Archive

Orenblack

Archive · Los Angeles

Hand-built
leather, and the
graphics that
go with it.

Oren Black works in Los Angeles across two related practices: leather goods cut, stitched and finished by hand, and a produced apparel line built from his own drawn artwork. This is the working archive — 62 pieces, from pattern card through to campaign.

Discipline Leather goods, hand-painting, knit development Materials Hair-on cowhide, croc-embossed calf, veg-tan shoulder Methods Saddle stitch, hand-set hardware, acrylic on hide, intarsia Scale One-offs and short runs; one produced knit release Based Los Angeles, California

Hand-painted horned figure across the back of a black leather jacket
Horned figure — acrylic on black lambskin, painted freehand

6 pieces

Painted LeatherOuterwear

Acrylic on finished hide, brushed freehand onto vintage and deadstock jackets. No stencils — each panel is drawn once, so no two backs are the same.

Horned-figure jacket, worn — Los Angeles
Horned-figure jacket, worn — Los Angeles
Eight-ball face — back panel
Eight-ball face — back panel
Revolver — side panel, single-pass brushwork
Revolver — side panel, single-pass brushwork
666 ghost — shoulder placement
666 ghost — shoulder placement
Four jackets from the run
Four jackets from the run
Studded high-top — hair-on hide side panel, cone studs, painted midsole
Studded high-top — hair-on hide side panel, cone studs, painted midsole

9 pieces

Bags & CasesCut and stitched by hand

Hair-on cowhide, black calf and vegetable-tanned shoulder. Saddle-stitched throughout, edges burnished rather than taped.

Barrel bag — hair-on cowhide with black leather base, rolled handles
Barrel bag — hair-on cowhide with black leather base, rolled handles
Weekender — hide body, hand-stitched perimeter, buckle closures
Weekender — hide body, hand-stitched perimeter, buckle closures
Barrel bag — end panel and D-ring hardware
Barrel bag — end panel and D-ring hardware
Zip assembly — hide to black leather transition
Zip assembly — hide to black leather transition
Painted duffle and cap — oxblood ground, white lettering
Painted duffle and cap — oxblood ground, white lettering
Duffle, front — hand-lettered panel
Duffle, front — hand-lettered panel
Cap and bag — matched hand-painted set
Cap and bag — matched hand-painted set
Painted tote — chain handle, cast charms
Painted tote — chain handle, cast charms
Painted tote — portrait panel, contrast handles
Painted tote — portrait panel, contrast handles

9 pieces

Small Goods & HardwareWallets, cases, fittings

The pieces where the stitching has nowhere to hide. Croc-embossed calf and veg-tan shoulder, hand-set hardware, hand-pierced stitch lines, no machine work.

Croc-embossed wallet on curb chain — worn
Croc-embossed wallet on curb chain — worn
Croc-embossed wallet — panel before assembly
Croc-embossed wallet — panel before assembly
Long wallet — open, hand-stitched card wells
Long wallet — open, hand-stitched card wells
Long wallet — interior, snap closure
Long wallet — interior, snap closure
Long wallet — exterior, distressed finish
Long wallet — exterior, distressed finish
Four-finger lighter case — layered leather, spiked
Four-finger lighter case — layered leather, spiked
Same case — profile, industrial spikes
Same case — profile, industrial spikes
Case on stand — hardware detail
Case on stand — hardware detail
Croc key fob — trigger snap and split ring
Croc key fob — trigger snap and split ring

6 pieces

BeltsHide, hardware, hand-set stone

Built around the buckle rather than the other way round — hair-on hide straps cut to suit the fitting they carry.

Hair-on hide belt — hand-set stone eagle buckle
Hair-on hide belt — hand-set stone eagle buckle
Same belt — coiled, showing edge stitch
Same belt — coiled, showing edge stitch
Black and white hide — blackened edge
Black and white hide — blackened edge
Hide belt — coiled
Hide belt — coiled
Hand-painted checkerboard — acrylic on black calf
Hand-painted checkerboard — acrylic on black calf
Star-studded straps — red finish, spiked tips
Star-studded straps — red finish, spiked tips

6 pieces

HeadwearAppliqué, studs, spray

Blanks reworked by hand — leather appliqué stars, hand-set studs, sprayed flame panels. Short runs, no two finished identically.

Studded star trucker — leather appliqué, cone studs, distressed brim
Studded star trucker — leather appliqué, cone studs, distressed brim
Same cap — appliqué detail
Same cap — appliqué detail
Flame trucker — sprayed panel on neon ground
Flame trucker — sprayed panel on neon ground
Star trucker — leather appliqué on pink
Star trucker — leather appliqué on pink
Spider trucker — hand-set pyramid studs
Spider trucker — hand-set pyramid studs
Ghost trucker — drawn panel
Ghost trucker — drawn panel

7 pieces

Knitwear & GraphicsProduced line

Intarsia knit developed from hand-drawn artwork — the graphics are built into the knit rather than printed on top. Produced in runs, with matching beanies, socks and tees.

Portrait crewneck — intarsia, black ground
Portrait crewneck — intarsia, black ground
Same style — flat, with hangtag
Same style — flat, with hangtag
Star crewneck — bone
Star crewneck — bone
Star — intarsia detail
Star — intarsia detail
Creature crewneck — drawn artwork translated to knit
Creature crewneck — drawn artwork translated to knit
Text crewneck — we are creatures of flesh and mind, back
Text crewneck — “we are creatures of flesh and mind”, back
Cross beanie — intarsia
Cross beanie — intarsia

12 pieces

CampaignShot in Los Angeles

Direction, styling and product for the knitwear release. Three setups — a parking-structure series, a night shoot in makeup, and a daylight run on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Parking structure series
Parking structure series
Parking structure series
Parking structure series
Portrait crewneck, on figure
Portrait crewneck, on figure
Full look, low angle
Full look, low angle
Creature crewneck — studio
Creature crewneck — studio
Portrait crewneck — studio
Portrait crewneck — studio
Star crewneck — studio, full look
Star crewneck — studio, full look
Night series, makeup
Night series, makeup
Night series
Night series
Daylight run — group
Daylight run — group
Daylight run — Barney’s Beanery
Daylight run — Barney’s Beanery
Pool hall — black and white
Pool hall — black and white

Bench

ProcessPattern to finished panel

Every piece starts as a card pattern and is cut, pierced and stitched by hand. The order below is the order of work.

Pattern pieces cut in card, then transferred to hide
Pattern pieces cut in card, then transferred to hide
Marking and punching stitch lines
Marking and punching stitch lines
Blade work — strap and panel stock
Blade work — strap and panel stock
Panel pierced and ready to stitch
Panel pierced and ready to stitch
Bag panels laid out before assembly
Bag panels laid out before assembly
Hide and black leather joined at the base seam
Hide and black leather joined at the base seam

About the work

Two practices, one hand. The leather side is entirely hand-built — patterns cut in card, hide cut and pierced by hand, saddle-stitched, edges burnished, hardware set on the bench. The painted work uses the same hide as a surface: acrylic brushed on freehand, one pass, no stencils.

The apparel side takes the same drawn artwork into production — developed as intarsia knit rather than print, released with matching beanies, socks and tees, and shot as a campaign directed and styled in-house.

Alongside the making, Oren has worked across the luxury trade in Los Angeles: consignment showroom buying, private client advisory, and brand-side production operations, including a stint at Chrome Hearts. That combination — bench skill plus a working knowledge of how the category actually sells — is the point of this archive.

Available forCommissions, design roles, product development, client advisory
BasedLos Angeles, California
Siteorenblk.com
Archive62 pieces, ongoing

Orenblack · Los Angeles