There is something special about handcrafted luxury leather bags. These meticulously crafted accessories ooze timeless style and elegance. However, luxury leather products are expensive and are often beyond what many middle-class people can afford. This is where Portland Leather Goods, an artisan leather brand, is closing the gap by making the highest quality leather bags affordable for more people. Based in the Pacific Northwest city of Portland, Oregon, Portland Leather Goods (PLG) has grown significantly over the years by combining quality, sustainability, and community.
It all started when the founder and CEO of Portland Leather Goods, Curtis Matsko, decided to shape his passion for hand-crafted leather goods into a business. With no outside investment, he initially started making leather journals from a garage. The idea behind this was to make high-quality leather products affordable for regular people. It didn’t take long for Curtis to build a loyal customer base, and the company started scaling beyond expectation. Every year, PLG doubled its growth, making its way into the homes of thousands of adoring customers.
Portland Leather Goods is not just a company but a movement to make sustainable and affordable leather products. As a company that started with only an X-ACTO knife and a scrap of leather, PLG has become one of the fastest-growing bag companies in North America. PLG sources its hides from the byproduct of the U.S. beef industry, which is a great eco-forward practice as the leather would have ended up in landfills, polluting the environment. Their award-winning tanning process ensures less impact on the environment. The classic designs crafted from this premium leather only improve with time. Over time, the natural oil in the leather rises to the surface, offering a gorgeous patina and naturally smooths any scuffs or scratches.
Portland Leather Goods’ range of products includes handmade tote bags, purses, leather journals, backpacks, and other leather goods. Recently, PLG expanded its collection of leather goods with a sister brand named Patina, which offers handcrafted leather boots and shoes at an affordable price. Patina has the same commitment to beautiful, high-quality leather and handcrafted artisan techniques.
In 2022, Portland Leather Goods was listed among the fastest-growing DTC fashion brands globally by similarweb.com. With over 100K 5-star reviews online and more than 50K insiders, PLG has grown into a brand that not only offers high-end products but also values its community. PLG owns and operates its artisan workshop named The Studio, located in the heart of León, Mexico, a city widely regarded as the leather goods capital of North America. It lies in close proximity to two award-winning tanneries in, which reduces environmental impact while fostering relationships with every level of the supply chain.
Portland Leather Goods and CEO Curtis Matsko have become a part of the community in León and hire only the best leather artisans the city has to offer. This makes each product at PLG unique and top-of-the-line. No wonder more than a third of its customers have returned to purchase more products. Portland Leather Goods strives to stay committed to quality, sustainability, and community in the coming years. Both PLG and Patina will continue to be the go-to brands for high-quality leather products for a wider demographic and are looking forward to expanding their offerings in apparel and accessories.
