Hello and welcome to my Web shop

My name is Chantal, born in 1958, I have been a professional Artist/Artisane since 1976.
I live and work in Sydney Australia.

Since 1984 I’ve earned a modest living making Costumes and Props for film and television .I am better known in the industry for my broad range of leatherworking skills and my versatility. My work features in many feature films, commercials and T.V flicks. Notably in " Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome", "Crocodile Dundee “, "Babe Pig In The City"," The Matrix "and “Superman Return “.
For a glimpse of some of my costumes, props and other things made to date you might want to checkout My Costume and props galleries

About my interest in music and guitars:

I have been an avid listener ever since I can remember. Having spent half my life in French speaking Europe (Switzerland) and the other half in an English speaking country (Australia) give or take few years traveling the world in between. I have been exposed and love plenty of different styles of music. Blues, Jazz, Rock, Flamenco and everything in between. Good music is good music regardless of borders, string instruments are everywhere and the Guitar and Bass are my favorites.

In 2000 I started collecting basket case acoustic guitars to turn into object d'art and kept been drawn to try and play them.

In 2001 I purchased my first playable accoustic guitar since a teenager and with the help of the Internet I started to seriously learn how to play. Since then my interest in all things guitars has quickly developed into a new exciting and fulfilling passion. Guitars are here to stay.

Somewhere in between 2000 and 2005.
Been primarily an Artist. I started creating musically inspired leather bags and other things. About that time. With a focus and a background in the “Performing Arts “ I noticed that there was a definite lack of REALLY handcrafted, interesting "one of a kind "guitar straps. So many beautiful guitars with ordinary straps.

Somewhere in between May and September 2005.
With the realization that the Internet would provide me with a voice out there out of my workshop where I seem to spend most of my time. It dawned on me that I could now put thoughts into action and I slowly (in tandem with a rigorous film job) started making the guitar straps you see on this website with the first strap made and sold in September of that year.

In all those years my focus has always been to create beautiful, unique, usable and extremely strong wearables, sometimes ” works of Art “ with lots of attention paid to details and finishing. This I often thought was perhaps a little wasted in films but when in a close up shot, what looks real generally speaking It is real with all its details magnified a hundred fold. a lot of that work has been kept and is now spread around the world .

So here I am presenting to you and the world at large, Chantal's guitar straps representing a lifetime of creativity and amongst other things 22 years experience in show business .I design and make those straps by my own hands. I will never copy anyone else work so you will NEVER find SRV straps look alike here nor will they EVER be turned out on a production line by the hundreds. I’ll never be rich but I follow my passions and the love for my work and to me it has always been of prime importance. My aim is to make the best leather guitar straps I know how and perhaps “in the world”. You’ll be the judge.
Besides, I strongly suspect they probably represent the most significant contribution I’m ever likely to give back to the music world.

I hope you enjoy looking at the work. Feel free to drop me an E-mail and say hi. I love getting feedback, don't we all.

Bye. for now
Chantal