Artist-designer UNA BURKE teaches leatherworking in her South London atelier

We’ve seen her avant-garde designs on celebrities from Rihanna to Lady Gaga, Madonna and fashion icon Daphne Guinness to name a few, now Úna Burke – multi-award winning designer of leather accessories – has set up workshop in her South London atelier to teach leatherworking skills.  

Úna Burke pictured with her designs at the Scoop International fair at the Saatchi Gallery, London.
All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect Global.

This is a great opportunity to train with the designer directly, a unique experience that “will stay with you for a lifetime,” said the designer. 

"Two Days a month we will open our South London Atelier to people wishing to learn how to work with leather.  We will teach traditional techniques using hand tools and a selection of vegetable tanned leathers. "

Upcoming workshop dates are 16-17 April and 21-22 May.  In addition to the two-day weekend classes for up to ten people per session, Úna Burke is also offering one-to-one training.  To find out more, click HERE.

Úna has acquired a wealth of industry experience not just across the UK but also in projects around the world.  Úna’s leather designs are sculptural in approach demonstrating complex constructions, thus they can be looked upon as art. The accessories collections are concept based and there are often human stories behind the designs since influence is taken from psychological, military and medical sources. 

Úna’s leather work are crafted entirely by hand using traditional techniques, made using only the quality Vegetable Tanned leathers and solid brass fittings from the UK and Italy, earning the brand the 'Positive Luxury Butterfly Trust Mark'. 

While her collections are sold on her website, they regularly appear in publications such as Vogue, i-D, Collezioni and Numero and are stocked in stores worldwide, often through collaborations with other designers and brands including unisex brand Unconditional, Hong Kong high fashion boutique Joyce, lingerie label Lascivious, glassware company The Irish Handmade Glass Company, Illustrator Spiros Halaris, and she has produced costumes for high profile film and stage performances as well as worked on commissioned projects for big name brands such a L’Oreal and Fox Network.

Originally from North County Roscommon, in the west of Ireland, Úna now works from her studio in Earlsfield, South London, gives talks and works as a visiting lecturer across the UK, Ireland and beyond, including  the Royal College of Art, London College of Fashion, University of Northampton, DeMontfort Uni, NCAD, SoFA Design Institue in Manila, Limerick School of Art and Design, Sheffield Hallam University, University of the Arts Bournemouth, Norwich University of the Arts, University of Brighton, Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and Bilgi University in Istanbul.
All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect Global.