, the stitching. We have so many product designs that we’re testing but haven’t listed yet. If we launched something last month on Etsy, it’s probably a design idea that began a year ago.
Leather cord wrap, $39
Slim leather passport and wallet holder, $66
What were the first leather products you made? Did you start with the smaller items like wallets and keychains and work your way up to larger ones?
We actually started with the biggest items first, and then realized we were lacking smaller accessories. Our first collection was tech sleeves for laptops, smartphones, and iPads. Etsy has been a driving force for us, and our customers’ questions and feedback have really shaped what we do.
Leather and wool felt laptop sleeve, $79
You use only leather and wool in your designs. How did that come to be a priority for you in your work? How did you choose where to source your materials?
It was very easy for us to make up our minds about the material because we all love leather; it really gives you the sensation of luxury. We source our materials from highly reputable sources in Spain. Our leathers are a byproduct of the food industry, and because of the vegetable tanning process used, they are more environmentally friendly than traditional chrome leathers. We spent two years researching and talking to people when we developed our product line; when you go to the tanneries, they always share a little bit of their knowledge, and that’s something you just can’t find on the Internet.
We also use 100 percent wool felt, which is a sustainable, renewable, and eco-friendly material. Our packaging is made of recyclable carton envelopes and our branding is hand-stamped onto the envelopes, as well as onto the fabric bags, to avoid machinery use.
iPad Pro leather folio, $106
Can you tell us about a custom order that was especially memorable for you?
We had a customer who was getting married and wanted to give his groomsmen a personalized gift. He asked us to engrave their names on leather passport holders. It wasn’t something we offered at the time, so we went out of our way to meet his expectations. The final result was incredible, and our customer was so happy! It opened our eyes to a new product opportunity, so we will be adding a fast monogramming service shortly.
Slim iPhone 6S leather case, $39
What else is on the horizon for Harber London?
We’re going to be introducing new materials, and releasing backpacks, which we’re really excited about. We would like to also bring our products offline; as with everything, we’ve been planning it for a long time, and it’s going to be really good when it happens.
Follow Harber London on Instagram and Facebook.
Photos by Migle Enciute.
43 comments
Theres from MoonyWool said 4 years ago
Love the design and materials used. And I´m excited for the new materials to be introduced. Congratulations on the feature!
Barbara Gable from CrazyLovely said 4 years ago
I can smell the leather! Your items are gorgeous. Congrats on the feature
Katrina Dzerkale from Dominna said 4 years ago
I think that the Ipad sleeve-stand is pretty neat.
Francine from HomespunHeartofMine said 4 years ago
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL pieces! The rolled wrap organizer is my favorite....brilliant design! Congratulations on the feature and many blessings for your continued success! :D
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 4 years ago
Beautiful work! Congratulations on the feature!
aressa from OriginalBridalHanger said 4 years ago
Love your product! Nice quality .... Thanks for sharing!
Sue from SuesAkornShop said 4 years ago
I love leather! Congrats on the feature.
Danielle from DELIAWorkshop said 4 years ago
The leather cord wrap is so clever and beautiful!
Rebecca and Daniel from HabitNationUSA said 4 years ago
Handsome shop... I love the combination of leather and wool.
Georgia from JewelMeShop said 4 years ago
Great shop! Your smartphone cases are gorgeous. Congrats on the feature!
DivineOrders from DivineOrders said 4 years ago
GLORIOUS! Congrats on the feature. Thank you Armando, William, and Caroline for sharing your grand adventures, phenomenal designs and lovely products with us. - Peace.
Courtney Booker from BookerPortraits said 4 years ago
Gorgeous!!!!
Kashuen Collectibles from Kashuen said 4 years ago
I love all these simple design. They are truly timeless pieces. Congratulations on the feature.
Relly from RelsFindsNapaValley said 4 years ago
Beautiful, timeless design, quality craftsmanship... and amazing prices.
Gwynne Collins from DaysLongGone said 4 years ago
Your work is beautiful! Congrats!
Greg and Mary from LightingAlchemy said 4 years ago
Great work and designs! Congratulations!!
Sherman Street Design from ShermanStreetDesign said 4 years ago
I love your product for its simple design and materials. Congratulations on the feature!
AnitasPottery.com from potterybyAnita said 4 years ago
Beautiful colors, stamping, and sleek designs! I love the smell of leather! Best Wishes to you all! ♥♥♥
Teerasak Borkam from TribalAndHarem said 4 years ago
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Kfir from KinArtBoutique said 4 years ago
Brilliant! Love your design and appreciate your passion!
Lemonada Designs from LemonadaDesigns said 4 years ago
Beautiful shop. Surprised me that Caroline is Isaac's mom. She look so young. Your shop process is inspiring. Congrats and more blessings!
TropicalGarden from TropicalGarden said 4 years ago
Great shop! Congratulations on the feature!
Pathumwadee Pathumwan from Hippiegardenshop said 4 years ago
Awesome hand made works : )
Olesya Bagriy from BelkaUA said 4 years ago
Beautiful story and shop!!! Congratulations on the feature!
Flair Nouri from FlairPaintings said 4 years ago
Everything looks so beautiful and unique!!! Good luck with your shop :)
Jafeth Moiane from handicraftafrica said 4 years ago
Beautiful items. Inspiration story. Congrats!
Book Clutches Store from BookClutchStore said 4 years ago
Guys, you are doing amazing job . High quality + design = HarberLondon shop for sure ;)
Harber London from HarberLondon said 4 years ago
Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the nice words and all the support. It's been a privilege to be featured and look forward to seeing you all around Etsy! Lets continue with the good vibes and happy Etsy-ing to all of you. Always yours, Harber London Caroline, Armando and William
JOANNA from BUSTANI said 4 years ago
Beautiful work! Congratulations on the feature! ♥
Elisa from FleurDeLisArtGlass said 4 years ago
Gorgeous work. You can tell it is quality!
Renata Sponn Design from Sponndesign said 4 years ago
Very unique design. Beautiful shop. Congratulations on the feature.
david playter from mountainveiw said 4 years ago
You do beautiful work.
Loribeth from MomentsOfArt said 4 years ago
Can't wait to find out what the new material is going to be! Congrats on your feature!
Hajira Gibb from HajiraKG said 4 years ago
Simple and beautiful items. Great shop. Love it.
Naomi said 4 years ago
I'm utterly impressed with the reconnaissance put into your wares and even more so by the final product. Strikingly well made, great attention to detail and so well executed in materials, form and function. Truly beautiful, unisex pieces. I'm in the midst of swapping out some of my tech items, once complete I'll be in touch... lots saved to favorites in the interim. A treasure to find you, you epitomize the best of Etsy; incredible quality, true workmanship, and attention to detail from people who are passionate about what they produce. In an era of mass production, these are the types of products I seek out and invest in, each a work of art in itself. Best of luck to you moving forward!
David Boss from WalkaboutWoodcraft said 4 years ago
Beautiful craftsmanship and unique designs for the modern person. Not just updated ideas, but completely new thoughts. Brilliant!
Anna from bellecaprice said 3 years ago
I like your sexy and masculine design. Thank you for telling your story.
Anna from bellecaprice said 3 years ago
I like your sexy and masculine design. Thank you for story.
Achara Patthong from AcharaSilver said 3 years ago
Great work !
Rosemary Lambert from cardhugs said 3 years ago
It's really great to be able to work nicely with family. You offer lots of products and they appear to be top of the line.
Saurabh Vardhan said 3 years ago
Felt wool and leather is not a unique combination. In fact who came first, these guys or 'Hard Graft' or 'ByrdandBelle' ?
Eleni from PlexisArt said 3 years ago
Beautiful work!!! Congratulations on the feature.
Jordan Valkov from SilverCharms925 said 3 years ago
That leather looks stunning and you can definetely spot the quality of it! nice products!