Robb Report / COLLECTION June 2010 Robb Report / COLLECTION June 2010
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Western & English Today November/December 2008 Western & English Today November/December 2008 Western & English Today November/December 2008
El Rey Radius Cut Belt Stingray 944 Magazine December 2006 944 Magazine December 2006 Feature
Engraved El Muerto Radius Cut Belt Classic Alligator Skull & Crossbones Radius Cut Belt Stingray Turquoise Skull Stingray Belt
Peter Hoffman Engraved El Muerto Radius Cut Belt Classic Alligator (Black) Skull & Crossbones Radius Cut Belt Classic Alligator (Brown)
shūz VOLUME VII NO3 shūz Cameo
Juli B Feature

IN THE LOOPS

Robb Report / COLLECTION
June 2010
A BUYER'S GUIDE FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF ROBB REPORT

Peter Hoffman makes his belts completely by hand, and he makes them last. Thus he doesn't stitch the liner to the front of the belt. "Stitching tends to fray over time," he says.

He bonds the edges of the two skins so they won't separate, and he doesn't use any fillers; he creates a belt's contour by shaving the skin. The billets of his ranger belts are stitched to the rest of the belt, but only to the outer skin, not through both skins.

Pictured here is an American Alligator belt with a hand engraved buckle set made of sterling silver and 14-karat gold filagree.

The belt and buckle are priced at $9,500.

FIT FOR A KING

NBCSANDIEGO.COM
BY // Friday, Dec 18, 2009 at 05:45 PST
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GATOR GOODNESS: Belts are all over the place this season, and men and women alike can pick up a wide variety of styles and colors for a few bucks a pop.

However, the downside to cheap cinch-ware is that their price points begin to show in their wear and tear after just a few uses.

Invest in a beautiful leather belt that will last a lifetime with a design from local craftsman Peter Hoffman.

For over 20 years, he's worked with single-piece skins and leathers to make accessories that look, feel and wear like nothing else.

For one example of his fine craftsmanship, check out the El Rey sterling silver and ruby skull buckle along with the Radius women's alligator belt in one of 15 colors.

GET IT: All together for $3,500. Peter Hoffman Design, (858) 775-4916.

EXOTICS BY DESIGN

Western & English Today
November/December 2008

Peter Hoffman Design Ranger handmade belts are available in different widths and are made for both three- and four-piece buckle sets.

These handsome belts are available in exotic leathers including American alligator, hornback crocodile, ostrich and stingray in a variety of colors.

Each belt billet is hand-sewn to the top leather before the backing is applied.

This hand-sewn process is exclusive to Peter Hoffman Design. MSRP for a Ranger belt in alligator is $695; other leathers vary.

(858)775-4916; peterhoffmandesign.com

LEATHER MAN

Danae Blythe
944 Magazine
December, 2006

Peter Hoffman's hand dwarfs his Sapporo beer as he hovers atop crisp white seat cushions.  So why did he choose an upscale bar for an interview with 944, and not some unassuming dark bar that smells of masculinity and tequila?  Hoffman, after all, is of basketball player proportion in brawny cowboy boots (which he clearly does not wear for the added height) and a massive alligator leather belt.

Adorned in his own exclusive leather designs, he is modest and affable-- a friendly giant, much like his creations, which are statuesque in statement and in craftsmanship.  Hoffman's designs eschew the whole "metrosexual" phenomenon, proving that real men can be stylish, too.

Bruce Springsteen, Chris Isaak and Dave Navarro have all been Hoffman supporters from the start-- quite a roster for the beginning of one's career solely based on cowboy boots.  Hoffman's collection is now a wide breadth of accessories including boots, belts, wallets, handbags and clutches.  (He expanded in his expertise to stay afloat after the cowboy boots trend plummeted in the early '90s)

Reluctant to abandon his reputation then engraved in San Francisco with his three previous stores, called Kitshickers, Hoffman returned home to La Jolla to build his belt and leather accessories business.  "Not everybody needs ostrich cowboy boots,"  Hoffman admits.  "But everyone needs a belt."  And so Hoffman learned the trade of cutting belts from a local La Jolla business owner.  Drawing from more than 25 years in leather  dealing.  Hoffman's knowledge of quality and craftsmanship proved valuable in learning and mastering the belt-cutting trade.

The designs now available in Hoffman's inimitable inventory revolve chiefly around sterling silver skulls that take center stage on the bulk of his belts.  There are snakes along with much more subdued looks, but Hoffman's signature skull-accented designs are receiving considerable recognition.  In fact, the New York Times has called it, "The Heyday of the Dead" in reference to the skull's recent emergence in fashion.  Custom belts range from $50 to $4,000, while boots go for $500 and up.

Hoffman laughs when asked how such a stately man found himself in the accessories industry.  He remembers the angst in trying to find a pair of cowboy boots that would just simply fit him when he was younger.  So, instead of relinquishing all hope and succumbing to flip-flops, he learned to make cowboy boots for himself and for his friends and then later, Springsteen himself.

With an influx of imitation enveloping the world of fashion, boutique designers are the be esteemed, if not saved.  It's Hoffman's bespoke couture that lures both the celebrity and the fashionista to his leather goods, but it is his forward design that is placing him in only the most exclusive boutiques around the country, from New York to Carmel.  Whether Hoffman is consulting with Tommy Lee, or shaping a pair of customized, orthopedic boots for a young girl, he's a man with a vision known for treating his customers right.

And that's no small feat.

THE FASHION MOMENT OF THE SKULL. BELTS TO DIE FOR!

Linda Miller
Fashion Writer
August 17, 2006

The New York Times recently wrote that the SKULL is the new "happy face."  No connotation of scary thoughts, or Goth revival, but a chic fashion statement for those in the know.  Tibetan lore has the skull as rebirth and renewal of life.  A good thought. But finding items which are totally chic-- and not East Village-- can present some challenges..

Enter PETER HOFFMAN the Western Wizard of exotic leathers and skins known for his bags and belts.  He has taken this moment in fashion and is soaring with it. He has partnered with an artisan silversmith out West and the resulting creations are the single most incredible collection of skull themed belts ever seen.  Trust me!  These actually aren't belts--they are jewelry--they are an accessory which makes an incredible statement.

They are works of art in silver and skins, some with a touch of turquoise, all hand crafted, and the belts are lush leathers of sharkskin, ostrich, crocodile....and in just about any color.  They have a WOW effect off the scale.

Each belt is signed, all the silver artistry is done completely by hand, and the leathers are available in a new 2" curved radius which is waist whittling, or in thinner versions, as well as a straight 1" for the coolest guys out there.

Priced from...under $1000, to about $4,000.

Please click on each image to blow it up so you can see the details.  The El Rey has a gold tooth and a golden flower with a ruby on its forehead!  I mean could anything be as cool!  And the etching on the silver is quite extraordinary.

Peter keeps the spine of the stingray on his belts, and the uber chic single white diamond design that nature gave the fish (who seems to be having quite a fashion moment of his own now) is almost a hallmark of these belts for Hoffman.

Please think holiday...Gift Guides...perhaps a story on how we all now think of 'scary' skulls as high fashion. This is the belt to wear with big sweaters and leggings, with fitted jackets, with a dress...any dress day or evening...and it is perfection holding together my ladies' sable coat.

This is what is happening...and I have them.

Meet Peter Hoffman

vivre
style. living. gifts.
the art of living
2006

"MY WISH WAS TO CREATE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION OF BELTS AND USE THE SKULL AS IF IT WERE JEWELRY AND MEANT TO BE WORN AS SUCH. I WANTED THEM TO HAVE A BIT OF ANCIENT SPANISH ARTISTRY MIXED WITH CONTEMPORARY DESIGN. I BELIEVE THESE BELTS ARE CHIC BUT HAVE AN EDGE OF FUN."

Hoffman has long been known for his beautiful leather boots, bags and accessories in exotic skins like crocodile, ostrich and stingray.  His colors and styles are equally dazzling.  Having recognized the skull as a contemporary fashion symbol, Hoffman teamed-up with a sliversmith artisan to design these eye-catching belts.

Peter Hoffman Design-- a cut above

shūz
VOLUME VII NO3
WINTER 2004/2005
THE GIVING BACK ISSUE

From belts to boots to bags, California-based Peter Hoffman Design meticulously handcrafts and carefully constructs each of its handmade leather accessories to assure a lifetime of quality and durability.  Custom-made leathers are durable, unique and versatile.   The firm specializes in items constructed from such exotics as American alligator, ostrich, shark, stingray and lizard in a variety of color choices.  Need more, see for yourself:  www.peterhoffmandesign.com.

the sting

juli b
san francisco
lifestyle + lifestyle. tuesdays + thursdays
01.15.08
the sting.
contributed by toni kervina

feel that bite? no, you're not looking at your post-holiday amex bill. it's the peter hoffman stingray clutch.

jimmy choo would be the first to tell you that stingray is the new black. the clutch's onyx skin has a natural sparkle and the super-tight magnetic closure keeps your bills at bay. designer peter hoffman is no stranger to wildlife. he got his start making boots, but you're more likely to recognize his skull-adorned belts and other leather accessories. the la jolla-based hoffman uses a variety of exotic single-piece skins (like ostrich, alligator and shark) in the creation of his feral pieces. luckily, his stuff is avail to you. everything is handmade, many custom designed, and his biz has been attracting the likes of bruce springsteen for years.

little black dress? say hello to your little friend.

the stingray clutch
available for custom order at peterhoffmandesign.com