Petru & Claymoor - From Transylvania with love
Photo credit: Petru & Claymoor
‘’From Transylvania with love’’ is what I saw on the envelope that arrived at me some weeks ago. I got a bit scared at first, did Count Dracula find me and write me a letter that he’ll come by sometime soon?! But then I calmed down when I remembered that I once heard His Majesty King Charles III has a holiday house in Transylvania as well. So Perhaps His Majesty is inviting me for a Cream Tea at his holiday destination. Although when I opened the envelope shortly after all these thoughts it turned out to be way better than all the other options! Because in the envelope was the bespoke watch strap which I ordered from bespoke shoemakers and leather craftsmen Petru & Claymoor who have their atelier in one of the most beautiful areas of Europe: Transylvania!
One of the owners of Petru & Claymoor is Mircea Cioponea, a gentleman who is since many years a shoe and men’s style afficionado. Mircea even used to write a blog on that topic for many years which was named Claymoor List and which I’ve been reading with great pleasure for many years. The other owner of Petru & Claymoor is Mr. Petru who also has been a men’s style afficionado all that time and knew Mircea thanks to their mutual passion. After learning so much about this topic and studying the craft of shoemaking by hand for many years they decided to team up in 2018 and start their own business. Their mission? Bringing the best of Transylvanian shoemaking to the rest of the world. They discovered that Transylvania has a very old tradition of making shoes by hand, but that too few people in the world knew about this. This could not remain unnoticed in their opinion.
A couple of years later we find Petru & Claymoor having their own atelier in Transylvania where not only the finest bespoke shoes are made. They also do leathergoods like watch straps, bags, wallets and even an upholstered leather armchair belongs to the possibilities that Petru & Claymoor offer. All completely made by hand and from the finest leathers available. And where they started out with bespoke products only, they have expanded that to made to order products as well. For that you can order via their newly opened web shop next to their stationary shop in Bucharest where both MTO and bespoke is offered. And then there’s always the option to e-mail them as I did for my watch strap.
Because of the recent pleasant experience, I had with ordering a watch strap from Mircea. I was curious to learn some more about his business and the developments they have made and are going to make. Therefor I asked Mircea to answer 7 questions regarding Petru & Claymoor and he was so kind to do so. You can read the questions and Mircea his answers below. And I do encourage you to look at his website or visit him in Bucharest when you’re there.
TM: You recently opened a new online shop with a lot of MTO options for shoes and accessories. Can you tell us a bit more about the new shop you opened? What can we find there and what are the new possibilities?
MC: We have opened the shop at the end of 2022 therefore shortly after our interview we will add one more section on the site focused on bags and small leather accessories. We have tried to focus on some iconic models made from different leathers. You will find in our web shop the classic captoe, but also some very interesting models in special leathers. Every pair was inspired by a client and derived from a pair commissioned over the years. Therefore, even when you buy a MTO, basically the quality is similar to bespoke. Same craftsmanship, same attention to details, same passion dedicated to every pair. In other words, it is a MTO at bespoke standards. The process is fast, and we are glad to be able to provide an extraordinary pair of handmade shoes in about one month and a half. As far as I know this is quite rare on the market.
Photo credit: Petru & Claymoor
TM: You are doing fantastic small leather goods as well as watch straps which you can even make bespoke. How does it work to order a bespoke watch strap at Petru & Claymoor?
MC: One can commission a bespoke belt by email, phone, or WhatsApp. All our hand sewn watch belts are unique projects. For creating this unique item, we will request some details of the watch and as soon as we receive all the details, we proceed cutting the leathers. 99% of our belts are inside – outside exotic. For the inside part we advise for alligator or croc due to the leather properties. For outside you have a wide range of possibilities starting to crocodile and ending to rare leathers like hippopotamus.
Now, beside the leather, the magic lays in the craftsmanship and the attention to details. The key to the process is respecting the exact client requirements because every watch is special, and some watches require sewing the belt on the watch when the watch does not have detachable spring bars.
TM: Where are all the products you offer made? And how are they made?
MC: Our operations are based in Romania, and although some of the materials we need come from different countries the finished products are made in Romania, in our small but expert shop.
TM: What kind of leathers are you working with? And where do you source your leathers?
MC: We mainly work with calf leather for shoes, and there is a wide range of leather available for special commissions: iguana, crocodile, shark, hypotonus, elephant and so on. All our leathers are tanned in France and in US for Russian leathers and cordovan. We have our traditional providers as we tend to be very conservative in terms on quality. We prefer the best therefore we work with the best.
TM: Is there something a like a tradition of making shoes and leather goods by hand in Romania?
MC: There are a lot of talented craftsmen who work only with their hands the leather or work in wood in Transylvania and now a younger generation is turning their eyes towards this almost extinct profession. We are lucky enough to gather very nice team around our master shoemaker. Young people with a lot of passion for the trade. Because this trade is almost extinct we wanted to share our knowledge to the next generation of masters, therefore we have opened in Bucharest a workshop where people can learn the skills of luxury leather craft. A lot of people work with leather, but delicate leathers have special requirements and finishes that necessitate special techniques that can be thought in this school.
TM: Are you open for any Trunk Shows in other parts of the world to offer more people your bespoke shoes and leather goods? Can people contact you for this?
MC: We are open to trunk shows starting 2023 and we can be contacted at…
TM: What can we expect from Petru & Claymoor soon? What other exciting developments are you planning?
MC: Our core business is related to men shoes. Beside men shoes in March 2023 a new range of leather accessories will be available, as well as a signature women bag designed for everyday use.
In the second part of the year will expand the Academia courses to ladies bag construction. As you can see, we have some great plans.