Winter Session interviewed by Kinfolk

Kinfolk interviewed Roy Katz and Tanya Fleisher of Winter Session, makers of leather goods in Five Points.

Excerpt:

Winter Session began in 2010 on the North side of Chicago by Roy and Tanya, partners in creativity, life and love. What started as a side project in mercantilism soon became a full-time gig as they forayed into leatherwork, acquired heavier sewing machines and brought on friends and acquaintances to help with production. In 2013 the mountains called and the two packed up and moved their headquarters to Denver. Their light-filled space, located in the Five Points district, functions as the site of production, sales and fellowship. You can purchase a stunning canvas Garrison Bag from the storefront and watch as the leather handles that adorn the bag are constructed on the "stitching pony" a few meters to your right. They seek to find a balance between utilitarian function, aesthetic appeal and real-world durability, using sustainable materials and production methods. They create affordable, high quality products that are meant to last.

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You chose Five Points as the location for your workshop and storefront. What do you love most about the area? Who are your neighbors?
What we love most are our neighbors! This is a historic area, traditionally a hub for its vibrant, affluent African-American community (and accompanying jazz culture) in the first half of the 20th century. Since then, Five Points has gone through lots of ups and downs, and it's just now back on an upswing. There aren't too many other businesses in our peer group on the Welton Street Corridor, so we are particularly grateful for our friends and neighbors at Purple Door Coffee, a non-profit coffee shop at the other end of our building; and Chocolate Spokes Bike Studio, a bike-building and repair shop -- and stockist of American bean-to-bar chocolates. We all see each other a lot (usually at the coffee shop, which is halfway between our bags and their bikes) and even have an ongoing Scrabble competition with the baristas at Purple Door. So far, it’s Purple Door: 2, Winter Session: 0. There are lots of changes afoot in this part of the city, and we hope that the sense of community we’ve found with other businesses, as well as the casual friendliness of the folks who've been rooted here longer, is not lost.

Read the rest here.