Skip Pas | Fashette

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Michael Hoban’s North Beach Leather Dress – makes a return!

Fashette.wordpress.com is the Official meeting place for Michael Hoban’s North Beach Leather (NBL). Read below correspondence from NBL Founder & Designer Michael Hoban, NBL ex-General Manager Skip Pas &amp and Catherine Hoban (Michael Hoban’s daughter); fans!!! Thank you for your support ♥♥♥

UPDATE ** Catherine Hoban, Michael Hoban’s daughter recently contacted Fashette, to set the record straight on North Beach Leather and Skip Pas. See comments section below.

UPDATE ** Mr Skip Pas, ex-general manager of North Beach Leather, recently contacted Fashette to announce West Coast Leather’s new store in Chicago!

Submitted on: Nov 10, 2010 @ 22:02,

“North Beach Leather went into a General Assignment in 2003 . At that time i started a new company West Coast Leather . I kept the name North Beach Leather for 2 years under a licence with the California Courts . We own all the old paterns from the old company and have continued to creat new collections yearly each Spring and Fall. Leather has become the focus of all the top designers in the world and look for a mega year in 2011 . West Coast Leather has 2 retail locations in San Francisco and a new location at the Water Tower Place in Chicago on Michigan Ave .. We use only the top Italian lambskins and creat these designs in our design studio boutique location at 290 Sutter Street ..”

Fashette would like to thank Mr Michael Hoban for his comments on our post, this is such an honor!

Mr Michael Hoban writes:

Dear Fashette,

I enjoyed reading this article, however my only correcting is that Skip Pass does own North Beach Leather. Yes, he was general manager of the San Francisco store for about 1o years, but now owns his own company called West Coast Leather (completely separate from my ex-company) . Mr. Pass was only general manager and has never owned even a small share of NBL.

Michael Hoban was one of the first designers in the 1960s to introduce counterculture leather jackets and clothing to Hollywood’s celebrities; Including Supermodel Cindy Crawford (seen in the Ad campaigns).

Micheal was born in the rough Roxbury section of Boston where, in the 1950s, he was the leader of the Warriors, a teenage street gang. He was later to use the street gang clothing of that time as inspiration for many of his designs.

But in the summer of 2003, after insurmountable financial troubles, Hoban lost the business, and he has since relocated to Hawaii. The company is now owned by 46-year-old Skip Pas, Hoban’s former general manager, who kept the famous name and the clingy designs. Only one North Beach Leather store remains, on Grant Avenue, on Union Square.

Most recently vintage “North Beach” leather styles with gold buttons, have been a popular celebrity choice. Read more here