Galen Leather

Galen Leather was founded in Istanbul in 2012 by Zeynep, who turned to leatherwork after a cancer diagnosis left her unable to speak for a year and forced her to leave her sales career. She learned the craft through classes with local artisans and online tutorials, initially selling leather goods and vintage kilims before teaching herself and her brother Yusuf to produce their own handmade items. They began making journal covers, pen cases, and tech accessories, all laser-cut and hand-stitched in their Istanbul workshop.

The company takes its name from both a gemstone and the ancient philosopher Claudius Galenus, born in Bergama, a Turkish city known for leather. Zeynep passed away in 2019, and her husband Yunus and brother Yusuf continue to run the family workshop, producing notebook covers fitted to Moleskine, Rhodia, Leuchtturm1917, and Field Notes, along with pen cases, laptop sleeves, and travel accessories made from vegetable-tanned leather with brass and wood accents.