Leather goodsSince 1875

Tusting

A family that has worked with leather since 1875, now in its fifth generation, designing and making every piece in its own workshop at Lavendon, Buckinghamshire.

The story →Visit the workshop.

Inside the Tusting workshop

1875Working with leather

5thGeneration

100Pattern pieces in some bags

LavendonIts own workshop

Hand stitching a Mini Holly bag in the workshop

The story

Five generations of leather.

The family has worked with leather since 1875, when the business began as a tanning business founded by Charles Pettit. It is a family business now in its fifth generation, led by Alistair Tusting, great great grandson of the founder, with Gillian Tusting leading the brand.

In the late 1980s, as the local shoe trade declined, the family moved from supplying leather into making its own leather goods. Every piece is designed and made in the company’s own workshop at Lavendon, near Olney, in Buckinghamshire.

“We’ve been working with leather since 1875.”Tusting

Bags are made from full grain leather, some using close to 100 separate pattern pieces. The range covers handbags, briefcases, luggage and small leather accessories; Tusting has collaborated with India Hicks on limited handbag collections, and is stocked by Pickett in London and Hankyu in Osaka.

The workshop

Made under one roof.

Pattern, cut, stitch and finish, at Lavendon.

Pattern

Every bag begins with pattern making.

Cutting

Full grain leather panels, cut by hand.

Stitching

Hand and machine stitching.

Finishing

Edges stained and finished by hand.

The collection

Luggage, bags and the workshop.

From the Grand Tourer to the journal.

Tusting, Grand Tourer luggage — Grand Tourer luggage

Tusting, Como Explorer holdall, large — Como Explorer holdall, large

Tusting, Cornhill zip folio in carbon — Cornhill zip folio in carbon

Tusting, Lombard crossbody bag in buffalo leather — Lombard crossbody bag in buffalo leather

Tusting, A5 refillable turnlock journal in claret croc leather — A5 refillable turnlock journal in claret croc leather

Tusting, Folding card holder in ivy green — Folding card holder in ivy green

Tusting, Tusting luggage, seasonal campaign — Tusting luggage, seasonal campaign

Tusting, Pattern making for a new bag — Pattern making for a new bag

Tusting, Cutting leather panels — Cutting leather panels

Tusting, Staining the leather edges by hand — Staining the leather edges by hand

Tusting, Flatbed machine stitching — Flatbed machine stitching

Tusting, Hand finishing a bag — Hand finishing a bag

The Tusting logo being sewn into a bag

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Heritage

From tannery to workshop.

Five generations, one craft.

1875

A tannery

Charles Pettit founds the business.

Late 1980s

A new chapter

The family begins making its own leather goods.

Fifth generation

Alistair Tusting

Great great grandson of the founder leads the company.

Today

Lavendon

Every piece designed and made in its own workshop.

The family

The Tusting family

Five generations working with leather, led today by Alistair Tusting, with Gillian Tusting leading the brand, from their own workshop in Buckinghamshire.

On Simply Luxury

Tusting stories.

Our team’s first Tusting stories will appear here as they are published. Meanwhile, explore more in Fashion.

Visit

Visit the workshop.

Working with leather since 1875.

Tusting HQ Showroom and Workshop

The Tannery Warehouse, 29 Olney Road, Lavendon, Olney, Buckinghamshire MK46 4EU

Showroom weekdays, 9am to 4pm.

tusting.co.uk→ Instagram @tusting→ +44 (0)1234 712266→ Directions→

TUSTING

Working with leather since 1875.

Visit tusting.co.uk More Fashion

Imagery shown from tusting.co.uk. Every fact on this page is drawn from Tusting’s own website and corroborated by independent sources. Simply Luxury is an independent publication.

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