All About Luxury Leather from Edition 12

At Purrfectly Yappy, we love hearing about up-and-coming pet brands with a fantastic story to tell. We're always looking for high quality, artisan products to share with you, which is why we were so excited to hear about Edition 12 - a British company making beautiful handmade leather collars and leads that look a little different. We caught up with Edition 12's founder Harriet, to find out a bit more.

What prompted you to start Edition 12?

Harriet: "Simply wanting to combine my interest in design and dogs. Jonathan and I adopted Frankie three years ago from a family that were moving abroad so he has been a huge factor in launching Edition 12 (if not only to have a valid reason to share excessive amounts of imagery of Frankie! Sorry not sorry). Not to sound too cliché, but it’s also something that I absolutely love."

 What was your inspiration behind the brand?

Harriet: "My background is in Fashion Design and this is still a big part of my inspiration. I’m a big fan of detail and taking something that’s relatively simple and applying elements that are unexpected and original. For this reason I researched how to apply colour to metal and after much trial and error, powder coating was an environmentally friendly and long-lasting option. It’s something that other dog brands are not doing (as far as I know), so for Edition 12 it is a point of difference without lacking on style or quality."

Is there anything exciting we can look forward too from Edition 12 in 2017?

Harriet: "Lots! We’re expanding the sizes of the collars available and introducing new colours and fabric options around April 2017 and later in the year. We are looking into powder-coated ID tags that match the sets, as well as some new accessories and collaborations. In August 2016 we hosted our first stall event at a dog show and hopefully we will be showing our faces at some national craft fairs this year."

Tell us a bit about your dog!

Harriet: "This could take a while. He is a 6-year-old miniature smooth hair dachshund with all the typical daxie traits that I love about the breed. Squirrels are his nemesis, we walk by them some days and they often ‘drop’ chestnuts at Frankie, they really know how to wind him up.

He loves to sit wherever you are, so if you get up don’t expect your seat to be free on your return. Squeaky toys don’t last longer than a minute and his knowledge of the sound of the treat jar is second to none.

Frankie also has a dust allergy, which makes him more high maintenance than the average hound. The dog dermatologist appointments and treatment are costly but for Frankie’s precious paws it has to be done! Sigh."

We love your collars and leads! Can you tell us what the handmade process for your leather collars is? Can you talk us through it?

Harriet: "All of our components are sourced in the UK and we use premium grade saddler leather.  Each piece is handmade by me (and often my boyfriend Jonathan) and takes around 1 hour to make from start to finish.

• Firstly, the leather is cut to size and ‘skithed’ where the components will be placed, this reduces the thickness of the leather so it becomes easier to stitch.
• Next, the leather is marked and hole punched.
• The stamps are applied along with a small width of tape that ensures the paint line is perfectly level.
• The edges are then burnished.
• Next, a range of waterproof balms and oils are applied to keep the leather looking beautiful.
• Two layers of paint are applied.
• The components are then hand stitched or riveted in place.
• The paint is given a coating of a liquid that helps it stay in place

and voilà.. collar made.

The biothane options take a bit more strength, as the properties of this material are very tough. It is a PVC coated webbing that is waterproof and very dog friendly.

As an added bonus, it matches our leather leashes perfectly."

What is your favourite piece in the collection?

Harriet: "So far the red options have been really popular and goes well with all shades of fur. I’m looking forward to the new colours we’re releasing in April, which introduce pink, grey and burgundy into the palette."

We can't wait to see all the exciting new things in store for Edition 12! Make sure to check out their collection on Purrfectly Yappy here.