The intoxicating smell of leather lingers in the air of a small home studio in the hills above Hāwī. Vicki Dyer, founder and owner of Vicki Jean Leather Design Co., meticulously measures, cuts, and stitches the latest leather design she’s dreamed up. Behind the cutting table, shelves are piled high with leathers in a rainbow of colors, like Italian Suede Sand Palm and Rainforest.
“I use a rotary cutter now, but when I first started, I cut everything with scissors,” says Vicki, who got her start making leather earrings while living in Washington State and working an office job. “One day, I went to the bead shop and found scraps of deer hide. I thought it might be fun to make earrings, so I cut out some shapes from the hide and put beads on them. A local boutique stocked them, and they sold right away. Then I started making leather bracelets.”
Encouraged by her husband, Matt, she began signing up for artisan markets and even a show at the Tacoma Convention Center in her free time. “I sold bracelets and a few bags. I customized the size of the bracelet to ensure a perfect fit for the customer, but since I didn't have a machine to do the snaps, I had to use a hammer. I made enough money at that show to buy myself a tool for that,” Vicki says. In 2011, when she was suddenly let go from her desk job, Vicki decided to rely on her creative entrepreneurial side to make a living. After experimenting with jewelry, she honed her design skills, turning fine, rich leather into handbags.
“It's the greatest thing that could have happened because when I was let go, I started doing more shows. That turned into having a little storefront with a spot for my mom’s fabric sewing machine. Eventually, I moved next door to a bigger location.”
The timing couldn’t have been more ideal, as Vicki needed that extra space to fulfill her first wholesale order from a local boutique.
“When I got my first order, I realized that I needed to replace the fabric sewing machine with an industrial one. A good craftsman needs good ideas and good tools to bring the ideas to life. So I bought the Juki,” Vicki says, pointing to a sewing machine sitting below shelves lined with spools of colorful thread. On top of creating products for the wholesaler, Vicki made bags for her family and hosted home parties for friends. Building on her experience with sewing and fashion assembly, Vicki officially launched Vicki Jean Leather Design Co. to create one-size-fits-all fashion that combines timeless style and function.
“Then we moved to Hawaiʻi in 2020. I shipped my car, the boxes that I needed for my business, and the Juki,” says Vicki, who returned her focus to crafting goods and fulfilling wholesale orders after finding a plantation-era home and getting settled in.
“Our real estate agent, Theresa, had a friend who was out of work because of the pandemic, so she came to work for me. Throughout the pandemic, I hired six women who were out of work,” says Vicki, who instilled in her team the value of being flexible. “If you rush, you’re more likely to make a mistake. If you do make a mistake, come up with something creative to hide it, like turning a hole into a place for a little strap. Roll with what happens. Then mistakes become something enhanced!”
Dedicated to leather goods made and sewn in Hawaiʻi by women, for women who need accessories that fit into their busy lives, Vicki’s delightfully unexpected designs are produced in small batches or made to order. Her line of everyday handbags can be customized with over 40 leather colors and textures. The ready-to-ship collection is Vicki’s way of helping customers find a gift or elevate their own style when they don’t have time to wait for custom-made goods.
“The coin wallets are our biggest sellers. I created them to hold money, ear pods, hair things, or whatever else you don't want rolling around in your bag,” she says, holding a hand-painted coin pouch. Whether custom-made or ready to ship, Vicki prioritizes crafting classic, affordable goods.
“Beauty and confidence should be qualities that are ageless and accessible to everyone. I handcraft goods with that in mind. The women that love the brand value honest, quality products over the facade of luxury that name brand designs with high price tags hide behind,” Vicki adds. While she is at the helm of the design wheel, Vicki also prioritizes collaboration with other women. “It's super important that women support other women-owned businesses. If we don’t, who will?”
“One of the women on our team, Ashtin, came up with the rainbow design, and I told her to run with it,” says Vicki, pulling a pouch with a stitched leather rainbow appliqué from a stack on the table. Inspired collaborations extend beyond the studio walls to the shores of Oʻahu, where Vicki recently collaborated with clothing brand Eternal Summer Hawaiʻi on a photo shoot featuring a day glow dress and the relaxed Devyn shoulder bag.
“I think about what women need when I’m designing, like the Devyn, which features a wide shoulder strap designed to stay put. You can bend over and nothing falls out,” Vicki says, adding that the best part of her work is watching a design come together, from sourcing quality materials and designing to sewing durable leather goods.
“This is my first bag,” says Vicki of a deer-hide piece featuring a leather rose. “Now, I also make woven cane totes with a leather bottom, which I personally use when I paddle.”
The contrast between Vicki’s initial pieces and her Hawaiʻi-made goods is striking. Bright colors and images that embrace the energy and warmth of the island prevail.
“It has to be fun for me to make,” says Vicki, affirming that what hasn’t changed is her commitment to functionally putting the fun and making women feel beautiful and confident. “Not everybody feels good with their size or their body, but they can own a bag that makes them feel stylish without having to fit a mainstream beauty standard.”
Vicki’s designs can be found at boutiques across the U.S. When she’s not designing and sewing, Vicki is on hand at various pop-ups and Kona Village Resort’s monthly market. Outside the studio, she is a mother and grandmother who lives quietly with her husband and two adorable dogs.
“I have one grandson and three granddaughters, and it's really important that they see me doing this. I want them to know that you can do whatever you want in art and women can make a living as artists,” Vicki says of her desire to inspire. “There are no limits—And there's just no end to what I want to create!”
Learn where you can find Vicki’s designs at VickiJeanBags.com.
Beauty and confidence should be qualities that are ageless and accessible to everyone. I handcraft goods with that in mind.