Collin Garrity has landed a number of jobs for fashion designers. His latest, a laminated veneer belt, will hit the runways of Paris Fashion Week on March 4.

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, the young professional woodworker has done projects for design companies like Shinola, and Prospector Co. His current project is an all-wood belt for Paris-based fashion designer Christophe Lemaire (formerly of Hermes). He says that while the application is straightforward (its a simple cinch for a dress), the development process was anything but.

The belt is a 3-ply laminate, with internal cross-plies and a solid-wood button. He glued the laminates in a mold, like a guitar side, drawing on his training in instrument building at Warren Wilson College. 

The first challenge was making an all-wood belt that would be somewhat flexible and adjustable, but also durable and not prone to splitting. Then he had to find a good clamping method, as his first efforts left clamp and strap marks on the veneers.

He has made a number of variations, and expects the belt in the show to sell for roughly $800, but the publicity is worth much more.

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