Melina Carranza & David Iglesias

Oficio Studio

Leatherworker

A shared passion for leather

Melina and David create leather accessories
They source their raw materials from Villarramiel, a small Spanish town
They sell only what they produce with their own hands

David Iglesias is a Spanish lawyer. Melina Carranza, a Mexican architect. They were searching for their true vocations when they met in his shop in Madrid, where he sold leather goods for bikes. She was looking for someone to teach her the art of leatherwork. He had run his family’s bag factory but had left it disappointed by the mass fashion production. Melina wanted to create small collections of handmade products with top quality raw materials, far from industrial manufacturing. This idea aroused his interest, and he joined her project, a more traditional and sustainable business. It was love at first sight. They met, fell in love, found their calling together, and Oficio Studio became their passion and philosophy of life. In 2012 they travelled around Spain in search of the finest tanneries and tools they needed to make their products in their home and workshop. Their first object was a doctor’s bag, which soon became a bestseller.

Interview

Did you learn from a master artisan?: Melina: Some master leatherworkers taught us the basics. Antonio Garrido, a master saddler, taught us how to sew by hand. Juan Rojas, David’s great-uncle, taught us how to make a pattern. We knew our techniques needed a more contemporary twist. It was a slow process of trial and error, totally self-taught.
Why did you choose this craft?: David: We are lovers of noble materials, especially leather, a material that reconnects us with our most human essence. The leatherwork allows us to work with raw materials that were once alive. We like to develop unique pieces with our hands from start to finish.
What do you consider your key skills?: Melina: Besides the skills we learned to develop our craft, we can connect with our clients. Our intuition guides us to know what they are looking for. Our studio is a workspace but also a hub for the exchange of ideas, inspiration, and creativity for a small community of professionals.
How is your craft linked to the territory where you live?: David: Spanish leather has always been a world reference. We inherited the tanning technique from the Arabs, but we have perfected it over the centuries up to the present day. There are still great tanning master artisans all over Spain specialising in different trades of leatherwork.

Melina Carranza & David Iglesias are expert artisans: they began their career in 2011