In an era of fast fashion and mass production, there’s something almost radical about a belt that takes days to make, especially one where 15 pairs of hands touch every stitch, buckle, and edge. But it’s something that happens at the w.kleinberg workshop on Collier Road every day.
William Kleinberg’s love of leather began with an alligator leather wallet he received as a child living in Montgomery, Alabama. “I loved the look and feel of it,” he says. That early fascination stayed with the University of Alabama graduate as he searched for a business idea post graduation that didn’t require substantial start-up capital. The aha moment came during a belt shopping adventure, when he was searching for an alligator belt for himself and couldn’t find what he was looking for.
Kleinberg partnered with his girlfriend at the time, a scarf designer for Echo in New York, to create an alligator belt for women. She designed the buckles, while he arranged manufacturing. “It wasn’t even the right way to make buckles,” he laughs, remembering how green they were at the time.
Despite having no prior fashion experience, Kleinberg, then in his early 20s, knew he was on to something, filling a gap in the market for quality, well-priced alligator belts for women. He says the belts are a hallmark of classic Southern style. “Alligators are indigenous to the United States,” he explains. “You find them from Texas up to North Carolina. It’s a Southern thing.”
Armed with five prototypes, he headed to New York in 1984 to shop his products around to top magazines and stores. “I called Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and [San Francisco-based department store] I. Magnin,” he remembers. Subsequent conversations from that first trip landed Bergdorf Goodman as his first wholesale customer, which remains a customer to this day.
That confident start launched 40 years of a successful leather and exotic skins business, with a workshop based in Buckhead. The family-owned company now sells 42 colors of alligator, in addition to dozens of other types of leathers and skins, under the w.kleinberg label. “We have cayman crocodile, ostrich, python, textured leathers, corded stretch belts, you name it,” he says. The combinations are seemingly endless, with thousands of options for the discerning customer. “We make about 25,000 w.kleinberg belts a year,” he says.
Beyond belts, w.kleinberg has expanded into other luxury leather goods, including wallets, handbags, and even exotic leather dog collars, crafted by the same master artisans who create their signature belts on site. The brand also has buckles made from .925 sterling silver, zinc, brass, and nickel-free plate, offering customers the option to mix and match straps and buckles for truly personalized pieces.
Kleinberg employs 20 people, about a dozen of whom touch every single belt. Each piece is made to order and crafted by hand, with all designing, manufacturing, and shipping happening at the facility. This centralized operation allows the company to maintain strict quality control.
The company also wholesales to hundreds of stores around the country, private labels for some of the biggest names in menswear, and has a robust digital presence selling belts worldwide. But the most special thing about the brand is that Atlanta customers can visit the showroom to experience the made-to-measure process and meet the artisans working behind the scenes.
“We love when customers come in to get the full experience of us pulling out the leathers, the buckles, and everything,” he says. He especially likes it when customers bring in shoes or clothes that they’re trying to pair with a custom belt. Appointments are strongly recommended, although the showroom is open daily from 10 am to 5:30 pm. All the leathers are sourced from the best international tanneries; ostrich comes from South Africa, crocodile is sourced in Colombia, and calf leather is produced in Italy.
“We start with the highest quality materials, and our craftspeople bring it all together into beautifully made belts, created to last,” he says. The company is also committed to responsible sourcing and manufacturing processes that produce minimal waste. While Kleinberg spends considerable time and attention finding his materials, the made-to-measure belts can be ready in a matter of days.
Kleinberg considers himself to be fairly stoic and prefers to be on the manufacturing and sales side rather than as the face of the brand. But he does love it when he sees his customers delight in his products and return to have the experience in the workshop over and over again. “It’s a great feeling to see the belts being used,” he says. “I’m really proud of the people who make them. And I’m proud I’m still here.”
From infrared-heated Pilates studios to boxing-inspired strength training, the options for staying well in Buckhead are aplenty. Whether you’re looking to build strength, increase flexibility, or simply carve out time for yourself, consider this your go-to guide for gyms that are as elevated as the neighborhood we call home.
Founder Hanna Sellers brings a background in biomedical science to every anatomically-driven sequence at her Andrews Square studio–which boasts the most beautiful interior in town. Whether sweating it out in the infrared heated room for mat-based classes or stretching on the reformer, Pêche’s moody red-and-green color palette brings swanky Paris cafe DNA to Buckhead.
Stellar Bodies’ custom-built machines deliver a workout that is often mistaken for Pilates or weightlifting, but is truly its own. Since becoming Georgia’s first Megaformer studio in 2011, Stellar Bodies has offered low-impact, high-intensity training designed to sculpt lean muscle and strengthen the core. Clients can choose between the signature full-body class or a targeted experience focused on abs and arms.
Those craving true intensity need look no further than Barry’s, a pioneer in the boutique fitness industry since its first studio opened in 1998. Today, Buckhead Village District’s outpost of the nationwide chain offers hybrid workouts that make use of treadmills, heavy weights, and even stationary bikes to knock out strength and cardio all in one. In the infamous Red Room, dim lights and loud music create a club-like atmosphere so fun you might not notice that rapidly-escalating heart rate.
While many fitness studios claim to offer Lagree, the namesake Megaformer workout of celebrated trainer Sebastian Lagree, obtaining certification is a stringent process that few actually complete. PACE proudly houses Lagree Method-certified instructors and spring-based Megaformer MS3s for slow, controlled resistance training. Beyond the Lagree Method, many PACE instructors also hold certifications in post-natal education and personal training.
The group classes at BACH (pronounced “batch”) fall into two camps: strengthening and lengthening. For the former, the H.I.S.T. class offers a form-focused, heavy-weight focus on high-intensity strength training, while the Bodywork class incorporates deep stretching and breathwork for active recovery–since training like an athlete requires recovering like one.
The Roswell Road location of Atlanta’s most ubiquitous yoga studio offers infrared heated workouts ranging from the signature Yonder Flow to beat-driven hip-hop classes. Unlike its outposts in Inman Park and the perpetually-crowded Midtown Promenade, parking is a breeze at Buckhead Court; for post-flow fuel, the studio is just steps from a plant-based, cold-pressed DTox Juice.
Named for the way professional boxers “pepper” their bags to prepare for matches, Pepper combines no-contact shadowboxing with heavy teardrop-style bag combos and weighted bar exercises. If you’ve ever been to a gym where you felt like you were watching your neighbor the whole time, the circular configuration of a Pepper class ensures that an experienced instructor is always within your line of sight instead.
Though you’ll also find The Forum at Ponce City Market and in Forsyth County, its home in Buckhead reigns supreme thanks to its convenient location inside Lenox Square. Serious lifters and runners will enjoy its state-of-the-art equipment, a full schedule of cardio agility and fast-twitch classes tailored to different muscle groups, and a dedicated clientele that’s equal parts quiet young professional and fitness influencer.
Just across the street from The Forum stands Life Time at Phipps Plaza, Buckhead’s gym of choice for those seeking a luxe, country-club feel from their workout. Lifters have access to state-of-the-art equipment, while boutique-fitness devotees treat it as a one-stop shop with more than 100 classes offered weekly. But, of course, Life Time isn’t just about the workout, and its amenities lean indulgent: a detoxifying eucalyptus steam room, LifeSpa services ranging from massage to skincare and nail treatments, and a rooftop pool with sweeping views of the Buckhead skyline. Plush coworking spaces—complete with complimentary Wi-Fi throughout—make it just as easy to log in as it is to log reps.