Martin Dingman and his family surround themselves with the exceptional, cultivating a life — and a legacy of leathercraft — defined by quality in the heart of Arkansas.
Story by Christiana Roussel and Cara Clark
A white plume sweeps through the tawny switchgrass, its feathery arc revealing the charged stillness of a bird dog in pursuit. In an instant, it freezes — precise, reverent —claiming the point. But the more profound revelation is the hunter himself: the Royal Llewellin Setter, a breed once teetering on the edge of extinction, preserved only through the vigilance of a small, passionate cadre determined to protect its grace, instinct, and uncompromised lineage.
Among the few loyal stewards is Martin Dingman, maker of fine leather goods, men’s footwear, and accessories, and a passionate breeder of these beloved Royal setters. For Martin, the field and the workshop are not separate worlds but intertwined — each informing the other, each shaped by an eye trained to recognize beauty, instinct, and integrity.
A picture of sartorial splendor and the ideal model for his company’s timeless style, Martin has been the driving force behind the family-owned premium leather goods company since 1990. His work reveals a naturalist’s sense of wonder and a craftsman’s reverence for materials. Antlers, exotic skins, and richly grained leathers become the raw vocabulary of a refined country aesthetic. He combines them the way a sportsman reads a landscape: thoughtfully, intuitively, and with profound respect for what nature offers.
The aesthetic of this connoisseur of fine leathers and exotics is timeless and remarkable — a testament to Martin’s uncanny ability to orchestrate textures that might clash in lesser hands. Patterned hide finds harmony with pebbled leather or alligator; zebra stripes converse with leopard spots; and the coat patterns of Llewellin setters — black and white; lemon and white; liver and white; blue, lemon, orange, or liver belton; and solid white — inspire palettes as striking as the dogs themselves. Their elegance becomes an unspoken through line in Martin’s work, a reminder that the outdoors is not merely inspiration but heritage.
He believes in strict adherence to quality that permeates every aspect of his life. It can be felt in the glide of a Martin Dingman belt slipping through the loops of a pair of slacks. It travels through miles of switchgrass and big bluestem in Laverack field boots. It can be experienced in the warm weight of a Dingman Royal Llewellin draped over feet by the fire — just as ready to rest as he is to point a covey of quail in the Alabama Black Belt or Georgia piney woods. Only then is it possible to understand the full measure of what Martin creates: goods imbued with story, craft, and the soulful company of a good dog.
