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Modern design with a traditional approach.

Modern luxury fashion brands are unrecognizable from their inception. Originating with skilled artisans striving to produce pieces of the highest quality available, it’s become mass produced for the lowest price possible, relying on extravagant ad campaigns and prohibitively high pricing to manufacture the illusion of quality.

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Modern meets Tradition

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Culte du Cuir meshes modern form and historical convention. Going back to the roots of luxury, every piece is completely handcrafted by a single skilled artisan. Relying on expert craftsmanship, superior leather and hardware, and hours of meticulous work to provide authentic value.

Ethical Luxury

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With affordable or fast fashion pieces and ‘luxury’ alike now being made for pennies on developing world assembly lines, it’s next to impossible shop responsibly. Whether you’re paying a little or paying a lot, the modern market is saturated with products that come with a tremendous human cost. By sourcing leather from responsibly operated, family run tanneries located in Europe, and creating each piece personally, my work offers opulence with consciousness. I provide luxury quality accessories at fair prices that reflect the true cost of premium, responsible materials and ethically compensated craftsmanship.

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Accessible Couture

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Couture means made-to-measure, and according to the client’s preferences. With mass production, you’re limited to a handful of sizes with no option for alterations to suit your unique preferences. By offering made-to-measure, I create pieces tailored to fit you impeccably. My goal is to empower, encourage self-expression, and instill confidence. While I provide a size chart for those who prefer the simplicity of size-based ordering,  my personalized services come at no additional cost and ensures that each accessory is tailored to best fit your body.

Environmentally Conscious

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Leather exists on a broad spectrum of both quality and environmental impact. This small business maximizes sustainability with a multi-level approach:

  • Sourcing my leather from highly regulated European tanneries allows me to ensure environmental responsibility in the tanning process.

  • By offering made-to-order pieces, I eliminate excess product, reduce overall waste, and operate more sustainably.

  • Using full grain, vegetable tanned leather and durable hand-stitched construction, my pieces are made to be enjoyed for decades.

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Transparency and Honest Communication

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If you have any questions or inquiries, you'll connect directly with the artisan. Whether inquiring about a custom piece or you need help with sizing or measurements - I'm here to help. 

I operate my shop with full transparency. I don't cut corners; my materials are all thoughtfully chosen for their quality and aesthetic. You can find out more here.

Eclectic Design

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I’ve always been enamored with the bold, artful motifs of fashion runways; it inspires much of my work. By grounding those ideas with a focus on functionality, I create unique, avante guard pieces meant for comfortable, day to day use. I hope to bring a bit of the extraordinary to ordinary daily life, empowering you to express your individuality and elevate what you wear.

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Honesty & Transparency in All Things

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Emily Foster

Founding Designer and Leathercrafter

I've been leather working since 2011 and hold a certificate in Fashion Business Essentials from Parson's School of Design X WWD. But the way I came to this work was unconventional, and my personal story sheds light on why the Cult began as well as what it represents.
 
During the pandemic lockdown, I began to experience an episode of clinical depression. My health deteriorated rapidly over the course of 2021, by the end of the year and into the next, I was completely bedridden; it was an incredible struggle just to take care of myself, psychomotor issues made it extremely difficult to form and complete sentences, and my cognitive function had declined to the point where I could not think logically or connect thoughts well. It was the most difficult and humbling period of my life. Unfortunately, it was just the beginning.
 
I finally received intensive treatment in the form of experimental IV ketamine infusions in early 2022 and began a stunningly rapid recovery, however, during my struggle with depression I lost my job, a career I'd spent 7 years building. I continued to work hard to rebuild but in the Autumn, I was forced to stop receiving the treatment that had saved my life due to the high out of pocket cost. The following year I experienced a slow decline, despite efforts to find an affordable way to keep my condition under control, and by late 2023, I was again in a serious depressive episode. I needed to undergo another intensive round of IV treatments and receive ongoing treatment to manage my health; thanks to the incredible generosity of a few of my loved ones, I have been so fortunate to be able get the help that I need. It has not been easy, and there have been some really tough periods, but with the help of my treatment team and the ongoing support and assistance of those closest to me, I am still able to receive treatment for my mental health, while I work to build a new life for myself.
 
I believe that there is nearly always a silver lining, and for me, it has been that in 2023, I also rediscovered leather working. I decided to throw myself into it wholeheartedly, and I dedicated hours each day, 7 days a week, for months, improving my skills, and designing and handcrafting a small collection of pieces. Those pieces became the initial collection for the launch of this shop, in September, 2023.

I've been completely floored by the amount of support and enthusiasm there has been for my work. I set out to use my creativity and skill in service to women, all women, by making custom pieces that I hope will make my customers feel confident, beautiful in their bodies, and able to express their unique and deeply personal sense of style.

While aesthetics are important, it was also important to me to offer a more responsible, sustainable, and ethically produced option. The fashion world has become overtaken by cheaply produced and deceptively marketed products, causing an incredible amount of harm to the environment and exploiting the labor of a primarily female workforce. Products that cause so much harm haven't just flourished, they've become the 'norm', thanks to the use of ambiguous information and opaque production practices that are now industry standard. 

For this reason, the Cult is operated with unprecedented transparency. Each piece listed includes specific details on the materials used and on the pages of this website, you'll find comprehensive information that sheds light on what different industry terms mean and why some materials are so superior to others. Whether or not you purchase your next leather piece from my small shop, I want you to better understand what to look for so that the pieces you buy not only serve you better (and for longer), but ensure they also align with your values and goals in terms of environmental impact and production ethics.

Thank you for reading my story - I hope it provided an understanding of what this shop has to offer to you, as well as what it means to me.



I live in Boston, Massachusetts with my beloved dog, Leeloo. I work out of my home leather workshop, where I still design and produce each piece personally, ensuring every item meets the highest standard of quality and construction.

©2023 by Culte du Cuir

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