FMS RAVE; Meet Christine from Cleathercrafts

Fashion Makerspace RAVE (Really Aspiring & Very Enterprising) Student Spotlight

Meet Christine, a cheerful and imaginative maker who has turned her love for fantasy and art into a craft of her own — leathercraft. The creative behind Cleathercrafts, Christine is a game artist by trade and a leather artisan by heart, seamlessly blending both worlds to create pieces that are as intricate as they are imaginative.

Thinking back on all the pieces you've created, is there one that stands out with a particularly meaningful story or memory? Please share.

I have a very longstanding customer who’s come back to me time and time again to create custom cases for his collection of retro devices. When the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game came out, he wanted a Switch case, so I worked with him closely to develop a Dragon and Princess Zelda motif, which we made into a hand-carved and hand-molded Switch case. He’s based in the US, and I had actually never officially met him until last year. But I knew he was a big fan of games, just like I was! So it meant a lot to me that he came back and trusted me again with what was his third Switch case — that was really special!

Which part of the process or the final product makes you feel most connected to your work?

Putting the art into leather is the most meaningful to me. Because with clients, I get to work with them to make them a really special, personal piece which I will physically carve for them. 

For example, I had a customer who came to me wanting a wallet, but he didn't want any regular wallet - he wanted something meaningful. He wanted to reflect his Mayan heritage, using symbolism found in Mayan culture. One of the most prominent icons are leopards. He wanted a leopard roaring across the sky in a Chinese Tiger of the West constellation, the icon of “Lamat”, the Mayan star with even “SG60” to mark his own stay in Singapore. So we created something really meaningful and beautiful. 

What has been the biggest or most unexpected source of inspiration for you on your Cleathercrafts journey?

It's the clients themselves. When people approach me excitedly with something they've imagined, but they're not really sure if it can be created on a useable leather craft piece. I say, "Yes! It can be done! Let's work on it together to make something really cool. What about this aspect? What about this little feature? What about this little flower on the side that you love from your mother's garden? Let's include that. Let's include a name or a date. Let's gold emboss that onto your leather piece." Then they get very excited, and I get very excited, and we make something really beautiful together.

We love that Cleathercrafts feels like a unique blend of history, culture, and fantasy. If you could bring your work into a film, game, or even a specific historical era, what would be your dream collaboration and why?

I love Lord of the Rings, it's one of the OGs of fantasy culture, and I think a lot of newer spin-off’s take a lot of inspiration from Lord of the Rings. Modern sagas like The Witcher; they all have aspects of dragons, fairies, and mystical beings. I love that those worlds and Lord of the Rings have their own signature styles, which come across in leather really well as leather is a timeless material.  And if taken care of, it can last for hundreds of years. I would love to be part of a fantasy’s film epic like those!

You've spoken about continuously seeking new crafts and skills - What's the next thing you're most excited to explore?

I want to start making bigger things with leather. I would like to make- not just bags, but bigger fantasy pieces. I've seen armor made with leather, and I've seen witches' hats and masks with decorations, like leather roses and leaves. That's what I would like to make — more fantastical and bigger pieces. I think having a shop allows me the space to display all these pieces I'm hoping to make.

Anything you would like to say to your audience?

I'm making a lot of cool leather pieces all the time, apart from the custom bespoke wallets, bags, and artwork that I create for clients. In the run-up to Christmas, I'm working on many portraits — pets, people, logos, and unique designs — all hand-painted on special, meaningful creations that you can cherish. Most recently, I made some golf club covers and Bible covers too! So if you find you need  something crafted that might involve leather -or even custom artwork- I can help you create it. You’d be supporting art in Singapore while helping my little shop stay here in Holland Village, where I hope to keep bringing you cool pieces of art!

Now that you know Christine a little better, we hope her story inspires you to keep creating, exploring, and believing in your craft — wherever it takes you ✨

If you’re ever in the area, drop by her flagship studio and experience her work up close. You might just find a piece of her imagination to take home with you! 💛

Find Christine on: @cleathercrafts on Instagram, or click the link to visit her website!