BB Shoemaker is now making leatherwear accessories for your best bud.

Moving into dogwear was an easy decision for Adelaide shoemaker Beccy Bromilow.

“I had been doing belts, and because of how big the hides were there was a lot of offcuts from the belts that I’d made. I was like ‘Yep, I’ll keep them for later and I’ll make dog collars,’” she says.

Beccy started BB Shoemaker in 2014 after completing a custom footwear course at TAFE (and a brief stint as a sewing machinist at Rossi Boots). She started creating custom designs for clients and then went on to develop a core range.

In addition to BB Shoemaker’s wares being small-scale and handmade, what sets her business apart is its sustainable approach – using locally produced, vegetable-tanned bovine and kangaroo hide, the latter sourced as a byproduct of culling.

“Even though I’m producing small amounts, so it’s minimal impact, I want to feel comfortable with what I do. So I looked for alternatives, which is veg tanning,” she says.

The idea for dog collars sat on the backburner while Beccy transitioned from workshop at The Mill into Ensemble, the collaborative Gilles Street shopfront she co-owns with Anny Duff of Good Studios and plant stylist Emma Sadie Thompson.

She was prompted to return to the idea after being prompted by a friend to actually make one.

“It just took someone to be like ‘No, actually I want this – make it,’” Beccy laughs.

The range includes collars and leashes in a range of colours, as well as a customisable dog tag produced in collaboration with jewelry designer Olivia Kathigitis, with a percentage of every sale going to dog rescue group, herd2homes.

“It’s kind of been a fun thing for me,” Beccy says. “Doing photo shoots with dogs is pretty hilarious… And also, I love dogs, so that was a big thing.”