ABOVE: The Leather Shop owners Mario Sanchez and Sonja Habenicht. Photo: Contributed
The Leather Shop in Kyogle’s main street is closing but not forever.
Owners Mario and Sonja Sanchez have plans to transform the space of the Summerland Way shop into “something creative”.
For four years the bespoke shop stocked quality handmade leather goods.
On Sunday, February 27, Mario and Sonja were evacuated from their home.
“We have experienced some of the worst flood events in our region,” Mario said.
“Our home was flooded along with many others.
“The clean-up has been long and hard and other communities around us have been hit so hard by these floods.”
It’s one thing after another and we are all taking a beating here, he said.
The flood, Mario’s 40th birthday and the desire to change things led to the decision to close the shop.
The shop’s apprentice John Lumley will pursue other creative pursuits.
Which leaves Mario pondering his next move.
“The Leather Shop will no longer be a leather goods store. It will be more akin to a leather art creative studio. Not all the details are planned out, and there will be plenty of room for organic growth,” Mario said
“Kyogle will still have that oddball leather man in it, just more eccentric than ever.”
The shop will sometimes operate as a pop-up shop.
Mario is seeing where his creativity takes him. It is a matter of – ‘Watch this space.’
ADVICE FOR CLEANING LEATHER AFTER FLOODS
If your leather gets wet with this muddy flood water, rinse it in clean water initially to clean, then use a mixture of 70% vinegar and 30% water to kill mould.
Let it dry in the sun, then condition with a leather conditioner when dry.
You can do this will any mouldy leather, and wood too.
and then