Born in León, Guanajuato, Mexico—a city rooted in leather craftsmanship—Bixi Awotan creates handcrafted leather handbags and accessories with timeless designs and artisan character. The family-run brand produces in limited quantities using carefully sourced, environmentally responsible leather, so each piece carries its own natural variation rather than a mass-produced finish. Bixi Awotan has been creating leather handbags and accessories for more than a decade, with a showroom in State College, Pennsylvania, and retail presence in Mexico.
BracalettiFounded in 2012 by designer Roberto Sacal, Bracaletti creates fine leather goods and jewelry, with its signature cuff links and bracelets joined by handbags and small leather accessories. Although Sacal and the company are based in New York, a Mexico City atelier remains Bracaletti’s center, where an extended team of artisans—including third-generation leather craftsmen—develops prototypes and handcrafts the collection. The label carries forward a family legacy in leather goods that began with Sacal’s father’s jewelry store and the former Casa Aries workshop.NEW YORK, NY
Saint LuloRooted in a Colombian leatherworking family, Saint Lulo makes full-grain leather bags, wallets and accessories by hand for the U.S. market. Founder Dayana Jiménez brings her family’s three-generation craft tradition from Bogotá to Maryland, where each piece is designed in the United States and made in Colombia by one artisan from cutting through stitching and finishing. The brand works with Riviera, her father’s family leather house, founded more than 50 years ago, and sells directly at artisan markets across the region.NORTH BETHESDA, MD
Duvall LeatherFounded in 2005 by master craftsman Nick Duvall, Duvall Leather handcrafts American-made leather goods in Pennsylvania, from everyday carry pieces to handbags and custom work. The Kingston-area company grew from Duvall’s basement workshop and an early specialty in historically accurate military reproductions into a contemporary leather-goods maker, while retaining its emphasis on traditional construction and small-batch production. Its private-label operation also provides in-house leather manufacturing from a 4,000-square-foot production facility.KINGSTON, PA
BembienFounded in 2017 by Yi-Mei Truxes, Bembien is a Greenpoint, Brooklyn accessories brand creating timeless handbags and lifestyle pieces by hand in small batches. Its rattan basket bags, handwoven leather designs and silk scarves connect modern silhouettes with artisan techniques passed down through generations; a single handbag can take up to 10 days to complete. Bembien works with local, women-led weaving communities around the world to help sustain craft heritage.