Reaching leather goals
- Jakub is a self-taught leatherworker
- He is a social and cultural anthropologist by education
- He started his career as a craftsman in 2010
As a child, Jakub Jarolím attended a sports-oriented primary school focused on hockey. Unfortunately, he didn't have any gear since his mother couldn't afford to buy it. The caretaker of the stadium's storehouse gave the young boy his old goalkeeper's leather guards, gloves and vest. The aged equipment was damaged by time and mice, but Jakub was so keen to play alongside his classmates, that he repaired the whole kit, using the most defective material as patches for the holes. "Honestly, the wrong puck shot still hurt badly, but at least I could play," smiles the artisan. His boyhood practice paid off. Today, Jakub runs a successful brand called Eggobag, constructing leather bags and accessories.
INTERVIEW
In Berlin, my then-girlfriend and I came across a fine leather handbag that she liked. It was too expensive, so I jokingly stated that I would make her a similar one myself. I did. It wasn't perfect, but all her friends wanted one too.
I was very emotional when I first met a stranger wearing my product on the street. I was like: "Wow, it works, it's real!" It still pleases me, especially when the product is lovingly worn out, indicating that the person wears it all the time.
Fine aesthetic quality, reliable functionality and high durability. But my primary criterion is the customers: I listen to their demands carefully, striving to meet them. The client must always receive the result of a job perfectly done, with no compromises.
Primarily the customers. And also, the place where I work. The Žižkov district carries a craftstradition that I try to follow. Once, my neighbour gave me the material of her deceased father, a leatherworker who founded his workshop in the 1930s.
1 EXPERIENCE
