Oct 16, 2020
Upscale, Upcycled Designer Leatherwears
ArtCube Market’s Meet Your Maker Series: Kevin Fernandez
Kevin took a job while studying criminal justice and politics and realized, “I wasn’t passionate enough, my favorite part was getting dressed for the job.” A friend of his who is a designer connected him to a boutique to be a “shop girl.” He rummaged, sourced, and bought — this is where Kevin’s love to incorporate bespoke pieces into his work stemmed from.
He’s been a prop and set designer, but his saving grace during covid has been working with his hand. He started working with leather in his second job making shoes and he said it was like a big puzzle piece, finding connections and patterns.
He migrated to bags because “bags are utilitarian — formative function.”
He saw all of us buzzing around on set fumbling through our bags. He wanted to make something more durable and “I love that people can invest in a good bag and it can last for a lifetime.” He wanted to make it high end and effective — adding in a drawstring to quickly pull back to work. He started designing leatherwork for people in the industry because he saw the versatility we all need from our diddy bag or tote. Now he’s expanded out to leather masks, pouches, and catch fold 22.
Kevin sources unique pieces like his earlier days as a shop assistant to incorporate into his work whether it’s a buckle, a latch, or the leather he’s upcycling. “There’s something charming in the closure and it’s that ooh wow factor” that really brings the piece together.
This makes every piece one of a kind — there is a curated nature.
He has sourced leather from an old jacket that had a life of its own and reincarnates it into something beautiful and more useful. He works with leather very intentionally. His work reminds us of how we’re connected to our leather and the goods we work and to remember that our supplies are limited in this world. Once it’s gone it’s gone.
Kevin is a longtime creator and Cuber, if you’d like to connect with more artists like him, join ArtCube Nation! You can buy his one-of-a-kind leatherworks on ArtCube Market!
Kevin Fernandez
Kevin Fernandez is a product and production designer — a unique integrator and fabricator of compelling and sustainable experiences and designed pieces for the home and body.
Kevin has worked with top fashion brands and landmark New York institutions for over a decade. He began his career in visual display and presentation at Ralph Lauren. Following that, Kevin was the lead home merchandiser for the flagship retail spaces of Anthropologie. Moving forward from retail design, Kevin has had a successful career as a prop stylist and set designer for editorial campaigns, large-scale corporate initiatives, and commercial events. Kevin has had his work featured in publications such as Vogue and Marie Claire, while also having been previously named one of the Time Out “Most Stylish New Yorkers.”
Kevin understands that legacy fashion brands and industry-leading publications must maintain a seamless delivery of best-in-class solutions across all visual arenas. Kevin delivers quality, style, and an attention to detail that helps to promote and showcase brand standards spanning from Madison Avenue to pop-up shops and experiential activation.
Products and Services
• Custom design and fabrication including apparel, accessories, with a specialization in leather goods.
• Art direction and experiential and conventional set design for events, shoots, and pop-up shops.
• Related installation services and management for events, shoots, and pop-up shops.
• Logistics management, on-site management, and brand-standard integration to create seamless and compelling visuals and / or live customer experiences.
