It's custom leather work that only a craftsman can accomplish. Rochester is home to a leather master by way of David Lane Design.

Every wallet, watch strap and belt at David Lane Design on East Main Street is handmade by David DeMarte. 

DeMarte grew up in the Rochester area. He graduated from Greece Athena. He’s an art teacher in the Spencerport School District. He says he’s always had a creative side.

“Yes, I wanted to start something that I knew I could potentially handle," said DeMarte. "My grandfather was a shoemaker and I knew I could pick his brain so I bought some tools and some leathers and started messing around in my apartment and after a little while I put a couple of eBay and sold a couple really quick and was like...oh, that’s kind of nice."

He opened David Lane Design in 2008. Since then, he estimates he has sewn with more than six miles of thread. He uses the finest hides, even alligator. 

"Material is really important and buying it is tricky, but important. Everything is handmade and hand-sewn. I work my way front to back and end to end. A watch strap takes two-three and half hours. It is labor-intensive because he has specific measurements it has to fit."

He sells his products to people all over the world. His work has even been featured in Esquire Magazine. DeMarte is as down-to-earth as you get and takes pride in his work. 

"I just love that when you buy it, it is going to last. It is going to be something you see develop over time. It gets better with age. The more you use it, in my opinion, the better it looks so it is something you are going to have for a long time," said DeMarte.

You can meet DeMarte, tour his studio and visit more than a dozen other creative spaces inside the Hungerford Building on East Main Street in Rochester on Friday, Dec. 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.