British leather brand Tinct pop-up in Chelsea

– by Milly Burroughs

“We have a few friends who ride bikes and race cars. It evolved through conversations with them. There really is nothing decent to house these beautiful helmets, which are expensive pieces of kit, especially if you’re going for a custom paint job.” says Rosie when asked why she and Ben chose to develop a helmet bag. 

Something to keep in mind as we speed at full throttle towards the festive period, Tinct's new helmet bags will be made entirely to order, leaving customers to choose their own vegetable-tanning base colour to match the navy canvas lining (woven in Manchester), as well as specifying any personalised emboss they might desire. And, in case you’ve nothing to put in them, the Tinct pop-up will also stock a range of beautiful, crafted helmets from biking brand Hedon.

Alongside the new helmet bags, Rosie, Ben (and a dog named Whisky) will also unveil a selection of new document wallets, cardholders and key rings at the Chelsea pop-up, all hand-crafted in Somerset from the finest-quality vegetable-tanned Italian leather.

Inspired by the natural heritage of vegetable-tanned leather (which uses organic materials such as tree bark to treat the hides), and the Tinct brand’s own flora-themed film, the pop-up’s interior design will express the wonders of nature. Contributions come from London floral studio Bold Oxlip, whose founder Harriet Slaughter is dressing the store in luxuriant green foliage.

“We had visited a couple of spaces prior to deciding on Chelsea, and there were multiple reasons why we decided to go with it. We stepped into the shop and really felt like we could create an exciting space to invite people into our world. It’s as much about creating an inviting and engaging space as it is properly showcasing our products for the first time.” say the duo when asked about choosing a location for their first ever “real world” product showcase. 

Having launched a debut collection of English-made leather bags back in July 2015, Tinct has won acclaim from many corners of the fashion industry and has proved popular with those seeking fine craftsmanship and bold, simple style. Tinct’s rainbow-toned totes, shoppers and cross-body bags have cemented their reputation as one of the most upbeat and original makers of leather goods working today and can be found at The Conran Shop and Gather & See, as well as at tinct-uk.com.