A Stitch in Time (and Attitude): Allistair Croot on Leather, Legacy, and the Fine Art of Not Trying Too Hard.

Some brands chase heritage. Others simply live it - preferably with a whiff of saddle soap and the faint creak of well-worn bridle leather. Croots of England, founded in 1978 in the unassuming Yorkshire town of Malton, belongs firmly to the latter camp. There are no moodboards here, no wistful sepia campaigns about “authenticity.” Just a workshop where people still cut, stitch, and burnish by hand, making bags that will likely outlast your next three phones - and possibly your next relationship.

Allistair Croot, the quietly irreverent custodian of this legacy, is the sort of Englishman who manages to sound both modest and mildly amused by modern branding. In a world where even “heritage” is algorithmically optimized, Croots operates with the calm assurance of a brand that knows a good patina doesn’t need a press release. Their bags have found their way into the hands of royals and bankers, field sportsmen and Tokyo commuters - a clientele as varied as their collaborations, which range from James Purdey & Sons to Bentley.

No filters. No factories in far-flung places. Just Yorkshire hands, bridle leather, and the faint smell of quiet rebellion.

Yet beneath the classicism, there’s mischief. Croots’ blend of bridle leather and military-grade Cordura isn’t a nostalgic affectation; it’s a design language that says Yorkshire knows how to do grit and grace. If Milan’s leather whispers seduction, Malton’s murmurs endurance - the kind of quiet durability that doesn’t need to prove it belongs in a first-class cabin or the back of a Defender.

When we sit down with Allistair Croot, he doesn’t so much answer questions as unspool anecdotes, each one betraying a blend of pragmatism and dry Yorkshire wit. He talks about AI with a twinkle in his eye (“it’ll never pick a hide the way a craftsman can”), about sustainability with the weariness of someone who’s been doing it since before it became a marketing term, and about the fine line between tradition and trend with the confidence of a man who’s never once chased the latter.

Croots, after all, doesn’t pretend to be a relic - it just refuses to be in a hurry. In a world obsessed with “drops” and “collabs,” there’s something radical, almost punk, about that.

Croots has been crafting bags in Malton, Yorkshire, since 1978. In a world addicted to fast fashion, do you secretly revel in the fact that your bags outlive most start-ups - and perhaps a few marriages?

Allistair Croot: In this modern world we exist in, brands seem to come and go. We are proud to have been creating products for nearly 50 years, but if you look at some of the most iconic heritage companies, we are still very young. Barbour, Crockett & Jones, Lock Hatters & John Smeadley come to mind.  I am not sure how many marriages we have outlasted, but we have had the pleasure of supplying many couples with wedding presents including one or two of the British Royal Family.

The brand’s DNA is rooted in shooting and sporting accessories, yet your City collection now graces train carriages and airport lounges as often as grouse moors. How do you navigate that tension between countryside grit and cosmopolitan polish without slipping into parody?

Allistair Croot: It is true that our beginnings and the first 30 years were firmly set in the Country Sports markets. This is still an important part of our business, but we have slowly diversified into the men’s travel and lifestyle markets.

I believe the first instance was a very nice Japanese brand seeing our green and brown netted Gamebag.  They asked if they could get the product in Royal Blue and Black leather. Suddenly our bag had a completely different use, but still had the same quality and values. Sometimes customers overlap, but we get no tension between the two - both respecting where we have come from and what we offer them.

Your Malton Bridle Leather is cut, stitched and finished by hand. Do you ever feel like you’re running a quiet rebellion against the algorithmic, AI-generated sameness of global design, or do you occasionally peek over the fence to see what “the machines” might add?

Allistair Croot: Of course we are now a minority, working with our hands and making truly individual products but we also have to embrace modern life. The world is becoming very automated and technology is doing amazing things.  We have to remember that when the first sewing machine was developed by Isaac Merritt Singer, it was just as life changing for our industry as any algorithms and AI.

One thing we are confident of is that AI will never be able to pick up a piece of Vegetable tanned leather, select the best feeling parts of the hide and create a Carry Case or Holdall that will look even better in 10 years than the day it was made.

The marketing talks of “Made in Malton” like it’s a provenance badge, which it is - but isn’t it also a bit of a gamble? In a world where Italian and French luxury scream louder, how do you make the Yorkshire accent feel like a competitive advantage rather than a quaint footnote?

If your bag looks this good after 20 years, you’ve either aged well together - or it’s doing all the heavy lifting.

Allistair Croot: We have felt for some time the “England” tag is being overdone by many high street brands and has lost its point of reference.  For example, you will see a good few companies marketing themselves as John Smith - England,  Joe Bloggs - England etc...  It will be true that the head office will be in England, the design might take place in England and if you are lucky the first sample is Made in England. After this point production moves to various factories around the world. 

We live and work in a Yorkshire town called Malton, surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery and historic places in the country. We wanted to give our brand a more personal feel where the customers can see we are proud of where every piece is created and take the risk that someone might say “Where is Malton?". Yes the luxury French and Italian brands live off luxury marketing. There is no point trying to hide who and what you are.

You’ve described your approach as marrying durability with understated elegance. Be honest: how often does durability win the argument over elegance in the design room - and what disasters taught you those lessons?

Allistair Croot: Croots has never been a dainty, elegant brand but we have become more refined. The products made for the Country Sports market have such a harsh life - being used in the worst weather and generally made to do a job.  Our materials and quality of work is the same in our Lifestyle collections. The result is a more refined, understated elegant laptop bag or briefcase, but with the hardwearing quality of the Country collection. That in our opinion is a great mix.

Croots boasts of collaborations with names like James Purdey & Sons, Mackintosh, Bentley & Range Rover. Is Croots the discreet common denominator behind Britain’s icons of power and wealth - and if so, how do you keep from being typecast as the “butler of British luxury”?

Allistair Croot: We are proud to have collaborated on various projects. Generally the partners will have similar core values and historically heritage brands.  For many years, our consumers would have been traditional, gentry and business leaders.

We are now finding the younger generations are craving some of the products and atmosphere of the past.  They want the fast, convenient life of now but every now and then they want that experience of quality and tradition that we can offer.

Each Croots piece patinates with use, making every bag a living archive of its owner’s travels and mishaps. Do you ever get tempted to launch a “pre-patinated” line for those who like the look of adventures without the inconvenience of actually having them?

Allistair Croot: No, we do not get involved with pre-aged materials.Why would we?

Anyone that is interested in Croots has made a conscious decision to buy a product because they know it will look great when they purchase it, it will do the job they want it to do and slowly develop its own look.

We get bags sent back for repair that can be 20+ years old and when we say how much of a restoration do you want, the general answer is to repair the fault, but not to alter the worn look. 

The first bag made by my wife’s parents was a Canvas Holdall for a Gunsmith who travelled the world. After 30 years he was no longer able to carry the bag and sent it back to us for our archives. It was still in full working order but did show 30 years of hard work, as we all do!

Military-grade Cordura meets bridle leather. That’s not so much “country house weekend” as it is “prepper chic.” Do you see Croots edging toward a world where your bags are as suited for a digital nomad dodging airports as for a Duke heading to his shoot?

Allistair Croot: That world has already arrived. We have many clients that work in banking, finance and very corporate environments.  Some choose to have the polished brands, others walk through London on their way to the City wearing their Barbour Jacket and carrying our Cotton Canvas Laptop bags.  Another plus point of the relaxed world we live in is the acceptance of different uniforms to life.  Sometimes the very young want a Bridle leather Satchel ( as would have been common 100 years ago) and then you get a 70 year old that wants a Canvas Duffle Holdall. It's great to see either of these attitudes.

Sustainability is now a buzzword plastered across every brand deck, yet Croots has been working with natural, durable, repairable materials for decades. Do you ever roll your eyes when competitors tout “eco-collections” as if they’ve discovered the wheel?

Allistair Croot: Yes, it is a little frustrating to see this never-ending marketing of “ Sustainability and Eco friendly”, in many cases purely to drive sales. Croots has always tried to use natural fibres such as Cotton, Vegetable tanned leathers and as little plastic as possible.  The argument over sustainable or organic materials can be miss understood. For example, a cotton T-shirt made from a good quality Cotton to a high standard ( but using a little more energy) can last for years. This is far better for the environment than a 100% organic Tee of poor quality, which falls apart after 3 washes.

Products should be made in the most environmentally respectful way but also made to last, which ultimately is best for the environment.

If Croots were to commit a glorious act of brand heresy - say, a neon nylon Croots x Supreme backpack - what would horrify you most: the collaboration itself, or the possibility that it might actually sell out in 24 hours?

Allistair Croot: Ultimately, we try to make products to sell well and generate money, which in turn keeps people employed in a shrinking industry.  We have nothing against a fun and loud coloured product.  We have just added a bright orange canvas to our collection and regularly have something eye-catching on show at the Pitti Uomo fashion show.  However, neon nylon would be a step too far. We will let the others run with this one!!

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Words and questions by AW.

Answers by Allistair Croot.

Photos courtesy of Croots.