Florian Rousies, founder of Atelier Florens

My story

A passion born in 2019

My name is Florian Rousies, leather craftsman and founder of Atelier Florens, a handcrafted leather goods workshop based in Geneva.

My journey with leather began in 2019, driven by a fascination with turning an idea into a concrete, useful and lasting object. Very quickly, working this material became far more than a simple apprenticeship: a genuine passion for a craft where every gesture matters.

Florian and Steven Wu - Taipei 2023

My path

From France to Taiwan

After a first year of self-taught training, I chose to refine my skills in France in 2021 to build a solid foundation. But I was looking for more than technical mastery. I wanted to create timeless pieces, where design, understated elegance and quality of execution come together naturally.

This quest led me to Taiwan in 2022, where I had the chance to train under master craftsman Steven Wu. His rigour, precision and deep respect for the craft profoundly shaped the way I work. Alongside him, I understood that excellence lies not only in the final result, but in the attention paid to every detail: caring for tools, the precision of a cut, the regularity of a stitch, or the quality of the finishing.

On my return, I integrated these lessons into each of my creations, while continuing to develop my own approach. Wanting to go further still, I went back to Taiwan in 2023 to deepen this training and continue learning under Steven Wu.

Atelier Florens today

A contemporary vision of leather craftsmanship

Back in Geneva, I founded Atelier Florens with a simple conviction: a leather workshop dedicated to creating handmade pieces in small series, designed with particular attention to proportions, choice of materials and precision of finishing.

Each piece is born from a succession of precise gestures — cutting and preparing the leather, skiving the edges, saddle stitching done entirely by hand, then a long finishing process — each step demanding the same rigour, from the first gesture to the last. The leather is worked using demanding traditional techniques, with the aim of creating elegant, durable pieces designed to accompany their owner over time.

Through deliberately limited production and the possibility of personalising certain creations, Atelier Florens champions a contemporary vision of leather craftsmanship: demanding, personal and deeply rooted in craftsmanship.

Sharing

A craft worth sharing

I also love sharing this craft through introductory workshops, where anyone can discover the work of leather, learn the gestures of a leatherworker, and leave with a creation made by their own hands. Passing on a craft, revealing the beauty of materials, and the pleasure of making a lasting object, is now an integral part of my approach.

Whether through a piece available at the workshop or a fully custom project, my ambition remains the same: to design understated, elegant and timeless objects, made to accompany their owner for many years.

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