News
CRAFT&DESIGN SELECTED AWARDS
Sept/Oct 2012
Specialist Media Category - Finalist
“...Mia Sabel embraced the material and explored an enormous variety of designs...”
“After a successful career in theatre, print and online design, Mia Sabel trained to become a saddler. A QEST Scholarship enabled her to expand on this training and augment her range of skills, products and services. So now in addition to her award-winning saddlery, Mia’s work also includes leather restoration, upholstery, prototyping, product development and bespoke leather design for horse, human and home.
Inspired by English saddlery techniques, materials and aesthetics, items are hand-cut from thick, high grade hide before assembly, and uses hand-waxed linen thread and a double-handed saddler’s stitch for both strength and appearance. The exposed edges are sealed by hand - burnished using a cow bone and elbow grease. Mia also wet-forms and water hardens leather where required. Mia has designed her own range of hand-made leather products that combine traditional, quality and usability. Her signature items include bags fabricated around recycled stirrup irons, a modular range of stationary detailed with vintage braces for closure, as well as her own iPhone case. Her work was showcased by Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly this year.”
