Mario Momplet Girona

Leatherworker

©Mario Momplet

Leather that lifts you everyday

Mario's career began as a hobby
His brand Febó de Momplet manufactures leather accessories
He lives in Valencia

One day, while Mario Momplet Girona was in his garage, he got excited thinking about the variety of objects that can be created out of leather. Little by little, his restlessness drove him to search for processes, methodologies and techniques and eventually to undertake further studies in Industrial Design and Contemporary Crafts. For him, the leathercraft is very clean and low-waste, almost 100 percent of the material is used. "The fact that a material can convey such clear connotations of warmth, or that it has its own language made me fall in love," says Momplet. His workshop is now located in Torrent, in Valencia, and it was whilst working here that in 2020 he was a finalist in his community's awards.

Interview

©Mario Momplet

©Mario Momplet

What attracted you most to your craft?: I have always been curious about the traditional and ancient processes and techniques of manufacturing. Today, it is very much in vogue to remember the original ways of making, I love merging modern day items with a nod to the past.
Why did you choose leather goods?: What originally appealed to me about leather is applicable to many other crafts. It is able to blend perfectly with products of different materials and compliment them.
How does your work combine traditional and modern?: I make products and accessories for current needs – and even for future needs – but always in an ancestral way. The processes remain the same as well as the materials, tools and techniques.
When do you know that a work is finished and well done?: When your eyes shine in delight when you take a step back from a product, and when that object meets the proposed needs. This means you are pleased with its story, it means the process has worked, it means time has been taken, and above all it has order.

Mario Momplet Girona is a rising star: he began his career in 2016 and he started teaching in 2020