We had the good fortune of connecting with Lyndsi McGee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lyndsi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was finding these amazing bags from the 1970s in vintage shops around Los Angeles but they always seemed to suffer the same fate. A missing piece, a broken clasp or leather that had been neglected for far too long. Having grown up running around my grandfathers tack room, I was no stranger to leatherwork. After wearing and repairing a few bags past the point of no return, I eventually decided to try my hand at creating a bag from scratch and thus Mean Jean was born.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
One thing that sets us apart from others is our tooling. All of our stamping is done by hand, one character at a time, to create experimental geometric patterns that stray outside the confines of traditional leather tooling.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to Walt’s in Eagle Rock for a Hamm’s, Hotdog and Pinball! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today without the support of my Partner Nick. He has contributed a tremendous amount of time, effort and creativity over the years. We are very fortunate to share similar paths as he is a Saddlemaker and the owner of Pioneertown Saddlery. You can check out his work on Instagram: @pioneertownsaddlery

Website: https://www.meanjeanleather.com

Instagram: @meanjeanleather

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