How Did I End Up Here?

Yes, that is something I often find myself thinking.

With an unpredictable childhood—being removed from my parents at the age of three and growing up in children’s homes and foster families—and with very little schooling, there was not much to suggest that I would one day run my own business and dedicate myself to a craft I care so deeply about.

I never completed an education. But somehow, I have found my own slightly winding path through life.

Perhaps karma has looked out for me along the way. I have faced my challenges, but I have also been fortunate in some important ways. I stayed away from drugs and crime, and little by little I found out what I truly wanted to do with my life. I have always worked creatively with my hands—especially painting models and miniatures, which I have done since I was a teenager.

From Hobby to Work

I started working with leather during a period when I was unemployed.

I have always needed something to do with my hands. “I have to have something in my fingers, otherwise I’ll go crazy,” is something I have often said.

So I began making dog collars for my two Whippets. A friend bought one, then a few more customers came along as people started talking.

It grew gradually, and I got better and better. At some point, I reached a stage where YouTube could not really teach me much more. So I enrolled in a five-year Masterclass with English leatherworker Philip Jury.

It truly elevated my craft.

Among other things, I spent around a year almost entirely practising hand-stitching, until I reached a standard I was happy with.

My dream was always to design my own bags and wallets. The only problem was that my skills had not yet caught up with what I could see in my mind.

Nine Years as a Hobby Business

For around nine years, I ran the business as a hobby. And, to be completely honest, it was not exactly a good business.

For several years, I had an annual loss of around DKK 30,000.

But I kept going.

Something changed when I began repairing and restoring designer bags. It not only brought me more customers and social-media followers; it also gave me a completely different understanding of how bags are made.

To repair something properly, you need to understand how it was made in the first place.

It has taught me an incredible amount.

Where I Am Today

Today, I mainly restore and repair designer bags, while continuing to develop my craft and learn new skills.

The funny thing is that I still have the same dream I had back then.

I still want to make my own bags.

The difference is that today, I am in a much better position to do it.

So perhaps it is fitting that my path here has never been straight.

I have never been particularly good at taking the straight path.

— Daniel Wøhlk