Is there a leather factory in Hong Kong? No one believes it.
Kean is the third generation descendant of one of the only two leather factories in Hong Kong. Seeing the industry's decline, this 26-year-old started his own business and founded the brand THE LEDERER.
You may not know it until you learn it, but Hong Kong actually has a leather manufacturing industry. Leather manufacturing does not mean producing handbags or leather jackets, but rather that cattle are slaughtered in local slaughterhouses and then transported directly to leather factories. It then takes about a whole month to process the cowhide so that it can be sold to different companies that produce leather products.
Crisis everywhere
As for the reasons for the decline of this industry, Kean, who spent his childhood in a leather factory after school, is a witness to the great changes of the times.
He said:
We're a traditional manufacturer, providing lunch for our workers. Back in the 1990s, we had enough workers to sit at two tables, but now we can't even fit one! Furthermore, as a basic leather manufacturer, the factory environment is harsh and the work is tough. Even the children of our uncles in the industry haven't inherited the business, let alone outsiders. Besides the lack of entry, the weather is also a major contributing factor to the decline of the leather industry.
He said:
As the weather gets hotter, the market demand for leather jackets and handbags decreases, and leather gloves are even eliminated. The leather we bought from the trading company 3 or 4 years ago has not been used up yet, so how can they place new orders?
Opening stores to seek breakthroughs
Therefore, just as Kean’s senior colleagues in the same industry said, the leather sales chart is no longer in a V shape. We can no longer hope for a rebound. On the contrary, today it is in an L shape. There is no chance of a rebound at all!
Seeing limited industry development, Kean sought a breakthrough in his family business. Two years ago, he founded the leather goods brand THE LEDERER, which opened its first store two months ago. The shop integrates leather sales, a leather carving workshop, and customized leather goods, with the leather carving workshop being a key focus. He and his father developed a type of eucalyptus bark suitable for leather carving. Kean was fortunate to find renowned Taiwanese leather carving master Wang Weiming to use this leather and invited him to Hong Kong to teach classes and promote the brand.
He said:
The leather carving market is not actually large compared to other leather goods markets, but it is not small either. Leather carving involves more than a hundred types of tools, so there is huge market potential. If this can be achieved, it will be another way out.
However, inviting foreign leather carvers to teach in Hong Kong is not easy. Simply applying for their visas is a complex matter. So, why not invite local masters to teach, which would make the process easier to master? Kean answered:
Hong Kong people will be very picky when they see your profits appear to be higher on the books. Taiwanese artisans are passionate about passing on their skills and will be happy to teach you their craft in Hong Kong if they can negotiate a reasonable price.
The LEDERER store has only been open for two months. Kean is comforted by the fact that it's covering its costs. Even more gratifying is that the mall's real estate developer, Hysan, has contacted him about potential collaborations, proving that his two years of hard work have paid off. However, he's not rushing to achieve instant success, and has declined the developer's offer. After all, the timing isn't right. Furthermore, even when he and his colleagues hold workshops in various community centers, they're not in a rush to announce them publicly. He prefers to "take things as they come" and take things slowly.
For example, his products can be found in Joint Publishing and Commercial Press, Hong Kong Design Gallery, and can also be purchased at hktvmall.com or dusty.com.hk. Although it is still a small business, the leather products labeled as made in Hong Kong have seen a glimmer of hope.
The happiest thing is seeing customers leave our store happy after buying leather made by us. It gives me a great sense of success!
Written by: Ho Wai-hung, TOPick reporter