A M B E R J E N S E N A N D H E R PA R T N E R B R A D WI LS O N
C U TTIN G FA BR IC IN HE R STU D IO
P H OTO BY TO D D CO O P E R
LOCAL
LEATHER
Stylish handmade satchels,
backpacks and bike bags
BY DANTE ZUÑIGA-WEST
T
ucked away in the sleepy corner of a west
Eugene neighborhood is the workspace and
studio of leatherworker Amber Jensen. The
entire place is militantly organized — an arts
bunker — with waxed canvas, rivets, bags,
production tables and tools at the ready.
You could compare Jensen’s meticulously structured
workspace to a homestyle assembly line if it weren’t for the
tedious personal attention that her handmade leather bags
and backpacks require — there is no factory that could mass-
produce this type of quality work. And the number of (wo)
man-hours put into each bag is a point of pride for Jensen.
“I’m trying to make stuff that people can have forever,”
she says. “It’s an old-timey idea, but instead of buying a
bunch of things, I want people to buy quality things and take
care of them for a while.”
Jensen came to Eugene by way of Milwaukee, Wis., and
began leatherwork after working on a sheep farm in New
Zealand several years ago. She plunged herself into the
world of art and design in spite of a stern parental caveat:
Her mother, an artist and interior designer in Milwaukee,
warned Jensen against going into the arts.
“My mom told me, ‘Don’t go into the arts; you won’t be
able to make a living,’” Jensen says. “But art school was
the only thing that made sense, and that sort of led to this.”
Not only is Jensen cranking out stylish and practical
satchels and backpacks, perfect for a book-laden biker or
anyone with wanderlust, she is doing so on a national and
international scale. “I sent things to Europe, then I sent
things to Australia,” Jensen says. “Then I realized one day
that I had bags out there all over the world, and people were
buying them.”
Although customers from Portland to Sydney are buying
up bags, she is somewhat skeptical of her product’s ability to
sell in Eugene. “I’d love to sell my stuff in Eugene,” Jensen
says, “but I’m not sure the market is here. Everywhere I go
here I feel like people are underselling their goods.”
But Jensen isn’t discouraged, and she makes a point
to mention exactly why she chose Eugene as a location.
“Eugene is off the beaten path, it has awesome art, there’s
no traffi c, no rushing and that really fosters a creative
environment,” she says. After stopping mid-conversation to
assist intern Abi Chase with the assembly of a bag, Jensen
says she believes the fashion scene in Eugene could be
huge. “The right people just have to keep going for it and
setting an example,” she says.
With high demand for the unique and sturdy products,
Jensen and Chase are always hard at work. What was once
an artistic hobby became a full-time gig, and Jensen foresees
the operation growing. “I want this to get bigger and be able
to hire employees,” she says. “I love the process of making
this work, I like the materials and I love what happens when
a design or an idea progresses.”
For more information about Jensen’s products, go to www.amberjensen.com
THE WAYFARER BACKPACK (WOOL, WAXED CANVAS, LEATHER) $285
CUSTOM WOOL CASES FOR WOOLMARK COMPANY IN PRATO, ITALY
(SCOTTISH TARTAN PLAID WOOL) NOT FOR SALE
THE CAMPER SATCHEL (RED WAXED CANVAS, HAND VEGETABLE-DYED LEATHER) $230
P R O D U C T P H OTOS CO U RT E SY O F A M BE R J E N SE N
10 AUGUST 9, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM