Our History

ReRides is leather and motorcycle consignment shop that was then owned by Elaine Miller – and provided a foundational education in the breadth of vintage to modern leather garments of all styles. For three years Ariss ran BoundAries Leather while working in cobbling shops and a boot-making factory, learning the cordwainer trade, which is where they met Tess.

In May of 2021 Ariss and Tess joined forces to launch Awl Together Leather – a full-service shoe repair and custom leatherwork studio operating out of a 1700 sq-ft wheelchair accessible East Vancouver Studio, employing a team of 4-8 mostly queer creatives. We’re the first Queer-owned cobbling shop in North America (that we have heard of) and the only Female*-owned shop in Western Canada. Awl Together Leather is award-winning and determined to change the demographics and perception of the shoe repair industry.

BoundAries Leather is now where we post all our sexier or queer-specific creations, as a subsidiary of Awl Together Leather. We separate our advertising to withstand the ongoing criminalization of queer or sex-related work. Most of our designs stem from Ariss’ work recounting Leatherdyke history and commitment to leatherwork that aids everybody – including those with disabilities- in feeling held.

BoundAries Leather is owned by Ariss and Tess, both of whom are living and working on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.