Guillermo Cuevas of Dunrite Leatherworks and his studded belts

This belt pays homage to the studded belt and is reminiscent of what Edward Bohlin would have done, which with a few Google searches you will see is something amazing. [He was designing buckles and belts] for anyone who was anybody in Hollywood in the '20s. I'm not there yet, but he started out like me: he was doing some very fancy stuff. One day he went to a rodeo and one of the biggest stars in the country at the time, Tom Mix, was there, and he said, “Those boots. Where did you get them?” [Bohlin] It was like, “I did this.” In short, he made Bohlin move to Hollywood. His company speaks for itself. But I wanted to do something like that, where I could easily stand next to one of Edward Bohlin's pieces.

I am very proud of this belt. It is something I have wanted to make for a long time. It is hand made, hand painted and hand dyed. The jewels are vintage antique jewels. [which] It means that these jewels were made in the 60s and are no longer made, so they are very hard to find. A lot of people try to message me and ask me where I get these pieces. I'm not going to tell them! That's part of the secret ingredient.

Guillermo Cuevas pays tribute to the studded belt.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been surrounded by Western and Mexican-style boots and belts. Every time we went to Mexico, my mom would buy me new gear and boots. And then when I was a teenager, I went to Placita Olvera, a few blocks from here. They all sell leather goods there, but there's one store in particular, Murillo Leather, that I used to go to when I was in middle school and high school, and I would talk to him nonstop. He was so kind to let me stand in front of his counter for hours, just talking to him and asking him questions. I finally said, “I'd like to try to learn.” And he was so helpful. He said, “I have leather scraps there that I can give you.” He set me up with little things to get me going.

Fast forward to when I did it for fun. I did it with a friend from high school, his dad had some tools, because he's a blacksmith. In the end, my friend wasn't too interested and he was like, “Take those tools.” So I took them, and all this time, I was making stuff for myself, posting little things here and there on my Instagram, and slowly, my friends were like, “I want something for myself. I want a belt. I want a wallet.” And eventually, I made something for the right friend. [who was] “You have to sell them,” I said. “Who's going to want to pay for that kind of work?” It takes a lot of time. “Make business cards and I hope you'll distribute them,” he replied.

I was on the verge of quitting my job in retail. I needed something new. I needed to try something different. I knew I was going to do leather goods, and I happened to go to Space City Vintage. I knew the owners of the rockabilly scene. And I was telling him the whole spiel, and he was like, “Bring everything and come work here.” Luckily, things have been going well, and I’ve been able to make some pretty big pieces for some pretty cool people. My first big break was Leon Bridges—I’ve made a ton of belts for him. And then, if you know Mexican music, there’s Carin Leon. She’s getting pretty big. I made one for Trish Toledo. I made some for Thee Sacred Souls, who are everywhere right now. I had the opportunity to make a custom bracelet for Timothée Chalamet. I even recently had Glen Powell on one of my belts in the movie “Twisters.” It just feels right.

It took a lot of trial and error to see what worked for me in terms of outlining everything, but a few years ago I felt like a little switch flipped. I love old cartoons and I was watching a documentary about Fleischer Studios, which made Popeye and Betty Boop, and one of the cartoonists was saying that whatever you do, no matter what it is, it has to have finesse. So I thought, “Yeah, it does!” That kept me going. All you need to do is put a little bit more in and it will be a lot better and people will notice it more.

These studded belts date back to the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, and have been worn by countless people since then. But I like to experiment. Most people just do what was done in a certain period, add some colors, but that's where it ends. I like to add crazy colors, all kinds of stones. I love making something custom for someone, and I don't like having 12 copies of the same thing. You'll never come into my shop and leave with something right away. I have my waiting list. I have my customers who are waiting happily.

Back in high school, I was obsessed with my friend Mando's belts. [at Murillo Leather]I wanted one with my name on it, some with my last name on it. I wanted one in black, one in brown, one in burgundy. I had one that said “Dodgers” in blue. I wanted it all. [A belt] It just secures everything together, simply put. That's what a lot of people overlook. They think people don't realize that their plastic belts are peeling and not really doing their job. These are real leather belts that are tough and wearable. They will last.

—As told to Elisa Wouk Almino

Dunrite Leatherworks is a made-to-order leather goods company based in downtown Los Angeles, crafting bespoke pieces that seamlessly blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary style. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to quality, Dunrite creates unique leather goods that tell a story of skill, dedication, and the vibrant spirit of Los Angeles.