Brave Boys

Nicole Stewart

Be brave, boys! Pick up your slacks and put on a belt to avoid droopy drawers. If you need a new belt, but aren’t sure where to look, Scott Irvine’s Canadian label, Brave Leather, needs to be put on your shopping list.

Raised in a less-than-trendy abode in Markham, Ontario, Scott enjoys the finer things in life: fishing, boating, and playing with his dog. Scott made his way to the big smoke to study business and marketing at Ryerson University, getting through school as a part-time catalogue model.

Soon after being introduced to the fashion industry, Scott started making handmade leather belts and wristlets, which he sold as a street vendor on the Beaches in Toronto. He eventually moved to another location in the downtown core, and the rest is history.

More than fifteen years later, Brave Leather has achieved both local and international success, retailing at stores like Fred Segal, Kitson, Nordstrom, and Holt Renfrew.

And even after all of this, it is the ethics of Brave Leather that are most impressive. Far too often, companies sell out and the Made in Canada label is quickly traded in for cheaper labour costs (and questionable labour practices) in another country.  But not at Brave Leather!