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WINTER SESSION
2952 Welton Street / Denver, CO 80205
email: info@winter-session.com / call: 720-316-8118
What's the story behind Winter Session?
Run by Roy Katz and Tanya Fleisher out of a storefront workshop in Denver, Winter Session began in Chicago in 2010 as a way to explore new creative ideas and channel our past experiences in art, design and architecture. Our ongoing mission is to design and produce thoughtful, well-made things in a responsible manner. Operating on a flexible scale, we combine traditional methods and innovative technology to find a balance between utilitarian function, durability and aesthetic appeal. We work hard to create affordable, high quality products meant to last. As for the name... you'll have to ask us in person sometime.
Where is Winter Session based?
Winter Session Outpost, our workshop and storefront, is located in the Five Points neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. We design and make a majority of our canvas and leather goods right here in our shop, while maintaining a display and retail area stocked with current WS products along with a curated collection of goods from other designers and makers. While all of our leather work and a good portion of our sewing is done in-house, we partner with select small sewing factories in Chicago to produce larger runs of bags and aprons.
Tell me a little more about your materials and process.
Our leather components are crafted using a combination of laser, die and hand-cutting techniques. Many of our pieces (wallets, sleeves, bag handles) are patiently hand-stitched. We source our leather from the renowned Horween Leather Company in Chicago. One of the oldest tanneries the nation, and the only remaining tannery in that city, we admire Horween not only for its heritage; we are also able to hand-select hides of consistent quality with unique character.
Our hides are vegetable tanned, a traditional process that leverages natural materials like bark to transform the leather, rather than the more time-efficient but resource-intensive chrome processing. Vegetable tanning also results in beautiful aesthetic variations – shifts in color, subtle surface patterns - that make each Winter Session piece distinctive.
We typically use 100% cotton canvas, some
of which is treated with a light water-resistant coating, and waxed
canvas, which naturally repels dirt and water. Our standard aprons are
made from raw 100% cotton denim, woven in the USA.
Our hardware is solid brass and is sourced in the USA.
CARE AND KEEPING
How should I take care of my leather?
Leather
naturally ages and darkens (especially our un-dyed leathers). Regular
use will maintain the character and strength of your leather pieces.
Should they dry out, you can apply some Neatsfoot Oil (available at
Tandy Leather) with a soft cloth. It's okay for your
leather piece to get wet - just make sure you leave it to dry in a
well-ventilated area.
How do I care for my canvas bag?
We hope that you'll wear your bag well and not worry too much about it getting 'dirty'. Your canvas bag - especially if it's waxed canvas - will develop a patina as it ages, recording a legend of your marks and movements. To spot clean your canvas, gently remove dirt with a damp cloth or brush, and air dry. Do not use soap. Never machine wash or dry clean. (Note: the indigo from your raw denim jeans will rub off onto natural canvas - consider yourself forewarned.)
For
waxed canvas items in particular, soap will damage the protective
coating. Although the wax will gradually wear away over time, reproofing
your bag is as simple as getting hold of a sponge, a hair dryer, and a
small tin of fabric wax (we recommend Martexin brand, available at the Outpost). The good people - and
canvas gurus - at Archival Clothing have a very helpful blog post in
which they explain, step by step, exactly how to do this at home.
Please check the appropriate product page on our website for reference on specific fabric types (waxed, water-resistant, etc.) and feel free to email us if you need some more detailed advice.
How do I care for my apron?
Our
aprons can be hand or machine washed in warm water and machine or air
dried. Please note that raw denim aprons are best washed in cold water
and hung to dry. Recycled canvas naturally wrinkles; it will relax with
wear but you're also welcome to iron it.
CUSTOM AND WHOLESALE
Does Winter Session do custom work?
We take on special projects alongside our standard production when we can. If you have a specific project in mind, please send us an email at info@winter-session.com. You can find some of our past custom projects on our blog.
What about collaborations?
We enjoy working with like-minded individuals and brands to develop exclusive products together. Email us if you'd like to propose a collaboration.
I'm interested in purchasing your products wholesale/selling Winter Session goods in my shop.
Why thank you. Because we are a small handcraft company we cannot accommodate every request and choose our wholesalers carefully. Please send us an email expressing your interest to info@winter-session.com.
I'm a restaurant/shop owner and would like to purchase aprons.
Great! We enjoy outfitting shops of all kinds and we offer several different styles - including both bib (full) and bistro (waist) aprons. If you're considering us as a source for aprons, please send us an email at info@winter-session.com and we'll give you more details about placing a wholesale or custom apron order.
SELECTED STOCKISTS
U.S.A.
Haymaker Shop / Chicago, IL
Haberdash EDC / Chicago, IL
Morlen Sinoway Atelier / Chicago, IL
Fleur / Chicago, IL
Sojourn / Sawyer, MI
Art in the Age / Philadelphia, PA
Terrain / Glen Mills, PA
Joinery / Brooklyn, NY
Smith and Butler / Brooklyn, NY
Pitkin County Dry Goods / Aspen, CO
The Gardener / Berkeley, CA
Lizard Lounge / Portland, OR
Spartan / Portland, OR and Austin, TX
Malia Mills / various locations - CA + NY
Canada:
Luna and Hill / Saskatoon, SK
Hong Kong:
Konzepp / Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Japan:
Foober / Tokyo
Online:
www.gselect.com
www.schoolhouseelectric.com
www.trunkclub.com
www.thevitrine.com
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
All products displayed on our site are
available unless otherwise noted. Availability may change at any time
and without notice. If you purchase an item that is no longer available,
we will notify you by email within 24 hours and a full refund will be
issued. Note: some of our products are Made to Order, as indicated in
the product description. These items will take longer for us to process
and ship.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
All prices are shown in US Dollars.
Please
allow up to 7 days for us to process and ship your order for In Stock
items, and allow 2-3 weeks for us to ship Made to Order items unless
otherwise indicated in the product description. If we are experiencing
higher than normal order volume, you will be given an estimated delivery
time when you place your order.
The cost of shipping will be added to your order total upon checkout.
We
normally ship domestic orders of less than USD $100 value via USPS
Priority Mail. All other domestic orders are shipped via UPS Ground.
Once we have shipped your order, we will send you an order confirmation
and tracking number via email. International orders are typically
shipped via USPS Priority Mail International. Note: International orders
do not ship with a tracking number.
If you would prefer an
alternate shipping method, please contact us before placing your order
and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Do you offer gift certificates?
Although
we do not currently have gift certificates posted on our website, we
are happy to make one for you. Please send us an email and we'll create a
personal invoice and a digital or printed certificate.
We do
look forward to offering gift certificates in the near future - keep your eye on Twitter and join our mailing list for updates.
RETURNS AND EXCHANGES
What is your return policy?
Returns
will be accepted if the product is sent back to us within 30 days of
the delivery confirmation date and if the item remains in the condition
in which it was received. After 30 days, we reserve the right to refuse a
refund or exchange.
Once we receive the returned item (in
like-new condition), we will issue a full refund of the purchase price.
Please note: we will not refund the shipping cost or credit card fees.
These will be deducted from the total amount of your refund.
If
you would like to exchange your item for a different finish or product,
please contact us. We will send you an additional invoice in case of a
price difference in your exchange.
Items that have been
monogrammed are non-returnable. You are welcome to make in-person
returns or exchanges for items purchased online, and visa-versa.
Please
notify us of your return in advance of shipping so that we may expect
your package. All return packages must be fully insured. We will not
issue a refund on items damaged in shipping.
Our address is:
2952 Welton St.
Denver CO 80205
What if my product is damaged when I receive it?
All of our
products are guaranteed for craftsmanship. Any product found to be
defective will be repaired or replaced by us free of charge. Please see our return policy above for return shipping your item.
My item doesn't look like it did on my computer screen.
We
attempt to accurately represent our products through detailed item
descriptions and images. Particularly with leather pieces, each item is
from a unique, natural hide and therefore exhibits subtle individual
character in tone and patterning. Due to inconsistencies in screen
calibration, the exact colors of the products depicted on our site
cannot be guaranteed.