Buying Bespoke From MacKenzie Leather

Although we offer a wide range of handmade goods ready to collect off the shelf, we also pride ourselves in offering a completely bespoke-made service. Our talented team can make more than leather bags to order – here’s an insight into the process of a personalised Mackenzie experience.

The Phone Case, crafted from our Italian Soft Hide in Matt Black, with bespoke silver initials.
Image courtesy of @cmwinternational

Our current range of handcrafted Italian and Spanish leather goods include our Mackenzie design of leather bags – varying from briefcases to satchels, leather cases for phones, wallets and coin purses, belts and sporrans, and even a wee swing tag keychain. With such an extensive range of products and possibilities, it’s essential that every customer walks out of our door with exactly the right piece for them. We hand make all of our leather goods in our Edinburgh-based workshop, which allows us to customise your order to your exact requirements. When you buy from Mackenzie, you know your item will be truly one of a kind.

But what’s the experience like? If you’re thinking of coming to us for a bespoke piece, the following account of this recently custom-made Laptop Case should help you know what to expect.

Step 1: The Product

You may think you know what you want – don’t we all? But when it comes down to investing in a product that will see you through the rest of your life, we like to make sure it’s right.

The customer initially started browsing our showroom collection of leather handbags, umm-ing and ahh-ing over some of our spacious and more practical options. Simon, our current owner and true master of the trade, spent time discussing the core needs of the client, and together concluded that a leather Laptop Case would actually be the perfect solution to the everyday requirements the customer currently faced.

Step 2: The Leather

Every bespoke Mackenzie item is crafted from your choice of hide and colour. We currently use vegetable-tanned leather from Italy and Spain, all tanned in the traditional methods. You can read more about our Leather here.

The custom Laptop Case is made from Italian Matt hide in a Light Tan shade. The beauty of using this leather for such a practical and everyday piece is that the hide will age and reflect usage over time, adding charm and character through every mark. Our expert team will be able to discuss this with you for each individual item, advising on the best leather, or combination of leather and canvas, for your chosen product.

Step 3: The Personalisation

There are several customisable areas to choose from when creating a bespoke Mackenzie piece. For all of our products, including smaller items and accessories, the most popular personalisation are initials – choose from gold, silver or a simple embossed style. For larger items the customisation extends a lot further, including options for having two tones of leather, interior lining colour and material, interior fittings including additional pockets and extra functions, right down to the style of fittings. Essentially, we work from our existing Mackenzie designs to customise and craft a unique piece for every individual client.

Customisations for the Laptop Case include Navy pigskin inside pockets (measured to perfectly fit the customers laptop), a light tan thread stitching, gold initials and a corresponding gold zip. For this design, our team also suggest that the case orientation should suit how the customer would ultimately end up carrying it, so the initials and the Mackenzie stamp are always visible. It’s all in the detail…

Step 4: The Craftsmanship

All orders can vary in time to complete, depending on the product and the complexity of the design. We advise customers that small accessories, including wallets and phone cases may take between 2-4 weeks, and larger items including handbags and cases between 8-12 weeks. Remember, we have a small team of craftsmen who create everything by hand in our Edinburgh workshop – and anything worth having is worth waiting that wee bit extra for!

Step 5: The Collection

Our bespoke products are best collected straight from our workshop and showroom on St Mary’s Street, so we can personally ensure the piece meets our clients expectation. If you are unable to visit us in person fear not – we offer worldwide delivery.

The bespoke Laptop Case has stayed local, and has been captured beautifully by the client on a morning commute down the infamous Circus Lane in Stockbridge.

If you would like to find out more about ordering bespoke with Mackenzie, visit us in-store, give us a call or drop us an email. We’re always happy to help you find your perfect piece.