When our founder, Nika Diamond-Krendel, first discovered how East London was once home to a booming manufacturing and textile industry, she wondered why an area that is internationally known for its designers didn't seem to be experiencing the industrial impact of this movement.
She learned that in over only thirty years, just a handful of leather workshops were left from what was once a thriving textile culture, due to British brands outsourcing their manufacturing abroad. This decline has led to local jobs disappearing, skills honed over generations being lost and, ultimately, the death of craftsmanship. Nika felt it a tragedy that an area with such a strong history was powerless in the eradication of its identity.
Fuelled by this, she set out to create a brand to do just that; champion & cherish East London’s heritage & talent. Paradise Row works with a local team to help preserve the ailing craft of the London leather trade alongside partnering exclusively with local creatives to promote the area’s talent; all of whom live within just a few miles.
Through every thread, cut and design, you can see the inspiration from the surrounding area; nothing is more authentically East London.
It is true craftsmanship.
Paradise Row is more than just a leather goods company, it’s a social initiative with roots that spread throughout the East London creative community. Whether it’s the locally employed graphic designer, photographer, or our partnership with the leather workshop, every stage in the life of a Paradise Row item is saturated in our lively design-driven culture.
Through buying with us, you are not only supporting every link of the local trade chain, but also a brand that promotes the social and cultural connections which make up the local area of East London.
Thank you.
We work with five different charities local to East London, each with a connection to one of our products. A percentage from the proceeds of each inspired product is donated to each charity. During these unprecedented times, Paradise Row has participated in the #SupportYourLocal campaign to support local businesses in this time of need. Paradise Row's #SupportYourLocal has featured in major newspapers and magazines including the Evening Standard and Drapers Online. We have so far raised £3,000 through the sale of our factory seconds and which we have donated to the five East London institutions that inspired our first collection.
Stitches In Time
Shop the SilkweaverLondon Buddhist Centre
Shop the BuddhaThe Windrush Foundation
Shop the MarinerThe Repton Boys Club
Shop the BoxerThe Pearly Society
Shop the PearlyOur trade chain from start to finish, listed by number below. Each is an integral part of how Paradise Row produces and operates.