faq

Republic of Leather is on a mission to deliver the most incredible bespoke leather wear experience to our amazing customers.

Republic of Leather lets you create bespoke leather wear with the very same luxury leathers that the finest LUXURY brands use. We hand craft our goods ONLY for you and deliver them to your door anywhere on the planet at the most phenomenal prices!

What is BESPOKE ?

Bespoke is a process that begins with YOU the customer and truly is the most luxurious experience in garment creation.

Our bespoke garment creation begins with our online measuring process of your key body areas . This allows us to create a special pattern only for you , one that considers all the specifics of your body. From that unique pattern your garment is then hand cut and hand--crafted only for you.

What problem does Republic of Leather solve?

We solve the problem of getting a perfectly fitting luxury leather garment. People come in every shape and size and they want to be able to get a PEREFCTLY fitted leather product that fits THEIR unique size and shape at a phenomenal price.

We enable you to create and order your bespoke leather wear through our web platforms and also via our Republic of Leather locations where you can get measured in person by a Republic of Leather tailor and order your bespoke leather wear right there.

How does Republic of Leather work ?

Republic of Leather is beautifully simple

  • YOU select your product of choice from a fantastic selection of leather wear.
  • YOU use our platform to input YOUR bespoke measurements from which we create a unique pattern, hand designed and styled ONLY FOR YOU. This process ensures THE PERFECT fit of your garment. And best of all your personal pattern will always remain in your personal file accessible by you any time you want to create another garment!
  • Your order is then custom made by hand by our tailors here in our Addis Ababaworkshop and then shipped direct to your door, anywhere on the planet, WITHIN 14-21 working days!
  • The Republic of Leather platform will become more in depth and sophisticated over time, and soon we will enable customers to collaborate LIVE in real time with designers to get an even higher level of personalization . So keep on stopping by to see this is action!
How does Republic of Leather provide such high quality leather wear at such amazing prices?

At Republic of Leather we are leather experts , skilled leather artisans and tailors situated at The Source for luxury leather - Ethiopia . This means we have direct access to the most fantastic leathers on the planet – in fact the very same luxury leathers that the TOP fashion houses use to craft their wares . All our leathers are free range and we work directly with the craftspeople who make these exquisite leathers . We source & select these leathers at prices and quality levels that no one else can. Then we use these leathers to craft BESPOKE garments just for you. Because true luxury should be about amazing quality and experience , not a shocking sticker price.

What’s the main value Republic of Leather provides?
  • Through our platforms we enable people everywhere to easily buy the highest quality bespoke luxury leather wear that is individually hand-crafted with the same luxury leathers that the TOP fashion houses use , at a fraction of the price !
  • By designing everything in house, we control the fit, the quality, and the total aesthetic of the products and brand. And by having our design , production and fulfillment all located within one single place we are able to create unmatched VALUE both for our community by way of high value employment , and for our customers by unmatched product quality at unbeatable prices .
What is the thinking behind the name Republic of Leather?

Republic of Leather is born out of several ideas.

The first idea behind the name is that Ethiopia has for centuries been the SOURCE of the leathers used by the top luxury brands and fashion houses to craft their hi-end leather articles. So quite literally, Ethiopia has been a Republic of Leather itself. The name Republic of Leather pays homage to that idea!

And the second idea was that we wanted to create a company and brand that does what all great Republics do -- puts POWER & VALUE DIRECTLY BACK into people’s hands. Republic of Leather does this by:

  • Letting people create bespoke luxury leather wear using the very same luxury leathers that the finest LUXURY brands use. All delivered to their door anywhere on the planet at the most phenomenal prices!
  • Making luxury about amazing quality and experience, not a shocking sticker price. Because we are based at the SOURCE of the same leathers used by the top luxury brands and fashion houses, we have direct access to these amazing leathers and can therefore pass incredible savings along to the final consumer.
What inspired the decision to open the Republic of Leather?

Luxury thrives on personalization, and there is nothing more personal than a bespoke luxury leather wear experience. That’s why we launched Republic of Leather.

We also saw that the luxury leather wear market was ripe for disruption. Luxury should be about amazing quality and experience, not a shocking sticker price. Designer-quality leather wear at reasonable prices IS a totally underserved market.

We also reimagine the supply chain of luxury leather goods and leverage technology & craftsmanship to create the most amazing products; and there was also a need, in fact a burning desire from people around the world, for a fresh interpretation and narrative of what luxury was, and most importantly what luxury could be about, a narrative that could continually invigorate and excite people.

Great brands empower you, they make you more creative. When you interact with Republic of Leather as a brand and then see Republic of Leather articles you immediately say WOW!

I want to open a Republic of Leather retail site. How can I do that?

GREAT! We license Republic of Leather retail sales sites.

These are physical locations that allow people to walk in, get CUSTOM MEASURED for their bespoke Republic of Leather products.

Their bespoke measurements are input, and in REAL TIME a pattern is made and styled ONLY FOR THEM! Their order is then made here in our Addis Ababa factory and shipped direct to the customer’s door or to any address they choose WITHIN 14 to 21 working days!

With this model Republic of Leather has created a new value platform for retailers which lets them generate sales revenue from simply by becoming a Republic of Leather retailer without the need to carry ANY inventory . They only need a small area for some Republic of Leather branding imagery and a TABLET with which to input the customer information and order.

Please see here for full information http://www.republicofleather.com/pages/become-a-republic-of-leather-retail-store .

Are there any Republic of Leather sites open yet?

YES! Our first Republic of Leather location is open in The United States in Silicon Valley inside the Westfield Valley Fair Mall just down the corner from Coach and Louis Vuitton!

How can designers participate in Republic of Leather ?

Soon we will also be allowing designers to become part of the Republic of Leather platform. We believe that talent is EVERYWHERE, so we allow any designer anywhere to show us their talent and capabilities and if they meet our criteria they might just be designing the next Republic of Leather collection.

So Republic of Leather is creating an entirely new ecosystem of value within the luxury leather space. The true magic of this platform will be how we are empowering BOTH the customer as well as an ever growing network of retailers , retail locations , and design locations .

What if I don’t LOVE my Republic of Leather products?

Like every great Republic we want our citizens to be TOTALLY HAPPY - ALL THE TIME! The Republic of Leather Citizens Guarantee is the final important element in ensuing total quality. The Republic of Leather Citizens Guarantee says if you are not 100% IN LOVE with your order, you can either return for a FULL refund OR we will remake your order until you are totally in love with it!!

Where is Republic of Leather located?

Our master production sites are here in Addis Ababa, allowing me and my team to personally oversee every critical element. These are sites that I have personally built-up, and which I have populated with my own key people so the integrity of production represents the culmination of mine and my teams combined expertise.

We have reimagined the supply chain of luxury leather in a way that allows us to not only maximizes the value chain, but to control that value chain in a way that’s most beneficial for us and most importantly for our customers. We are able to control and maintain the integrity of each production process because we are BOTH the authors of that process and the implementers.

What is special about your supply chain and operations?

We run a WFTO Fair Trade production facility and a WFTO inspired supply chain. We ensure the highest standards throughout the entire chain by, for the first time in the history of luxury goods, seeing that ALL production and sourcing that Republic of Leather engages in is run according to World Fair Trade Organization [WFTO] Fair Trade principles. I have been working side by side with the producers of these very same fine leathers for years as I built my footwear brand soleRebels. We have deep relationships that span from the supply side - right from the origin and selection of the hides and skins themselves - through to our tanners NETWORK. This allows me and my team to maintain an unrivalled degree of quality and selectivity in the leathers themselves.