Modern leather is a natural sustainable material and is made from by-products of the food industry.
Leather is defined as being made from animal skins and hides and is used across many different industries – automotive, furniture, fashion, footwear, industrial, as well as leather goods and the leather supplied for us makers.
Really think about this – it is still astonishes me just how versatile leather as a material is in our modern world. Thick, tough cowhide is used for belting in factories, we have shoes, belts, maybe jackets and gloves in our wardrobes; it is used for luxury car and plane seats, leather chairs and upholstery; for tool belts for hairdressers as well as aprons for welders, the list goes on. Leather is even being used for the SpaceX project to provide gloves that will give good grip in zero gravity whilst still allowing the user to use touch screens.
Read More about this... https://chooserealleather.com/culture/history/376-2/
The versatility of leather shown by different glove types - from fine soft leather for fashion, hard wearing for intense sports uses, gardening, building, motorcycling and falconry gauntletts.
Slow Fashion
What is meant by slow fashion? Taking it’s reference from the slow food movement of past decades, the emerging slow fashion movement is challenging the disposable consumer culture in favour of well-made, quality items that have been thought out in terms of fairness, production, life and life cycle. Read more - https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-slow-fashion
Leather is probably the best example of a material for slow fashion – a classic leather belt, for example, looked after can last a lifetime. Those of you who are fans of The Repair Shop will have seen Suzie rejuvenate and re-stitch a leather jacket or a belt from World War II (If you haven’t seen these episodes do try to look them up, they are great stories, and very moving.) The same can be said for well-made leather shoes and a classic cut black leather jacket has a timeless style.
Classic Black Lambskin Nappa Coat and Red Embossed Leather Handbag - cared for these can last for more than a lifetime.
With this in mind leather becomes a solution to creating durable, sustainable goods that have a low environmental impact. The best environmental message we, as leathercrafters, can pass on is to spend well, buy quality, care, repair and eventually re-make or up-cycle.
So when you next post a picture of your leather goods use the hashtag #leatherlastslonger.
