Lokal Babes | Crowe Leather Co.
WORDS: Stef Richardson + PHOTOS: Alyssa Joline Photography
I’m always so intrigued when I see first-hand all of the integral + fine tune details that go into making a locally made product. Crowe Leather Co., owned by Evan Finbow, is a shining example of this quality craftsmanship. He’s mega talented and you‘ll see that in all of his pieces. If you can believe it, every stitch, every cut, every part of the process is handmade and done by Evan himself. It’s honestly quite remarkable. Alyssa and I had the pleasure of getting a behind-the-scenes look at the action and you really do have to applaud local makers. Of course, a lot of the terminology flew right over my head but hey, he’s the leather expert not me!
OWNER OF CROWE // EVAN FINBOW
Not only does Evan make gorgeous leather goods like wallets and key chains, but he also is a big fan of supporting fellow local businesses which I think is super great. That includes but not limited to supporting local breweries ~ he’s a big fan of a good brewski. Cheers mate.
Check out Evan’s work on his website or feel free to reach out and simply chat about a custom piece. It’ll be a one-of-a-kind, Crowe Leather accessory that’ll be built to endure time, travel, and all of the love.
IG: @croweleatherco
Read on for a short Q+A with Evan!
Q+A
How are you spending a rainy day off? I don't own a gaming console, but I recently got back into playing a computer game from 1999 called Age of Empires II which actually has a HUGE online following these days. It's a RTS (Real Time Strategy) game that replicates medieval battles by pinning civilizations like the Cumans or Saracens against each other. So on a rainy day off, I'd love to connect to my brothers or friends online and play them for a few hours.
What are your top 3 beers:
1. Weird Flex Sour Ale by Black Bellows Brewery: This is a super new one for me, I've always liked sours but this one is a little tamer and is perfect right now.
2. Rad Dog Belgian PA by Northwinds Brewery: 100% my favourite summer beer in Collingwood.
3. Greenwood IPA by Left Field Brewery: Just my go to IPA, always hits the spot.
How did you get into making leather goods? In my previous career, I always wanted to be more hands on and creative - I needed the opportunity to see a project through from start to finish and to actually feel like I could tangibly affect the process. So drawing on my love of art and crafting as a kid, I took a beginner shoemaking course with the Art & Sole Academy and made a pair of espadrilles. After that I was pretty much hooked. I love the ability to envision a concept for a new item in my head and then tease it out putting it to paper. After this, actually going through the iterative design process while attempting to unite the form and function is like solving a puzzle - and it's so rewarding. Of course sitting in my workshop and listening to podcasts all day while being focused and productive is also always a joy.
3 things people wouldn’t know about you?
1. I am a Certified Personal Trainer.
2. I have planted more than 250,000 trees.
3. I've worn prescription glasses since I was 2.
Go-to brunch item? Assuming this brunch has an infinite amount of possibilities, whether that's belgian waffles with all the toppings, fresh baked chelsea buns, crepes, fresh fruit, or whatever... just give me peameal, bacon, or sausage. I'm good.
What’s your favourite halloween costume and is there a story to go along with it? Okay, so I can't remember this Halloween exactly because of the age, but the story is what has stuck with me and always comes up in our family. When I was about 4 years old and my older sister Nadine was 6, we went out on one of the coldest October 31's that there ever was (in my recollection). I was Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and my sister was Little Red Riding Hood. So of course our Mom didn't want us to get a chill, she bundled us up in our winter snow suits underneath the costumes. The bundling clearly affected the appearance of one of our costumes. Every house we went up to would say "Hey! It's a ninja turtle..." and then pause, in an attempt to sort out in their minds what to call my sister. "Oh and a football player!" And thus the legend of the Little Red Linebacker was born. And she was traumatized. I doubt any 6 year old girl wants to be compared to Ray Lewis.
Check out Crowe on Instagram or by visiting the website. Let’s continue to dig local!