Walking the Line Between Polished and Raw ~ Penny Royal Leather Bags
A maker-to-maker interview with Jenn Conner of Pennyroyal where we talk about making handsome leather bags and overcoming doubt.
Annie (SKUE): Hi Jenn! We are so glad to have you with us, I’m looking forward to doing a quick Q&A with you. Q1: I read that Pennyroyal is inspired by nature and your stepfathers style, how do you find these two aspects manifest themselves in your handmade bags and what would you like retailers to know about the designs?
Jennifer: I’m so glad to be a part of SKUE! Thank you. And thank you for the opportunity to answer some questions about Pennyroyal. My stepfather’s style was classically British — we grew up in Australia but he was born and raised in England. He always wore a three-piece suit and tie, complete with pocket-handkerchief. He was so dashingly handsome — always polished but never flashy. I think that shows in our bags. Our line is pretty classically styled. We keep it bright and fresh with calf hide or shearling pouches and the occasional fun just-because-bag, but the baseline is always classical. I think this is a really good selling point for us.
We want you to carry your bag for years and years and for it to still be as relevant in 30 years as it is today.
It’s great if you can have more than one bag to switch out with your mood, but you shouldn’t have to. He also taught me about quality. He didn’t have a lot of suits, but what he had was really well made. Often custom made. I’m finding that even our younger 20 something customers are coming into the shop because they can see the quality in our bags. I have one young customer — early twenties — who spent almost 900$ on two bags. She said she was tired of spending so much money on bags that fell apart. I think there really is a sea change towards quality. Which is great for us! We will just keep doing what we have been doing.
As far as the nature part goes, I am forever trying to walk that fine line between polished and raw. When you look at a shell or a small fern frond, they are just so perfect. They’re simple and clean and yet so beautifully complex in their details. That’s what I’m striving for. Bags that are simple and clean, but with little details like hand finished stitches and hand burnished edges — little complex details that makes the bags just so juicy and irresistible.
People respond really well to not just the simplicity and natural beauty inherent in our veg tanned leathers, but also to the handwork.
It makes them feel like your are getting something made just for them. Which, in a way, since we make each one by hand, they are. ✨
Annie: Q2: Your balance between polished and raw is really fantastic! I noticed that customers are also able to work with you to customize their bags that you make by hand, where do you source your materials from?
Jennifer: Thank you very much! Yes, we work a lot with customers who request custom bags. Sometimes it’s a simple strap length request, other times it’s an entirely new design. It is really satisfying to be able to tweak bags so the customer gets exactly what they were looking for. All of the leather we use is produced in North America. We try to use as many American tanneries as we can — currently we are sourcing from Wicket and Craig and Horween. But many of our conventional non veg tan leathers and hair on hides come from our neighbors in Mexico. Taking a trip to The Hide House over in Napa is a great way to spend a day. It’s a leather wonderland.
Annie: Hide House in Napa looks amazing! Q3 — what is the best piece of feedback/insight that you received that has made Pennyroyal what it is today?
Jennifer: The best piece of advice I have ever received is don’t let others tell you what you should be making and stay true to your own vision.
If I had listened to every comment or suggestion people over the years have had, I would have started doubting myself and the line would not be as cohesive as it is today.
I think that needs to be true and continue throughout your entire brand, not just your product. Thank you for having me! It was an honor. xo
Every week we do live interviews on Instagram with our makers before featuring them here. Are you interested in joining our wholesale collective? Apply at skue.co/makers
