Donato Colombo draws inspiration from the city’s streets
URBINO, Italy – At 9:30 weekend mornings a short white-haired man dressed in a sleeveless black shirt and solid green jeans opens his shop.
The styles and colorful leathers Donato Colombo uses in his handcrafted work has made them a unique visual aesthetic on the streets if this city.
Colombo has been creating custom leather sandals, bracelets, bags and belts for 29 years. He got his start making sandals in a leather factory in 1983 with friends. Later he wanted to make creative pieces as opposed to the repetitive and mundane work in the factory. He wanted to put more of his own touch into his creations for his customers, he said.
“I’m against the items you buy just for materialistic concept,” he said. “I like to create things that can be used every day.”
Colombo works hard at his art of leather crafting, sitting at his work bench for hours or even days until a task is complete. He sits focused on his sandals for one to two hours at a time, and sometimes spends up to two days on a complicated a hand bag.
“When I’m working, I think about doing my best,” he said. “I think about my life and I think about the music I’m listening to all day long”
Colombo said he gets inspiration from all that Urbino has to offer, even his customers. What he observes gives birth to new ideas that come to life through his crafting; making the intangible tangible. He believes that simple nuances in the environment can inspire him, even a customer’s wardrobe.
Donato says his shop is a rarity in Urbino because he repairs his customers’ items. In this that way, he says, he maintains a connection with his customers.
Donato also sells clothes made of fabric from Nepal. He purchases his leather in bulk, from Florence then brings it to Urbino where he turns it into shoes, bags, wallets and memo pads.
He also sells colored fuzzy hangers, scarves, pants, shirts, organizers, and jewelry and ceiling fixtures .
The tandem of Alice Galleti and Valentina Olivi, frequent customers, said “We come here often usually to buy earrings organizers, pens, bracelets, anything!”
Donato says hand crafted artistry like his is seldom seen today but continues because his reward is greater than money.
“Working here gives me a lot of satisfaction and knowing that many people all over the world are walking with my shoes makes me happy; the shoes I make here in town then I like that people use my items in everyday life”
Multimedia