Paula Rowan gloves are made from the finest quality lambskin, and stitched in Italy to Paula’s own designs. Different linings and trim can then be added, from silk and cashmere linings to fur trim and buttons or studs.
While it is possible to use machinery, the highest quality gloves are those that have been hand-stitched, which is why we produce only hand stitched leather gloves.Unlike leather for belts, bags or shoes, leather for gloves needs far more care and attention.
Shoe leather, for example, can be treated with all manner of chemicals, and this gives the leather a uniform look. Glove leather, on the other hand, needs to be able to retain its natural elasticity, therefore harsh tanning methods simply cannot be used.
The beauty of using only natural products means that the glove leather retains more of its individual characteristics. This softer leather conforms to the shape of the hand, meaning the wearer's gloves will become perfectly tailored for their hands and their's alone.
Once the hides have been prepared, they are then dyed before being cut and stitched in Italy. This is done by master craftsmen, who have trained for seven years to learn this niche artistry.
The Art of Traditional Glove Making
There are many stages in the making of a pair of gloves and every Paula Rowan glove is made by hand.
The Steps of Traditional Glove-making
YOU’RE IN EXPERT HANDS ….
Paula Rowan opened her boutique in Dublin’s Westbury Mall in 2006, launching her first glove collection in 2008. Her luxury leather gloves have been worn by the world’s most stylish women, from Naomie Harris, Julianne Moore and Ruth Negga to Helen Mirren and Paloma Faith. Her gloves regularly feature in magazines worldwide, and are sourced by the world’s top stylists and photographers, including Katy England, Ib Kamara,Tim Walker and Paolo Roversi. To date, Paula Rowan gloves have featured in Vogue (worn by Kendall Jenner), W (worn by Dua Lipa), Tatler, i-D (worn by Naomi Campbell) and Love magazines; in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal; the cover of the FT’s How To Spend It; and the Tim Walker: Wonderful Things exhibition at the V&A (2019). Madonna chose to wear Paula Rowan gloves for her world tour.
After studying history and classics at University College Dublin, Paula worked in the family luxury leather goods store, eventually taking it over and channelling her creativity into gloves. She painstakingly sourced the very best Italian producers and artisans to bring her designs to life. “I work with people who know how leather feels, it’s in their blood.” Her gloves and sleeves combines the best of Irish design with the finest Italian craftsmanship.
All Paula Rowan gloves are handmade in Italy, from the finest leather ethically sourced in Ethiopia. The leather is dyed, treated and stitched in Italy by the world’s top producers of leather gloves – in the same ateliers as many of the world’s best-known luxury brands – using traditional techniques honed over generations. It’s a painstaking, precise process. “We examine every stitch,” says Paula. Each glove takes three months to produce.
To visit Paula Rowan is to entirely revisit everything you’ve ever thought about glove wearing.
She has an artist’s sensibility and knows instinctively what will suit your hands and arms. In her collection you’ll find luxurious yet practical everyday gloves to keep you warm and add a touch of glamour every time you leave the house – and also exclusive couture pieces, show-stopping leather designs that are an outfit in themselves. You’ll never want to take them off ….
Born and based in Dublin, Paula lives by the sea, a constant source of inspiration.