Leather craftsman Fong Zi Xian landed in hot water in December 2021 when he received a lawyer’s letter from a major French luxury brand regarding a possible trademark infringement. What he was selling looked too much like the real deal.“It was my fault, I admit that. I apologised,” says the 31-year-old founder of Malaysian leather craftsmanship company Tyde Goods. “And now I know where not to touch, and where I can go back.”A tough lesson – one that led to the voluntary temporary closure of his then seven-year-old business – was learned. But Fong is now back on his feet and preparing to open his first showroom in Kuala Lumpur in October.It is a long way from where he started – and an even longer way from where his dream almost ended.Fong’s journey into leather began at arts and design institute The One Academy where, as a graphic design major, he had to choose a particular material to study in-depth for an assignment. He had his eye on a leather wallet from the brand Bellroy, but as a student, he could not afford it.“I used that assignment as an excuse for my dad. I told him I needed to buy this wallet to study leather,” he says.After making the purchase, he took the wallet apart to study the craftsmanship – and then went further. He bought tools and materials online and began working with leather to show his lecturer what he had learned.