Anyone lucky enough to have been invited to pop along to Walpole’s Press Day at Liberty back in July, might well have caught a glimpse of something quite remarkable.
Pride of place on the Ettinger stand, sat the beautiful ‘Ettinger Flowers’ – a sculptural leather piece designed and made by Bridget Bailey of Bailey Tomlin, commissioned for the event by Ettinger and made entirely from Ettinger leather.
We love seeing collaborations in any sector, but this one is particularly special. Robert Ettinger, CEO of Ettinger is mentoring Bridget through the Crafted mentoring programme, developed by Arts & Business in partnership with Walpole. Generously funded by American Express, who were seeking to fund and create a bespoke initiative to support heritage, Crafted matches craft makers with leaders from the luxury sector, with the aim of growing a range of diverse and entrepreneurial craft businesses and to nurture an environment which values and appreciates the handmade. Crafted’s main ambition is to increase self-sustainability & stimulate business growth amongst craft entrepreneurs by providing them with vital mentoring and business advice, while connecting luxury businesses with a new generation of skilled craftsmen.
Ettinger are one of the few remaining British luxury leather goods companies still manufacturing in the UK, producing the most exquisite leather items with a commitment to craftsmanship and heritage, and are a proud holder of a Royal Warrant to HRH the Prince of Wales. Robert Ettinger’s involvement in Crafted has been invaluable – not only helping Bridget develop her business in a meaningful way, but also contributing his incredible expertise at two of the Crafted workshops series… You can download and listen to the recordings for free here, on the Crafted website.
With year one of the programme drawing to a close, Arts & Business will be announcing the second year of partnerships in the Autumn, drawn from an incredible shortlist of craft makers, and an incredible portfolio of luxury leaders. Watch this space!




