Dallas’ Most Giftable Brand is Making the Holidays Even Easier

Leatherology has amassed all sorts of coveted accolades since siblings Rae and David Liu returned to Texas to take over the family business in 2011 (from a number one Wirecutter pick to a collaboration with Diane Von Furstenburg), but, still, most are first introduced to the Dallas brand when it’s given to them as a gift. It’s easy to understand why. Leatherology’s vast collection of leather goods are minimally branded with personalization in mind, while timeless silhouettes and rich, full grain leather ensure the products are built to last. They’ve nailed the recipe for the perfect present.

After weathering this strange year (their passports and travel cases may not have been as hot, but Leatherology’s journals and desk items saw a popularity surge), the self-funded brand is fully embracing the giving spirit, partnering with photographer Lee Litumbe, Austin nonprofit Tankproof, New Orleans lifestyle blog Probably This, and popular LA-based podcasters The LadyGang to create curated holiday gift sets that pay it forward.

Rae and David share more on the collaborations, Leatherology’s most popular items, and how their unique brand structure may have helped them through the pandemic.

This year was obviously challenging for many brands. 
David: I think something that has helped us is focusing on the long term. We’re a vertically-integrated business, so we’re not just direct-to-consumer. We actually own our own manufacturing and do everything in-house. Our headquarters and fulfillment is all here in Dallas. We kind of own that end-to-end product lifecycle and that experience, which brought unique challenges during this time but has also offered a lot of interesting opportunities for how we’ve been able to adapt to this kind of “new normal.”

Something else about Leatherology is that we’re completely self-funded. We don’t take any outside investment. Never say never, but we don’t intend to. That allows us to always focus on what’s right for the business and what’s right for our customers. We don’t have this constant need to grow rapidly, so we can make decisions that allow us to grow at a pace that is right for the business. It’s been really helpful for us during this time.

Were there any surprises during the pandemic?
David: The second quarter of this year was tough for us. A big part of our business is travel. We have a lot of products like passport covers and travel bags that are always popular for us, and obviously no one is really traveling right now. But in lieu of that, we’ve seen our home accessories business really take off. So a lot of items like the valet trays, pencil cases, and desk pads really took off. So our diverse business model of having a lot of different categories has really helped us react to consumer demands. We’re cautiously optimistic about the holidays.

How did the “Share Joy” campaign come about?
David: When life throws you curveballs you have to go back to your mission statement and figure out what you stand for. A big part of ours is celebrating the everyday, and a lot of our customers first find us when they receive a gift, and then they pass it on. We thought about that and what we could do to give back, so we launched a series of giveaways where we asked customers to tell us someone they would want to give a Leatherology item to and why. We got really strong feedback from that. People wanted to give gifts to siblings on the frontlines or friends that were graduating. It was a small thing but it felt great to be able to give them items they would be able to gift to loved ones, whatever situation they’re in.

Now you’re playing off that idea in a bigger way for the “Gift Joy” campaign.
David: To head into our biggest holiday gifting period, we partnered with influencers and personalities that can curate unique gifts sets, with 50 percent of net proceeds from each set going toward a charitable organization of their choosing.

Rae: We did a kick off call over Zoom with The LadyGang, and Jac [Vanek] pulled out this Leatherology pouch that she had been using for months. It was great. We were originally just going to work with them on one set, but they were so excited and wanted to do two. So of course we made that work, and Jac made sure that the item she herself loves was included in one of the sets, which was the Bold Lady gift bag.

What do you anticipate being the must-have products this year?
Rae: It’s kind of category by category, but I would say we have a lot of female customers buying gifts for men in their lives. We sell a lot of wallets and toiletry bags at Christmas. Actually, one of our wallets was just named “Best Slim Wallet” by The Wirecutter. So I think because of that, this wallet will be super strong. Another thing I think will be big will be the phone case. We’ve also seen a ton of sales around journals and desk products, which I will think will continue to go strong through the year.

David: I’ve attempted many journals. Another item that’s been super successful is our Top Handle Train Case. That item is in one of the LadyGang gift sets but has taken off on its own. One thing that’s interesting to see is how our items, which are all categorized, are used in different ways. Our Top Handle Train Case is classically a travel item, but we’ve seen people use them every day for all different kinds of reasons. I think that speaks a lot to how we design by functionally first.

How will you both find joy this holiday season?
David: Lots and lots of time with family.