Vladimir Bogdanin

Leatherworker

Mihail Novakov ©Michelangelo Foundation

©Elena Nenkova

Mihail Novakov ©Michelangelo Foundation

Written in the stars

Vladimir's love of craft came from his grandmother
He developed his skills at a leather factory
His designs follow a minimalistic aesthetic

Vladimir Bogdanin was introduced to craftmanship at an early age, when his grandmother, a tailor, taught him as a boy how to use a sewing machine. What followed was his training in leather work at the Profesional Textile and Leather School in Sofia. After graduation, he got his first job at the Leda factory for leather bags and accessories, where he stayed for a year. During this period he learned most of the craft by working first as a tailor and then as a designer. Then came the big professional shift - he put his leatherwork career on hold and pursuеd a job as a civil servant. It took him almost 15 years to make his way back to craft, but this time with his own workshop and brand BOGDANIN which creates high quality leather bags and purses.

Interview

Mihail Novakov ©Michelangelo Foundation

Mihail Novakov ©Michelangelo Foundation

With what kind of leather do you prefer working?: I work most often with naturally coloured calf leather. I like the way bags made of calf leather look and age. They have this special feel inherent only to costly and qualitative products. At the moment I get my leather from merchants in Bulgaria, but in the future I want to expand and work with Italian leather factories.
What is your definition of a high quality leather product?: These kinds of products require a lot of attention to detail. To achieve this quality, I spend a lot of time on the washing and finishing of the leather, then on tailoring, colouring and crafting all details. At the end comes the sewing process. Leather work requires a lot of attention, hard work and a lot of time.
How do you develop the Bogdanin designs?: I have always derived pleasure in clean forms. This was the concept of the brand from the beginning - to make quality leather products with minimalistic design. Most often the leather I pick defines the design of the bag or purse. I work only by myself, so there is little time for experiments.
What is your advice to aspiring leather workers?: It is important to be aware of what one is dealing with from the beginning. The bags look beautiful, but they are only the result of hard work. That’s why you mostly have to enjoy and love this kind of work. Otherwise you can’t make it.

Vladimir Bogdanin is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2013 and he started teaching in 2022