WINNER OF THE LEATHER WORKER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
We are so proud and grateful that Natalie has won the inaugural Leatherworker of the Year Award, supported by the British Leather Industry Development Trust, including a £2,000 prize and trophy awarded at a special presentation at Eltham Palace in London on Tuesday 26 November 2024.
The award, supported by British Leather Industry Development Trust, celebrates a heritage craftsperson who has made an outstanding contribution to leatherworking over the past year. It recognises a contribution that is far beyond the ordinary, based on a proven dedication to a particular leatherworking skill.
After studying Contemporary Applied Arts at Middlesex University in London, Natalie Thakur went on to study leatherwork at the London College of Fashion. She initially started out working in bespoke leather interiors, before starting up her own brand Natthakur and pioneering techniques such as hand-painted leather marquetry, specialist leather moulding, and hand-crafted sculptural relief. She has been stocked in some of the most prestigious shops in the world, including Selfridges, Le Bon Marche in Paris, Takashimaya and The V&A, and was selected for ‘The Best of British’ at Liberty’s London.
Message from the Former Prince of Wales
“As President of the Heritage Crafts Association, I am delighted to endorse this new awards scheme which supports and rewards excellence in the heritage craft sector.
Crafts are such a vital part of our British heritage and I have always been passionately concerned to promote the best aspects of our country’s traditions ― and, equally importantly, to enable these highly specialised skills to be transferred from one generation to the next.
These new awards for heritage craft celebrate excellence across the sector in a variety of ways. They reward those who give so much by volunteering to support the many different crafts, those who pass on their skills, those who wish to improve their craft skills and those who continue to produce great British craft.”
‘Heritage crafts’
Natthakur was created by designer maker Natalie Thakur in 2005 in her studio in East London. After studying a Ba Hons in Contemporary Applied Arts at Middlesex University in London she went on to study leatherwork at Cordwainers at The London College of Fashion. She initially started out working in bespoke leather interiors for the first few years before starting up her own brand Natthakur.
Combining her knowledge of materials and traditional leather working techniques, she created her first collection of leather bags mimicking the iconic paper bag and striped market bag which propelled her career from the beginning.
Since those early days she has been stocked in some of the most prestigious shops in the world, including Selfridges, Le Bon Marche in Paris, Takashimaya and The V&A, and was selected for ‘The Best of British’ at Liberty’s London. She continues to collaborate with the V&A Museum shop and is a leather design consultant working with leading design agencies, fine furniture makers and luxury brands such as Bombay Sapphire and Moet Hennessy.
The brand creates simple contemporary products that reinterpret everyday design classics utilising bold graphics, fine details and combining a ‘Made in Britain’ ethos with fine craftsmanship.