英國每日電訊報對辛普森倫敦皮具品牌優質皮料進行專題報導

原標題：英國每日電訊報對辛普森倫敦皮具品牌優質皮料進行專題報導

英國每日電訊報專題報導原文

Recognising quality craftsmanship: how to tell good quality leather

辛普森倫敦採用的優質皮料

In its east London factory, leather goods company Simpson London is keeping centuries-old crafts alive and creating luxury British-made products for William & Son

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n this era of mass production and identikit items, nothing says luxury more than something that is handcrafted using traditional skills and the finest British materials. It"s what Simpson London takes pride in, and why the leather goods company is prospering by keeping alive centuries-old traditions and skills to create products that are in demand around the world.

It"s particularly satisfying for a company that, at one point, wasn』t sure if it would survive. Started by Robert Simpson in 1997 to provide quality leather goods to traditional stores in London, the business ran into difficulties after its founder fell into ill health. At the time, William Asprey, co-founder and chairman of British luxury goods brand William & Son, used Simpson London to produce his own leather products. Keen to not only secure his own supply of quality leather, but to keep the traditional craftsmanship and skills of Simpson London alive, Asprey stepped in and bought the business as part of the WRA Group in 2010.

辛普森倫敦的英國傳統手工工藝

Attention to detail: craftspeople use traditional skills and the finest British materials

Since purchasing the company William & Son has built a new factory for Simpson London in Canning Town, London, and taken steps to foster a new generation of craftspeople in the British leather trade. 「A lot of the workers were nearing retirement, but we didn』t want to lose those skills,」 says Lou McLeod, chief executive of William & Son. 「We have a training scheme whereby young people have come in and worked with the masters of the craft and learnt directly from them.」 The company has also upgraded the technology, installing a machine that will scan the leather for imperfections and get the maximum use out of it when it comes to cutting.

It』s the traditional skills which are very much still the focus, though. 「The majority of the cutting is done by hand and all in a traditional way,」 says Asprey. 「We specialise in short runs, not long runs, which means there is much more care and attention paid to what we』re doing. Luxury is all about the detail and quality of the materials, and we don』t compromise.」

Patrick Coyne joined Simpson London as managing director in 2015 after working in the luxury leather industry for more than 25 years. He has seen the company go from strength to strength since then. 「When I took over, there were six or seven craftspeople. We now have 31 people in the business, of which 25 are craftspeople. We have a fantastic manufacturing facility and have attracted a younger generation.」

Once fully trained, the craftspeople have the skills to produce an item from a drawing all the way through to a finished product – including the many steps in between, from cutting the leather to a pattern, to stitching and personalisation. 「It』s all contained within the factory in east London,」 says Coyne.

辛普森倫敦的英國傳統手工工藝

Making the cut: the majority of the cutting is done by hand

How to tell quality leather

As with any quality product, it all begins with finding the finest raw materials. 「I source the leathers from Scotland and a tannery called Bridge of Weir,」 says Coyne. 「Our bridle hide skins are produced in Rochester, Kent. The quality is in the touch, so you know it』s a luxury leather.」

Simpson London produces everything from leather key cases and ladies』 purses to games sets and suitcases. 「We still make the classic, hand-stitched leather attaché cases that Simpson traditionally produced. That is our heritage and we』ll always protect that. When we sew briefcases or trunks with hand-stitched corners, everyone is fascinated looking at the products. You can tell the difference between a hand-stitched and a machine-stitched briefcase.」

辛普森倫敦的工匠英國傳統手工藝人

Traditional methods: people are fascinated by the company』s hand-stitched products

Simpson London does not only manufacture for William & Son but also for labels in the UK and around the world. It also sells own-label products and is expanding in Asia, where there is a demand for British craftsmanship. The company recently opened its first Simpson London store within a store in Tokyo, Japan. 「The whole British story is what we』re all about,」 says Coyne. 「It was a trade that was here years ago but now the WRA Group is revitalising it in London. It』s British craftsmanship at its best.」

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