ABOUT

ABOUT AN ARTISAN…

A world renown fashion photographer for most of his life Aldo began working with leather to replace a triple wrap bracelet which he had worn daily for well over eight years… Guided by a boot maker friend, he decided to make his own… What he expected to be a day long project has turned into a new passion for designing and creating sturdy and timeless items meant to be passed from generation to generation… Born in Florida and raised in Paris where beauty and harmony are experienced in even the most subtle things Aldo gained an appreciation for handmade goods and an admiration for those who craft them. Acquainted at an early age with French saddle makers and small leather goods makers, Aldo experienced first hand that a masterfully crafted item is not only an object of harmonious visual beautyit must also feel perfect to the touch while remaining true to its function.

ABOUT A BRAND…

ALDO ROSSI is a brand of made-to-order leather goods handcrafted in the hills above the Pacific Ocean outside Los Angeles. Namesake founder and craftsman Aldo Rossi has been designing and creating leather goods for the past six years. He is assisted by a small team of artisans who have honed their skills starting as apprentices in our workshops. We are proud to keep alive traditions of the artisan craftsman. Everything we make is 100% hand crafted by us, using the best materials to create the best products for you. Our items are designed using the skills and expertise of centuries old European traditions to give you beautiful leather goods that will last a lifetime. We will provide you with a made-to-order item which will be such a pleasure to own, to look at, and to handle that it will bring a smile to your face every time you see it and use it. We aim to bring forth items that exist outside the very short lifespan of trends and fashion and that keep their beauty and function for years. Reverence for items that are useful, durable, and understated is and will remain a hallmark of the ALDO ROSSI brand.

Our products ship all over the world, from Europe and the US to the Middle and Far East and Australia.

 

ABOUT MADE-TO-ORDER...

All of our items are made following the receipt and payment. Next to each item find the standard lead time for each item - the smaller items are usually out the door in a couple weeks while the larger bags etc. can take longer. We are building an inventory of most requested items to have ready to ship immediately - please see the "IN STOCK" page. The down-side of made-to-order is the wait time; the upside of making everything to your specifications is that you can contribute to the final look of your item with choices such as leather type, color, hardware, stitching etc...

  

ABOUT OUR VALUES...

We have never seen eye-to-eye with the current trend of cheaply made products that have a very finite life span, generally of the same length as the warranty period, yet still seem very expensive. In past times people took pride in making and owning goods that would last a life time, in fact would often out last the owner! How many items of furniture, bags or clothes made today last 5 years, let alone 50 years? We want to make products that fit with the values of a now past generation of craftsmen, where over engineering and pride in product were the prime consideration and profit was a natural result of producing a top quality product.

 

ABOUT OUR MATERIALS... 

We only use the best materials in the products that we make. We use:

  • Sedgwick and Clayton’s first selection bridle leather from England is a thick and extremely durable leather that grows very supple with use
  • Horween Essex, Dublin and Cordovan are all Vegetable tanned leathers (cordovan is a dual process) from the oldest tannery in the US located in Chicago These leathers are lucious and durable with a lot of character or "pull-up"
  • Barenia®/Novonappa®: This French calf leather is tanned by Tanneries Haas in France. It's famous for its patina growth through time and usage. This leather has a soft tempered and is water resistant.
  • French Chévre: This is goat leather imported from France. The grains are very pronounced naturally and is soft tempered and semi-aniline.
  • Museum Calf: This is a firm tempered calf leather from Tannery ILCEA in Italy. The mottled or marble effect is done completely by skillful artisans in the tannery. No hides are ever the same. This is an aniline (no protective coating) type of leather. Will grow patina through time and usage.
  • American chaps suede
  • Though most of our hardware is bought from Specialized foundries we are building our collection of in-house designed pieces which are cast right here in LA. We use White Bronze, Copper, Solid Brass, Nickel, Sterling Silver or Stainless Steel in our hardware
  • All items are hand stitched using the finest threads, FIL-au-CHINOIS Lin Cable thread for the majority or our work, and TIGER thread for increased strength on our large bags. All edges are finished using a variety of techniques appropriate to the final use of the item. Edge finishing is the pride of any leather worker; its main purpose is to prevent the edges from fraying all the while enhancing beauty and tactility of the item. 
  • We do not offshore, have overseas factories or buy in any finished goods, all new products made of leather on this site are entirely handmade and finished by us, here in Topanga CA
  • All of our items are presented in a 100% LINEN protective dust bag with a leather drawstring and an assorted leather pull tab