Captain’s Cut Leather: The Maltese brand reviving retail for Valletta residents
“People said that physical retail doesn’t make sense and I should only sell online,” says Keith-John Caruana of Captain’s Cut Leather, the Maltese leather brand and retailer that he founded in 2021. The self-taught craftsman has recently opened a shop in Valletta. “Leather is something that you need to smell and I make bespoke belts that people have to try on so we needed to be here.”
It was a bold move for Caruana, who is keen to change the Maltese capital’s retail dynamic. The island-nation welcomes 2.9 million tourists a year, the majority of whom visit Valletta, with its shopping scene catering to the influx. “All of the retailers serving locals are leaving Valletta – it’s just restaurants and tourist shops now,” says Caruana. “But I’ve done the exact opposite.”
A retired armed forces captain whose passion for leatherwork was ignited while stationed in Tuscany – where he watched Florence’s skilled traditional leather-craftsmen at work in the city’s narrow alleys – Caruana made his retail vision a reality with the help of his army friends. “Funnily enough, the original shop was run by a Maltese guy making boots for the British army and navy,” he says. “But it was really run down, so I got some of the army guys to come in and help me gut it. We stripped it back to reveal the original woodwork and tiles from 1921.”
The result is a beautiful workshop-cum-store, where Caruana puts the finishing touches on his products, takes measurements for bespoke commissions and runs workshops for apprentices. “I’ve trained 25 students from across Europe,” he says. “I want young people to understand the quality of good, full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather and get them addicted to things that matter – and I needed a shop to be able to do that.”
Caruana is taking a similar approach with his customers, who include discerning tourists (the ones who are willing to venture off Republic Street, Valletta’s main drag) and Maltese celebrities, such as pop star Ira Losco. “I want to give visitors quality souvenirs, not the made-in-China stuff that you’ll find everywhere,” he says. “And it’s good for residents too. If you’ve forgotten your mum’s birthday, you can come here and have a wallet embossed with my laser, to make her feel special.”
captainscutleather.com
