A passion for fashion
Little Rock man makes artisanal leather bags
LITTLE ROCK—That gorgeous, clean-lined satchel bag with the contrasting stitching looks like it might be a Kate Spade or a Michael Kors, right? It may be a Dower. Dower is the brand name of the line of carefully handcrafted bags and other accessories produced by Jack Lloyd, a Little Rock leather artisan who sells his work online and at special events such as Holiday House, the Junior League of Little Rock holiday market that runs Wednesday to Saturday at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
Lloyd cuts and sews his products by hand, working mostly with vegetable-tanned English bridle leather from Wickett and Craig, a 150-year-old Pennsylvania company. Among the collection of Dower belts, wallets and bags is Lloyd’s most popular piece: the sleek Alie Handbag ($425), the elongated satchel named for his mother and, Lloyd says on his website, “directly inspired by a vivid time in my youth spent at the local bowling alley.” Other products include the One of a Kind Tote ($325), the Zipper Pouch ($75), several unisex wallets ($48-$128), and two men’s belt styles ($75-$85).
Lloyd comes from a fashion background. He was an associate designer for G-III Apparel Group Ltd. in New York, working with the head designer in the Kenneth Cole division for women’s outerwear. The job, however, “felt a little too cookie-cutter.” Lloyd acquired his leather crafting experience while working for several years with the late Joe Brogdon of Little Rock, maker of JoeB vintage-leather belts and bags.
“I had been wanting to make accessories for a really long time,” Lloyd told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “and then once I started learning what I learned working for him, it translated into things that I wanted to do.” His first public showing was at Art in the Bar a couple of years ago.
Since then, the Alie bag has earned him a runner-up spot in the Style category of Garden & Gun magazine’s 2016 Made in the South Awards.
The compliments Lloyd gets on his creations fall in line with the things he loves most about them—their clean lines.
“That’s exactly what I’m going for … clean and simple,” he said. “I’m also trying to make things timeless.”
The bags carry a lifetime guarantee.
This year will be Dower’s second year at Holiday House. Lloyd will also appear with his goods at The Little Craft Show on Nov. 24-25 in the Fayetteville Town Center and Art of the Bar on Dec. 10 in Little Rock.