A TRADITIONAL leather business is turning to modern crowd-funding to help pay for another documentary film of how they produce their goods.
Equus Leather, based in Winston, has won accolades for the way it combines the ancient skill of leather working with modern technology and social media to grow an international customer base.
As part of the firm’s online marketing scheme, husband and wife team Charlie and Dawn Trevor have produced a series of workshop videos which they post to Youtube.
Their video on the making of a coat wallet has been enjoyed by more than four million viewers.
Now they want people to raise the budget for their next video through a crowd-funding scheme.
Mr Trevor said: “The new film is the making of an attache case, which is a collaboration with a master cabinet maker who is creating the inner wooden carcass using cedar of Lebanon wood from a tree that once stood in the garden of Newsham Hall, a mile from the Westholme workshops.
“I will then show the process of covering and stitching the Cuir de Russie leather and finally we go to the foundry in Walsall to film the fittings being made.”
Mrs Trevor added: “We’ve funded all of our other films ourselves and this time, because of the scale of the project, we investigated and researched the viability of a Kickstarter campaign, not only to help with the financial side of the project, but we wanted as many of our followers around the world to be involved.
“We have a huge range of rewards that culminate in one lucky person getting the case that features in the film.”
The couple hope to raise £5,000 by September 9 with filming by award-winning filmmakers Tobias Blickle and Mirko Laflamme, from Switzerland, due to begin on September 10.
Equus Leather currently markets a range of hand-made goods on sale ranging from wallets and watch straps, to belts and key fobs.
Mr Trevor said the new film will form part of a launch of the addition of the attache case to their product range.
People can support the crowd-funding appeal by visiting kickstarter.com/projects /equusleather/equus-leather-film-step-into-our-workshop.
Depending on the amount of support given people will receive an item from Equus Leather’s extensive range.
For more information visit equusleather.co.uk.
