Who I Am
The hands and the soul behind the leather.
As a designer from Ecuador now living in Prague since 2010, I have always had a deep connection to the tradition of leather craftsmanship. After graduating from the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague and following in the footsteps of renowned designer Libena Rochova, I found my passion for creating handmade leather shoes and accessories. Inspired by my family’s background, I was drawn to Prague and established my studio in the cultural hub of the city at SmetanaQ. Embracing my Latin American heritage.
I am proud to have revived this craft that runs in my blood. Through chance encounters and a deep-rooted desire to pursue my art, I have showcased my work at prestigious exhibitions from Madrid to Budapest and competitions around Europe, winning accolades such as a silver medal at the A ‘Design Awards. My journey is a fusion of tradition, inspiration, and dedication, and I am honored to continue my grandfather’s legacy in the world of design now in the Czech Republic.
In each of my creations, from a complex pair of shoes to simple small accessories, you will find a masterpiece of art and a piece of me and my ancestors crafting since 1930.
A tribute to leather, a noble material that has accompanied humans since the beginning, and today in a more responsibly and sustainably way, always thinking in addition to beauty about comfort, utility and making you with my creations a little happier.
The Atelier
Where the magic happens
My atelier lives in the historic building SmetanaQ, a vibrant community of local designers and artists, in the heart of Prague, just steps from the National Theatre. Since 2018, this small but complete kingdom has been the place where ideas, stories, and designs take form, where leather meets imagination and tradition dances with creation.
Surrounded by old and new machines, the tools of craft, brushes, paints, and the faint scent of glue, I transform simple pieces of leather into objects of design with my own hands.
Here, I love to meet people, share a coffee, exchange smiles, and witness the spark of curiosity. The atelier welcomes every creative soul, or simply anyone eager to see how a pair of shoes or a handbag comes to life.
A few times a year, it opens its doors to students from around the world, a space to teach, to guide, and to share the secrets of craft.
Step inside, and let the view of the Vltava River, Prague Castle, and Petřín Tower become part of the story your hands will touch while smelling the fragance of leather.
The Process
Each piece created by Fernando Echeverría begins long before touching the leather.
It starts as an idea, a vision that exists first in the mind of its creator.
Before making a single cut, I can visualize the shape, proportions, volumes, and details of each design. This vision begins a creative journey that transforms an abstract idea into a tangible object.
The process starts with a paper model, where imagination meets reality. Through adjustments and corrections, the design finds its balance and evolves into its final form.
Once the concept is defined, I create the first prototype in natural undyed leather.
This essential stage allows me to refine every detail: the structure, the folds, the assembly sequence, and the most suitable construction techniques.
Only after achieving the right balance between aesthetics, functionality, and
durability is the design ready to become a final piece.
The choice of leather is an important part of the creative process. Each design requires a specific material to express its character. I mainly work with Italian vegetable-tanned cow leather with a medium structure, allowing my architectural designs to maintain their form while revealing the natural beauty of the material.
Color is carefully considered as well. Each tone interacts differently with the leather and the design, creating a unique relationship between material, shape, and expression.
The final creation begins with the development of precise patterns, followed by the careful cutting and assembly of every individual piece. Components are joined using professional water-based adhesives, and each element is stitched with my
Pfaff sewing machine or finished by hand whenever the design requires it.
The final stage is the finishing process: edges are carefully polished and painted by hand, details are refined, and protective treatments are applied to preserve the beauty of the leather.
Each creation requires many hours of work and is made entirely by the hands of Fernando Echeverría, from the first sketch to the final detail. The natural
variations and unique marks of the leather are not imperfections, but signs of authenticity that make every piece truly one of a kind.
The Leather
Discover the material I love
Leather has accompanied humanity since the beginning of time. It has protected us from the elements, carried our belongings, and grown more beautiful with every generation that used it. Few materials have remained as relevant, honest, and enduring.
This is why I work with Cuoio di Toscana a leather crafted in Tuscany, Italy using one of the oldest tanning methods still practiced today. Slowly vegetable tanned in traditional pits, it relies only on natural tannins extracted from chestnut, mimosa, and quebracho trees.
No chromium, no heavy metals, no shortcuts.
Vegetable tanning is not only a centuries-old craft but also a responsible one. The hides are a by-product of the food industry, giving new purpose to a material that would otherwise be discarded.
The tannins come from renewable plant sources, making the entire process respectful of both people and the environment.
Unlike synthetic materials, vegetable-tanned leather is alive. It carries the scent of the forest, the warmth of natural fibres, and a character that evolves with time. Like our own skin, it records every journey, every touch, and every passing year, developing a patina that can never be replicated.
No two hides are ever the same. Small marks, subtle variations in colour, veins,
wrinkles, or scars are not flaws—they are the natural traces of a living material. These unique characteristics cannot be manufactured or repeated, making every piece truly one of a kind.
To me, leather is more than a material. It is a living archive of human craftsmanship one that has served us for thousands of years and, when treated with care, can continue to do so for generations to come.