Few businesses did more to shape the visual identity of American leather culture than Male Hide Leathers.
Founded in 1972 by partners Robert Maddox and Frank Goley, Male Hide began almost accidentally. Goley, a self-taught leather craftsman, originally created custom pieces for Maddox—his partner since 1962—and for friends within Chicago's growing leather community. When legendary leather entrepreneur Chuck Renslow invited them to open a shop beneath the famed Gold Coast bar, they launched what would become one of the most influential gay-owned leather businesses in the country.
The original store occupied a small basement space beneath the Gold Coast at 501 North Clark Street, then one of the world's most important centers of gay leather culture. Demand for Goley's handcrafted designs exploded almost immediately. Soon both men left their day jobs and devoted themselves full-time to the business.
By 1974, Male Hide expanded to a street-level storefront adjacent to the Gold Coast. In 1984, after the building was redeveloped, the company relocated to North Lincoln Avenue, where it continued to thrive. Alongside custom leatherwork, the store became a destination for jackets, boots, caps, jeans, harnesses, vests, and accessories, attracting customers from across the country and around the world.
What made Male Hide special was Goley's craftsmanship. His designs blended classic leather traditions with original fantasy and fashion elements, earning admiration from both gay and non-gay leather enthusiasts internationally. His reputation became so respected that the International Academy of Design hired him to teach leather fashion design.
Male Hide wasn't simply a store—it was part of the infrastructure of leather culture itself. Through bar culture, motorcycle clubs, pageants, pride events, and national leather gatherings, Maddox and Goley helped define the look of an entire era.
When Frank Goley passed away in 1994, he left behind not only a successful business but a lasting creative legacy. Together, he and Maddox built one of Chicago's most important LGBTQ-owned enterprises and helped establish leather culture as both community and craft.
