When it comes to leather, luxurious quality is the name of the game — and Sunshine Barossa Australia has it in spades.
The home of handcrafted bespoke leather handbags and jaw-dropping accessories, Sunshine Barossa is your stop when you want to say farewell to fast fashion and invest in something to treasure for years to come.
Picture :: Carol Dadds
MEANT TO BE
Establishing Sunshine Barossa was written in the stars for owner Carol Dadds, who grew up surrounded by creative people — her grandma was a tailor, her mum sewed, and both of her parents did their own leatherwork. “People say they feel a lifetime of love in my pieces — and there absolutely is! The perfection is in the uniqueness of each hide and I handpick every single one, then design and produce something special with my talented team,” she says.
Picture :: Little Gems Barossa
COOL TO BE KIND
If you’ve got a little bugbear with buying leather, Carol wants you to know that she gets it. “A lot of people don’t understand that the leather I buy was destined for landfill, so it’s a nice way of keeping the beauty of that animal going. It’s better for the earth, as vinyl (known as vegan leather or PU leather) is plastic so it never breaks down. But I do also have a vegan range, which uses high end cork from Portugal.”
Picture :: Little Gems Barossa
OUT OF THE BOX
Not a handbag kinda guy or gal? No worries! Carol also creates purses, clutches, belts, duffle bags, wine bottle carriers, journal covers, keyrings, and even does industry branding by burning logos into the leather. “I get a lot of requests to do aprons, menu covers and wine bags, and can even imprint branding on wood.”
Carol has also dipped her toe into creating stunning pieces of clothing with 100 percent linen and 100 percent cotton after struggling to find styles she liked in fabric that would last. “I’m a very tactile person, so it’s all about the texture and quality of what I touch.”
Being in the Barossa has meant a huge amount of community support for Carol, and she loves nothing more than pop-ins from locals and visitors to her private studio where you can see her masterpieces. “It’s a real experience visiting the display room — it’s a little, rustic, straw-rendered building stocked full of leathers, and my workshop is right there, too.” It’s open at various times so always check the website for info. And to get a little sunshine into your life, have a squiz at her stockists across SA.
