For over 40 years, w.kleinberg has been offering a made-to-measure leather experience
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.”
