He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist. - St. Francis of Assisi

It is essential for a human being to have one of two things: either a disposition that is easygoing by nature, or a disposition built on craft and knowledge. Some people, like Ken Diamond, possess both.
For over a decade, Ken has devoted himself to the life of a craftsman, dividing his creative process into two distinct spaces: solitary creation and extensive collaboration, this time with the Lifetime Collective. Ken is the mastermind behind an ever-growing line of leatherworks from money clips and moccasins to bike seats and belts. His designs conjure a mindscape of 70s biker culture, punk rock music, and an ageless, timeless Wild Bunch. With orders coming in from around the world, and celebrities like Sienna Miller strolling through Hollywood in his moccasins, Ken is happiest right here in Vancouver, a homebrewed licorice stout in one hand, his dog Mona in the other.

What was your first paying job?
(Laughs) Mowing lawns for the elderly neighbors. Then I guess my first real job was Fitting Room Attendant at The Bay St. Vital Centre. I quit when they wouldn’t let me take the day off. My band had a gig at The Cauldron. I was 18 and in grade 12.

What music and films were you exposed to as a boy?
The Clash, for sure. That’s the first band I ever got really into. Then pretty much anything that strayed from the mainstream, anything punk rock. Winnipeg had a cool scene back then. It was right after the American Hardcore scene. Midto- late-80s Winnipeg had these cool places like The Cauldron, The Albert, The Point Douglas hall. Pretty much every weekend there was something to see. As far as movies, I still watch Repo Man over and over again to this day. Jim Jarmusch had a pretty big influence on me back then too.

You grew up in Winnipeg. When did you become interested in entering the world beyond the Prairies?
I can’t remember not wanting to leave Winnipeg. I moved to Vancouver in March of 1993. I’d worked as a bike messenger in the ‘peg and moved out here, intending to do the same thing.

Aside from geography, what changed the most about you and your life after moving to Vancouver?
I had a small group of friends in place, which helped a lot. Luckily, my family helped out when I truly needed it, but it wasn’t like I could take the bus to Fort Garry for Sunday dinner and a couple of loads of laundry. I was already quite independent but I think it solidified that for me. It’s crazy to think back… I thought I was so old at 23. I’d have a hard time moving across the country now.

Tell me about the beginnings of the establishment of Ken Diamond.
Similar to how I went about finding alternative music and movies. I was always looking for a creative outlet that was a bit different than what everyone else was doing. While working in the nomadic movie industry I tried a few things like furniture upholstery, which led to trying to build furniture. There was some success, but it just didn’t quite fulfill my creative needs. In the early 2000s I was asked by Kevin Cockell, the props master of The Vancouver Playhouse Theater and old messenger buddy, to build a leather teacup belt for a production of Fiddler On The Roof. To this day we’ve stayed great friends. It was a really cool thing. Kevin had some experience with leather so he gave me some hints and left me alone with it. I wet molded this thing, hand dyed it and hand stitched it. It was the beginning of leather for me. After that I started making belts and soon it became a whole collection. Everything is made by me in my shop by hand, mostly hand stitched and hand dyed.

You have a very interesting studio. It’s sort of an alone-together deal. Workshop in front, with a group of bikers and bikes out back. Your studio before that was very different in temperament, almost tranquil. Do you work well with others or are you more productive in solitude?
Do I work well with others? As long as they do it my way! Just joking. The new shop is amazing and the guys in the back are family. Luckily, they aren’t there as much as I am so the distractions are few. To answer your question, I work better in solitude. But I am learning to work productively with others. I have an apprentice now, who, like me, likes to work alone. We sometimes spend eight hours working, saying very little. It’s amazing. The shop also has let me have an appointment-only kind of storefront. Kind of a destination store, if you will. There’s street access, a garden in front, barbed wire… it’s really working out well.

Do you have a muse?
No.

Well, then what sorts of things fuel your creativity?
That’s a tough one. I go through these phases where I buy tons of Japanese magazines. Theirs is a culture which really gets what I do. Mostly, in relation to my surroundings. My home and shop are very simple with very little clutter. Having a simple lifestyle let’s me look at the things around me, which allows me to create on what has been created already. Ultimately working in a shop on the Sunshine Coast with a home next door would be perfect. Vancouver’s lower east side is cool for now. Walking my dog, Mona on the beach is amazing as well.

What sorts of things make it impossible for you to work?
Stress. Getting overwhelmed. I go through these phases where I have so much going on I don’t know where to start. It’s a good thing really. I’m learning to deal with it in a more efficient manner so it happens less and less.

How connected do you feel to fashion and design in Vancouver?
Very. There is a lot going on here. It seems like a lot of folks know about what I am doing here. I keep a low profile on a personal level, so I am always surprised at how many people know about me. It’s pretty cool.

How did you get involved with the Lifetime Collective? What does this collaboration entail?
I did a collab with Lifetime a couple of seasons ago. It went over really well. I ran into Trevor out one night, and we talked about doing another. It’s pretty much the two of us coming together on a few ideas and then me giving it a personal twist. It’s challenging sometimes because my style is very timeless and classic. Often Trevor wants to add some bells and whistles that I wouldn’t normally chose. It forces me to take a different approach to my work, and it’s cool because it adds a dimension that wouldn’t be there otherwise.

If you keep doing what you’re doing in the city that you’re doing it in, do you think it’s possible to make a fortune?
Yes. I think I already have. Making this business take care of itself in this world of mass overseas production is a feat in itself. As far as a fortune of money … I wouldn’t say no to it, but if I wanted to be a millionaire I would have got into real estate.

What limitations are you fighting against now?
Trying to keep up with the demand. A good thing, really.