In pockets, on belts, and on key chains hang detailed, hand-crafted leather pieces personalized to suit every holder’s interests. These custom designs are the work of senior Marleigh Jett, founder of Jett Leather Co., a small leather goods business she started in high school.
“He asked me if I wanted to make a wallet one day, and I said yes, and I made it, and I really liked it,” Jett said. “I continued to make stuff from there.”
Jett began working with leather in February of her freshman year after encouragement from her father, who owns a handmade knife company and has experience with leather. After learning the basics from him and expanding her skills through YouTube tutorials, she gained confidence and officially launched Jett Leather Co.
“My stuff wasn’t very good at the beginning, but you know, keep going and just doing it, everything just got better and better with every project,” Jett said.
As her skills developed, Jett found that leatherworking stood out from other art forms because of its creative possibilities and hands-on nature.
“It’s everything. It’s all kinds of 3D and you could put textures and stuff into it,” Jett said. “It’s different from just drawing. I’m not very good at drawing, but with leather work, I can carve and stamp and all sorts of different things.”
Running a business while attending high school has brought challenges, especially when balancing academics and production. Still, Jett works to stay organized and focused.
“I will take a couple of days out of the week to catch up on schoolwork, but overall it doesn’t impact it too much,” Jett said. “I get my school work done pretty much at school.”
Looking ahead, Jett hopes to expand her business and create more consistent income through her work.
“Having a consistent amount of orders and getting my prices up—I don’t weigh in time too much to my project prices, but eventually I will,” Jett said. “I’m just gonna keep going and see where it takes me.”
Jett’s leatherwork can be found on Instagram at @jett.leather.co, where customers can contact her for custom pieces. Interested buyers may also reach out to her in person for business inquiries.
