Chapter Six: The Heritage Collection
The Heritage Collection was born from a special request — one of my dear Adoris commissioned a custom leather cover for her Qur’an. That single commission became the seed for what would be my most ambitious leather project to date.
Only a couple were ever made.
This collection carried weight. It marked both a creative high point and, in some ways, a closing chapter — I decided to retire Stori Dori not long after.
We used full-grain vegetable-tanned horse leather from South America — a personal favourite of mine. There’s something deeply grounding about working with this kind of hide. It tells its own story, if you’re willing to listen. Tiny insect bites, natural creases, scars from a life lived out in the wild — each one a marker of authenticity. A reminder that perfection isn’t the point — presence is.
At the heart of the design was a hand-drawn pattern by the incomparable Aziza Iqbal — a 13th-century Moroccan Islamic geometric motif, stitched with quiet reverence and care. The idea was simple but powerful: to make something that would grow more beautiful with age. A piece to be handled, lived with, prayed with — not kept in a box.
The colours were subtle but significant: Layl — meaning night — a deep, rich shade that felt grounding. And Fifi — named in quiet affection — soft, warm, and full of grace.
The Heritage Collection wasn’t made for the masses. It was slow, thoughtful work. And maybe that’s exactly how it was meant to be.
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