Buffalo Girl Story

Created by the wild at heart for those who still believe in the magic that is handmade, Buffalo Girl is the  passion project of Byron Bay designer Terry Cronin.

Drawing inspiration from a lifetime of adventures, Terry was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and spent most of her childhood at Whangapoua on the Coromandel Peninsula. A desire to connect with nature meant Terry would spend her days catching the locals' horses and riding them along the beautiful beaches. Finding pleasure in tactile creations from a young age, Terry's love for crafting unique pieces our of leather saw her making bridles, bags and jackets for herself and her family. 

A true craftswoman, Terry found a way to combine her love for ancient, traditional cultures with her own unique touch. Terry works with quality leather hides and powerful, hand picked gemstones, some of which she shapes herself. Defying traditions and rules, she put her own stamp on the leather-making industry. From her dreams of the Wild West, Buffalo Girl was born. 

Her adventurous spirit has taken Terry on some wonderful journeys, be it as a former sponsored snowboarder or lover of dirt bike riding. Her lust for new adventures saw Terry move to Byron Bay in 2000 to pursue her passion for surfing. It was here that she joined a line-up of local creatives at Byron Bay’s artisan markets. Just like Terry, most of her marketplace companions went on to conquer globally, and in the process put the creative sea-side village that is Byron on the international fashion map. A true trend-setter, Terry's original designs and unique style have always inspired others. 

While a lot has changed for Buffalo Girl over the years, a lot has remained the same. Basing her business out of a small studio in the town’s centre, Terry still individually handcrafts each and every piece. 

From cutting, stamping, carving to dyeing, every single step is done by hand. It's a labour of love, but it means every Buffalo Girl item carries so much more meaning than their mass-produced counterparts. 

From rare feathers to sublime crystals, every nook of the workshop is overflowing with glorious trinkets and treasures. The space holds an undeniable allure, and in the process of creation some of the magic is passed into each and every Buffalo Girl piece. A visit to the Buffalo Girl workshop has been known to spark emotions for visitors. It is truly a shrine to Terry’s work. Her pieces further contain hidden messages of love, light, and peace.

A self taught leather-worker, Buffalo Girl is an extension of who Terry Cronin is. Carving her way through trial and error, she mastered her trade through curiosity and experimentation. Visions are often shown to Terry in her dreams, and she loves nothing more than being able to jump on her work desk and bring them to life.

Every Buffalo Girl piece is carefully handcrafted with incredible attention to detail. As an artist who likes to tune into each piece with an open heart and mind, Terry treats the creative process as a journey of discovery, during which every individual piece emerges, along with its own unique personality and its own story.