More than just leather. A story about roots, courage, and family.
Hi, I’m Anna – and if it wasn’t for a certain piece of leather, I probably wouldn’t even exist!
I only truly realized this after founding Lederlotta, but leather has defined my life for much longer than you might think. To me, this is more than just a shop. It is my way of connecting my love for drawing with traditional craftsmanship – and continuing a family tradition that began with my parents.
There is this little story that started our family long before I was born. In his younger years, my father was a true free spirit who emigrated from Germany to Austria. To earn some money, he began making small pouches from leather scraps.
At the same time, my mother had spontaneously opened a little shop and needed inventory. She reached out to my father, and although he didn’t have any pouches ready at the moment, he offered to help her set up the shop. It helped opening the shop, but really it was the start of a lifelong love.
The shop didn’t last forever, and my mom found her true calling as a teacher. At home, she often showed me how things worked. I remember countless hours spent together crocheting, crafting, and sewing. This led to the creation of a small bag when I was about 10 years old – one that I still own today: “wildly” hand-stitched. And made from what? Well, natural leather! Back then, I didn’t know how to do it “the right way,” but the spark was already there. It just took a while until it became more.
Let’s fast forward to 2010. I had been living in Sydney, Australia, with my husband for two years. We visited the famous “Royal Easter Show,” and there I first saw them: perfectly handcrafted leather saddles in the Sheridan carving style. I was mesmerized.
Lucky enough the “Leather Guild NSW” – a group of old masters of their craft, had their stall there., with the information: Beginner Workshop available. I signed up immediately.
The workshop was intense. We learned the saddle stitch, braiding, and theory. But when I first got to try the swivel knife, something magical happened. It was “love at first cut.”
Drawing in general has accompanied me my whole life – it literally was my guide through life. Even as a five-year-old, I didn’t just doodle stick figures; I drew paths and houses in perspective. Attending art schools (BRG Viktring und HTBLA Ortwein) later on was as natural to me as breathing.
Someone once told me: “You’ll definitely be an artist one day.” But strangely, I couldn’t imagine that. I automatically thought of art for a wall that you’re only allowed to look at. But I wanted to design, build, touch, and create practical living spaces or things that are beautiful and functional at the same time.
As a child, I didn’t just play with my dollhouse, but I built furniture and designed the rooms. Later, interior design came easily to me because I simply had that spatial thinking in me and loved drawing in 3D on the computer. I worked in this profession for 14 years. (What I also enjoyed in school was ceramics – but in the long run, it was too “wet” for me to work with).
And then, through the workshop in Sydney, I discovered leather. Not just any leather, but natural leather. An incredibly versatile material. To me, it feels like a cross between wood and clay. It has the stability, warmth, and structure of wood, but can be wet-formed, modeled, and carved like soft clay.
When tooling, it all comes together. It unites the art of drawing with the desire to craft practical, honest pieces. I no longer draw on paper – I draw in relief on a material that becomes part of your life through its unique patina. But even my love for technology finds its place: the designs for your custom requests are often created on a graphics tablet and computer.
Back in Austria, leather remained a hobby at first. In 2017, when my son was one year old, I officially registered “Lederlotta” as a side business. But things didn’t truly take off until a bit later.
When my daughter was about six months old, I started to show my work – on Instagram, to the world. Lederlotta literally grew “in the thick of it” – sometimes in the evenings when the house was quiet, sometimes with the baby in a carrier on my back while I stood at the workbench.
Over time, the desire for freedom grew. I didn’t want to just work “on the side”; I wanted to be there for my children on my own terms – without the stress. In 2021, the hobby finally became my full-time profession.
My children were also the ones who influenced my most important quality decision. In the early days, I experimented with leather dyes and finishes. But when a bottle of dark brown dye ended up on my pine floor – and I noticed that my little ones loved to use my leather book covers as teething toys – the choice was easy.
Since that day, my workshop has been chemical-free. I work exclusively with natural, vegetable-tanned leather. Even the other materials – like rubber bands, finishes, or threads – consist of pure natural materials, without chemicals and without plastic. If it’s not safe enough for my own children, it’s not good enough for you.
Today, Lederlotta is my way of uniting my love for design, craftsmanship, and my family history. Every piece that leaves my workshop is not mass-produced. It is a piece of time, a piece of art, and a large portion of passion.
When you open your package and smell the scent of real leather, I hope you feel exactly that.
I’m glad you’re here! Yours, Anna
Photo Credits:
A heartfelt thank you to Ursula Leopold for the two wonderful professional shots (portrait & macro shot of the swivel knife).
All other photos on this page were taken by me personally.