With age comes beauty
Loma Studios is the artistic home of Rebecca Lloyd, a seasoned creative who has honed her skills across a range of industries since 1998.
For as long as Rebecca can remember she has been a maker of things: ceramics, sculpture, clothing, and jewellery, to name a few. Her journey into leatherwork started last year, self-taught from books, online, and just by doing, and like most things Rebecca does, once the seed was planted she figured it out and got stuck in. With an attention to detail that drives her curious mind, she is constantly learning new techniques and perfecting her skills. “Creating new designs is one of the highlights of my craft; finishing a new piece is extremely satisfying, and when someone else desires it too, that really cements my purpose,” says Rebecca.
After completing a Bachelor of Graphic Design, Rebecca was drawn to the film industry working as a prop-maker and sculptor for nearly two decades. She then ran a bespoke wedding cake business on Waiheke Island, before moving on to building houses alongside her partner Adam. There soon came a desire for more space and a change of direction, so with Adam and their two dogs by her side, Rebecca said goodbye to the big city and relocated to Mangawhai to pursue her dream of crafting unique, hand-made pieces that exude beauty and functionality.
She has always been attracted to leather, be it boots, bags or accessories; not the shiny, new polished variety but the vintage pieces that tell a story. She loves how good-quality leather beautifies with age and if it is looked after it can last a lifetime. She wants her products to be like that and to have a minimal modern feel whilst embracing the essence of traditional leatherwork, the simplicity of construction with lacing or weaving, and the labour-intensive hand-stitching and edge-finishing.
Each bag and accessory is handcrafted in limited editions, cut from quality, full-grain leather hides and completed with solid brass American hardware with an antique finish, in keeping with the vintage feel. ”I think people like to know what’s behind a product, who made it and where. When I’m selling at the Mangawhai community market every Saturday, I love that I can say it’s hand-made by me, just down the road,” says Rebecca.
“Loma is the name of my much-loved godmother/aunty of sorts. A woman who loved fashion, was full of life, and was always a great confidant throughout my life. She was a strong woman with a strong name.”