Tag VegTan

For Lovers Of Luxury Leather…it’s a way of life.

The look…sensual and rich. The feel..it begs to be touched. And definitely, the smell…awakens powerful memories and positive moods, connects to nature and no other scent can imitate that of leather. Leather is a lifestyle; whether it cushions your body in the seat of your automobile or brings warmth to the interior of your home through furniture or floors, frames for mirrors, valued historical books, or customized cigar or jewelry boxes. In fashion, leather’s versatility is everywhere. The range of fashion in outerwear and stylish clothing, protecting your hands from the winter elements in soft lambskin or kidskin gloves, fashioned into the finest bespoke shoes for the well dressed man, or enhancing a diva’s jewelry collection with select leather pieces. And of course Ladies, our favorite…handbags. Let’s be clear, not all leather was created equal. Inexpensive and less durable items are created from bonded leather which is essentially a process of shredding leather scraps and fiber, then mixing it with bonding materials that is then pressed together with a fiber or paper backer. This keeps consumers replacing their products after short periods of wear and tear. So let’s take a quick look at the different types of leather. Cow is the most common source for hides and it is processed in a few ways: Full Grain Leather which is made from the finest natural hides that have not been sanded or buffed to remove imperfections. Durable, does not wear out and over time develops a rich patina. The types of products made from this leather is high quality leather furniture, footwear and bespoke cases. Full grained calfskin handbags are made from the skins of young cattle and are prized for their smooth texture and fine quality. Top Grain leather is the most common type in high-end leather products. It is […]

Leather Tanning, A Commitment To Be More Environmentally Friendly

Take a journey with me and think about your last visit to your favorite luxury leather handbag shop. Like a five star meal where many of your senses are heightened by the texture, smell and sight that only leather can bring about. Touching leather is a sensual experience like no other. Caressing your fingers across leather allows you to feel both the perfections and imperfections of the skin, the cut edges that have been smoothed and tanned to feel baby soft, the texture of the hide that has gone through various processes to prepare for the hands of the artisan. The astonishing smells of leather that trigger powerful memories and bonding us to the earthy, natural smells of Mother Earth; leather consumers LOVE the smell of leather. And finally, the look of leather, just like snowflakes; every hide has its own beautiful distinct shape, pattern, and how it takes dyes. When we make decisions based on the design elements and colors of our products, our commitment to working with methods that are environmentally friendly is to use more manufactures that have sustainable processes. One area that we have made this commitment has to do with the tanning and dying processes of our leathers. We focus on two methods: purchasing from tanneries and wholesalers that produce vegetable tanned leather; or when doing the dying ourselves, using water based stains and dyes (using one solid color or mixing dyes to obtain a unique look such as our pearl-toned handbags). Vegetable tanning is an old world process that uses tannin that comes naturally in the bark, branches, leaves and even the fruit of many plants. The raw hides are soaked in large pits for several weeks in increasing concentrations of tannin until the hide becomes leather. Depending on the goal of the tannery, […]