Our Story

The Heart of Cotswold Hipster

Hi, I’m Tracy one half of Cotswold Hipster along with my husband, Mark.

For me personally, I just have to be creative; in a nutshell, I'm not happy unless I'm making something! And it’s been like this for as long as I can remember.

My creative process is thought-out and vision-led, with a focus on how whatever I’m creating can be best presented, and most effective, as a finished piece. This is coupled with a passion for colour: I visualise a series of colours that could go together and, somehow, I know exactly how to get from that foresight to a complete and (usually) perfect result.

My dedication to the beauty of natural colour palettes, especially those found in British birds, all started with a much loved childhood book – one that's still always to hand, providing inspiration for all the colour combinations in our range. It basically gave me my eye for colour from a very young age and has inspired the bold combinations that pop against our earthy leather – colour is my constant muse.

And while I'm lost in the world of colours and combinations, Mark, my husband, is the bearded and brilliant craftsman bringing it all to life. It's a partnership of two halves, built on our shared passion for dogs and creating really special things.

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Our Journey of Quality & Production

#fromourworkshoptoyourwalk

Cotswold Hipster’s journey into dog accessories came about when I started working with leather, and just went with the impulse to make a dog collar.

Mark had already achieved great things personalising leather human accessories – mainly canvas bags and belts. But here in the Cotswolds, with our dog Oscar by our side, the thought of creating these beautiful pieces for dogs and their owners, completely from scratch, caught us both in its spell.


Luckily for me, Mark is the details man, and businessman, and he quickly realised the need for efficiency. He loves the making, but also, for him it’s about how we can make it work in production. Through sheer dedication, he mastered machine-sewing the leather items rather than hand-sewing, which we both knew was never going to be a profitable business due to the time it took.


The shift to machine sewing was a big turning point, allowing us to produce quality products efficiently. We no longer hand cut the leather because it’s too time-consuming and it makes no difference to the user. And in fact, doing it with a die makes them very consistent. 


This pragmatic approach, developed through trial and error over five years, allows us to create products that are incredibly high-quality and desirable, but not unaffordable. 


We have moved from sitting and dreaming in the garden, with a swatch book of beautifully coloured leathers, to a refined process – yet nothing has been compromised. We’re still handmaking all our products in our Cotswold workshop to this day.

Crafted for Your Dog's Lifetime

How do we do it? We select the finest Italian leather, dyed using purely natural vegetable methods for those rich, earthy colours we, and our customers, adore. Then, we combine it with your chosen backing materials – be it luxurious suede, or natural wool felt. These come in our signature range of vibrant shades that really pop against the natural tones of the leather, striking a visual punch, like a flash of plumage against winter trees.

Mark then sets about it with his sewing machine, ensuring our clever contrast stitching not only holds everything together but also makes the colours sing. Our pieces are finished with robust solid brass (or nickel-plated brass) hardware, including D-rings and O-rings that are always either cast or welded – because we know they need to stay put, even with the liveliest of dogs! Our collars and leads are truly made for your dog’s lifetime.

Our Cotswold & City Roots with Our Canine Companions

Our home in the beautiful Cotswolds is a huge part of who we are and what we create. Mark has always lived in this area, whilst I, a Londoner, made the big decision to leave London in 2014 and embrace Cotswold life. Despite my urban origins, I've always been a country girl – mainly due to my dad and his passion for nature.

My childhood was also shaped by my two great-aunts, Lily and Flossie. They taught me everything about making things and crafting, and really put that determined spirit into me. Auntie Lily was an adventurer, and her brave spirit inspires me to this day. She travelled until late in her life and was daring enough to leave London – a move I echoed and one that has brought me a lot of happiness.

And of course, our dogs! Who are so much more than an inspiraton. My first dog, Pip, a chocolate Lab, was my absolute shadow through some really difficult years and moved with me to the Cotswolds, living to a grand old age of fifteen and a half.

When the time felt right, especially as the business allowed Mark to work full-time from home, Oscar joined our family. This German Shorthaired Pointer is very typical to his breed, difficult to train, high energy, and a real velcro dog who loves cuddles and blankets. But despite his naughtiness and playfulness, he is so handsome it's ridiculous, and he brings us all enormous joy.

Last but not least, Freya, a Sprocker rescue, has also become a precious part of our pack. A former London dog, she, like me, has embraced life in the Cotswolds, loving countryside walks and winning over everyone she meets with her gentle nature.

Who We Are: Our Values & Philosophy

The Hipster Ethos

A "hipster" is someone who may follow the latest trends, but is definitely not mainstream; someone attracted to quality, classic style, durability over disposability, and artisanal goods.

That's us! It's how we approach everything, from selecting our materials to the careful hands-on crafting of every single piece. We absolutely celebrate that sense of pride and personality that comes with owning something truly individual, made with skill and heart.

We are fiercely proud that our luxury products sit alongside luxury brands, but without any compromise to quality. We use the best leather, the best thread, the best hardware we can buy; there is nothing we could do to make our products better quality than what we’re currently doing. 

We are a small luxury artisan business making small batch products. This means we can maintain exceptional quality and avoid throw away culture. We make sure our products will be here for the duration, causing only positive impacts to both our planet, and our pooches.

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Join The Cotswold Hipster Pack - Ready to Explore?

Come and peruse our collection of luxury artisan collars, leads, and accessories, mix & match and find ‘The Look’ that’s perfect for you and your dog.

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