1979 Co. Has Skin In The Game

The already hip ’hood of Irvington got some added cool points last June thanks to the arrival of 1979 Co. Leatherworker Nate Olp opened that shop in the historic eastside area’s oldest standing commercial building, at Audubon and Bonna. After selling handmade leather goods for a couple of years out of his Woodruff Place apartment via Etsy, Olp wanted to give his customers a place to feel and see the functionality of his designs.

When you enter the workshop doubling as a showroom, a warm and familiar feeling overcomes you almost as quickly as the rich leather aroma hits your nostrils. An antique circular table riddled with handsewn wallets and keychains sits in the middle of the floor, anchoring the space and guiding shoppers around the merchandise.

The back wall has a kitchenette where Olp plays host when a customer wants to collaborate on a custom design over a cold one from the mini fridge. Three floor-to-ceiling shelving units are filled with bags saturated in hand-mixed dye to be truly one of a kind, popping with vibrant color gradients and unique finishes. The leather forecast here: sunny.

Photos by Tony Valainis.