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SLOW & LOW X LOCKELAND LEATHER

AT THE CORE OF SLOW & LOW, IS OUR DESIRE TO DRIVE DISCOVERY, AND SHOWCASE THE ARTISTS AND MAKERS WHO ARE CRAFTING THE WORLD IN A BETTER LIGHT. WE RECENTLY GOT TO KNOW ONE SUCH ARTISAN- JOSEPH VERZILLI- THE OWNER AND VISOINAIRE OF LOCKELAND LEATHER IN NASHVILE...

LEATHER WORK IS SO ROMANTIC… HOW DID YOU GET STARTED ON THIS JOURNEY? 

It really is romantic. I wish I had a romantic story to share with you. Something along the lines of “there is a lineage of leather workers in my family. Dating back to the turn of the century in Italy…” Unfortunately, the simple truth is that I’m plagued with a wondrous sense of curiosity and  the “I-can-do-that'' gene. This is a deadly combination when it comes to exploring hobbies - Something I’ve done my whole life - and this one found me at the right time in the right place. 

LOCKELAND LEATHER IS A RESPECTED AND ESTABLISHED SOURCE FOR HANDCRAFTED AND INTENTIONAL LEATHER GOODS, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SURPRISED YOU ALONG THE WAY IN BUILDING YOUR COMPANY AND REPUTATION? 

Not a week passes where I don’t have at least one “pinch-me” moment and find myself grateful that this is my job. Generally, it’s safe to say that I’m surprised that there are people, businesses and brands out there in need of the products and services I provide, and ready and willing to offer full trust to our creative visions.

I mean, what a concept - To be a leatherworker in a world seemingly consumed by technology and mass produced consumer goods? I think that’s pretty neat. 

I AM SURE THERE ARE THE STANDARD GOODS THAT YOUR COMPANY MAKES THAT MAKES THE BUSINESS FOR YOU, BUT AS A LEATHER ARTISAN, WHAT TYPE OF LEATHER PROJECTS DO YOU FIND MOST INSPIRING TO YOU? 

We’ve really carved out a niche in the Architecture and Design industry - Collaborating with furniture designers, interior designers, and architects to design touchpoints for custom furniture pieces,  craft interior accents, and design and build handcrafted art pieces that showcase our craftsmanship, which is how we collaborated with Slow & Low.

Each of these projects is wildly different and allows us the opportunity to think outside of the box and step outside of our comfort zone. Creatively collaborating with our clients is really important to us. This is something we strive for in every project and have found it always yields the best results.

TELL US ABOUT THE CUSTOM LEATHER BACKDROP AND GUITAR STRAP YOU MADE FOR THE ELLE KING “A FREAKIN’ MEN” TOUR SPONSORED BY SLOW & LOW…

Custom Leather Backdrop
Custom Leather Guitar Strap for Elle King

When I was first contacted about this project I was asked, “What are you most excited to create?” From this moment I knew we fit right in with Slow & Low.

Earlier in the year we had experimented with a collection of craft-driven art pieces, and I was hoping we’d have another opportunity to further this concept. This collection of patch-worked tapestry pieces was heavily inspired by our love for Sashiko and Boro Boro, the Japanese practice of breathing new life into once-love materials and adorning them with hand embroidered details.

This process is very freeform / stream-of-consciousness, and allows us to be in the moment and work with the leather in different ways than we would when crafting an accessory. 

For this collaboration, we recruited the help of our dear friend and Nashville-based artist, Maggie Sanger, to give the art piece a little more love with a hand-painted Slow & Low x Elle King mark, resulting in a piece of functional art for the length of the tour.

THE PIECE WILL HAVE A SECOND LIFE AS WELL… TELL US ABOUT THE GUITAR STRAPS… 

The full scope of this project really showcases nearly everything we do at Lockeland Leather. Again, props to Slow & Low for supporting us and our crazy ideas!

Once Elle’s tour is complete, we’ve requested that the leather backdrop be returned to our studio for us to respectfully destroy, which we’re really looking forward to!

The same backdrop that is seen on the road with Elle King will be cut down and crafted into a limited run of custom guitar straps, which will be available at Slow & Low’s merch store. 

I’m absolutely in love with this idea of repurposing the artwork into a functional accessory. It really brings this project full circle and perfectly aligns with our craftsmanship.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO DRINK SLOW & LOW?

I’m easy. Drop a cube or two in and I’m a happy man. 

NAME 3 SONGS THAT GET YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING…

I’m going to pivot on this question and instead give you three albums that have been in heavy rotation at the studio.

  1. D’Angelo - Voodoo
  2. Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
  3. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Now

*Honorable to the Sugar Ray radio station on Spotify. Trust me on this one. 

ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO SHARE A SLOW & LOW OLD-FASHIONED WITH?

Ahhh, yes… The one single question with the ability make or break me. DRUMROLL PLEASE… 100% without a doubt, Billy Joel.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT THE SLOW & LOW COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR WORK...

Nothing more to share about our work - Just a big thank you to everyone who has supported us and our work, and a friendly reminder that we all have the opportunity to support the  craftspeople, artisans and makers of the world who are dedicated to pursuing their craft. 

Always keep us in mind when seeking those special little somethings. It means more to us than you’ll ever know!

Be sure to check out all the goods from Lockeland Leather @lockelandleather and lockelandleather.com + Get tickets asap to the Elle King “A Freakin’ Men” tour Presented by Slow & Low at: elleking.com/#tour and be sure to snap a pic at the custom Lockeland Leather backdrop, and be on the lookout for the custom guitar straps that will be available on the S&L merch store soon!