The Southwest

Natalie Davis, Founder of modern leather studio Canoe Goods

Austin, Texas

I started doing leatherwork in 2009. I had been working in textiles and with wood, but I had recently moved back to Texas, and I kept coming across really beautiful tooled leather boots, saddles, and briefcases. It just kind of snowballed from there.

Here, I’m making our Sol pouf, which is based on a fractured sun design that I created. First, I stitch the individual pieces, and then it’s all put together and stuffed. Most of my design work is inspired by my personal aesthetic and my background.

I’m Arab-American, and a lot of the textiles and home goods that I grew up with have very ornate, elaborate geometric patterns. I tend to take that and edit it down in my brain until I create a lot of negative space. It’s a more modern take on pattern work.

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