The Shaminda Perera Leather Story

The fact that you are here is an encouragement to me and lets me know that I have done something right for someone to know more about Shaminda Perera Leather. The sections that follow give an insight to how the organization came to be.

The organization launched as 'ChapterOne Leather' in 2020 and was rebranded as 'Shaminda Perera Leather' in 2026.

In the Beginning

Since my early teenage years I had always appreciated the elegance of anything that is made with good quality leather. Most of my milestones were celebrated by buying a leather item. I still remember when I started working at SriLankan Airlines in my 20s, my dad gifted me a leather briefcase. It was Light Brown with polished gold hardware and looked luxurious. When I took it with me, I could see people turned heads. It was the envy of many of my colleagues.

At anytime, I would save up and pay more for full-grain or top-grain leather products. I consider it to be a smart investment - it means cost savings in the longer run, is durable and therefore stands the test of time, good quality leather ages well, and adds a lot of elegance and character to your personality. The tagline of my business “Elegance - Character - Durability” which are the foundations of the ChapterOne Leather brand was influenced by my own interests in leather. So, I think among many other things that prepared me for leatherwork, my attraction to leather goods pushed me towards becoming a Leatherworker.  

I started with leather crafting in 2019 when I was not happy with the leather journal covers found in stores with big names. They didn’t serve the purpose of my needs for functionality. Also, learning that most of them are faux leather, or ‘genuine leather’ which is actually one of the lowest grades of leather, is a huge turn-off for me. 

After my first journal cover, I soon realized that I was good at leather crafting. So, I started to make leather wallets as gifts for my family. And, from there my interest grew into a passion. The passion grew into sort of a vice. It made me upgraded my skills, learn-learn-learn, and to constantly challenge myself with making something new.  

My son is my greatest fan. He is my cheerleader as well as my design consultant. When I launched my business he was 12 years old. It was he who constantly pushed me to share my work and my passion for it with you all. With his encouragement, on October 30th of 2020, ChapterOne Leather was launched as an eCommerce. The success of my business is dedicated to his future.

The Logo

A head of a horse that is formed with the letters S and P to represent my name brand Shaminda Perera. 

I chose the horse to represent elegance, creativity and durability. The colour combination of black and gold (represented by beige) is to give a sense of opulence and luxury.

These aspects influence my design principles. I focus on aesthetics so that each item is elegant and has character. Quality leather products are simply expensive. You won’t find a leather product that is cheap unless the business is closing and the inventory is being liquidated, or there is a massive investment behind the start-up. In other words, you are making an investment with a quality leather purchase. I recognize that. Therefore, to me each creation must serve a purpose and last a lifetime.

It is an awesome logo don’t you think?

Where to from here?

I want Shaminda Perera Leather to be a well-known name when someone thinks of investing in a leather product. I want to achieve this with the quality of my creations speaking for itself rather than marketing gimmicks. It is simple as that and that is my promise.

When you invest in a leather product from Shaminda Perera Leather or refer me to family and friends, you are supporting a small business owner and contributing to the local economy. At the same time, you are standing beside me and Shaminda Perera Leather in the journey towards growth. I cannot ask for anything more encouraging than that.

If you read our story right upto this point, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time. Please do consider sharing this page with your family, friends, and network. Our Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest handles are @SPLeather.

Have an awesome day!

Shaminda Perera, MEd., CVA, LYB

Sole Artisan and Owner