Here at Huntsville Magazine, we love our local makers and creatives! We truly believe in supporting local business owners. In this series, we shine the spotlight on products proudly made in Huntsville, Alabama.
We’re kicking off this series with these uber chic leather stockings, crafted by Holtz Leather Co., a family-run leathery with production at Lincoln Mills and retails store located at 1214 Meridian Street.
These designer leather stockings are made of fine leather and can be customized with either initials or names of ten characters or less. Stockings retail for $84 and can be purchased on Holt Leather Co’s e-commerce site here.
photo courtesy of holtz leather co.
Founded by couple Coleen and Rick Holtz, Holtz Leather Co. was founded under extreme conditions. With the threat of being evicted from their home looming, the couple started selling embroidered bathrobes on Etsy.
Rick Holtz writes, “As a last-ditch effort to stay afloat, Coleen had an idea to try something on Etsy. I called my Dad who had an old embroidery machine in his basement, and we purchased 4 cotton robes. These weren’t just any robes — they were robes that bridal parties would wear to get ready for the big day. We bought 4 because that’s all we had money to buy.
We embroidered some dummy initials on them, took some pictures, and posted them on Etsy. INSTANTLY… we heard a “cha-ching” from our phone. We were using the Etsy app and that’s the sound it made when you received a sale. “Cha-ching!” We heard one and then another, and another…
It was an immediate and much-needed success!
From our success on Etsy, we knew we wanted to build something different, something lasting. For us, it was a family business of making leather goods! We worked in our basement burning the midnight oil, teaching ourselves how to be expert leathersmiths. We read every book under the sun about the leather trade and taught ourselves how to sew. Those humble beginnings helped us develop a foundation of love and compassion within our family and within our business.”
Read more of their story here.
If you or someone you know is a creator Huntsville-made products and would like to be featured in our ‘Huntsville Made’ series, please email us at hey@huntsvillemagazine.com.
