HOT-SHOP 16
180 creative people from all around the world came together for HOT-SHOP 16
HOT-SHOP, ECCO’s annual four-day workshop designed to challenge conventional leather creation, was all about culinary discoveries. Not food-based, but leather-based. The aim was to put a leather-based culinary dinner on the table throughout the event. This includes a starter, main and dessert.
Leather Naturally got the opportunity to witnessed this unique event for 1 day.
Step into ECCO HOT-SHOP 16 and you will be immersed in an atmosphere of creativity and craftsmanship. Here, 180 creative designers, artists, leather technicians, material specialist and so many more from all over the world came together, to think completely out of the box, without restrictions and where they could be 100 per cent themselves.
The vibes in this temporary creative hub felt amazing. The designers were divided into small groups and guided by 1 or more Ecco specialists. Each group received a box with ingredients that could be used to create the right leather dish. E.g. Organic – natural pigments, organic oils, organic butter, organic flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, natural tanning powders and indigo (dyestuff). Through brainstorming sessions and ideas, a concrete plan was forged to start with the appetiser for each group. And the word No and this can’t be possible doesn’t exist. Anything is possible and the machines to make this creative leather dish were at the designers’ disposal.
Whether you are talking about designing, creating, cooking or leather-making – the art of creation is all about mixing the right ingredients in just the right quantities at the perfect time.
Credits: Ecco
Cervo Volante
In spring 2017, Kadri Vunder Fontana, a chemist and experienced business woman, and Conny Thiel-Egenter, a biologist and passionate hunter, founded Cervo Volante with the aim of producing something valuable from hunting waste and processing the leather into fine products.
Kadri Vunder Fontana, Founding Partner & Co-CEO Monica Kane, Sales & Marketing, Conny Thiel-Egenter, Founding Partner & Co-CEo Magi Brülisauer, Finance, Piret Puppart, Founding Partner & Design (not in the Picture)
Women power
Cervo Volante develops, produces and sells high-quality ecological shoes, clothing and accessories made from wild Swiss deerskin.
Every year, around 15,000 red deer are killed in Switzerland by hunters in a controlled manner in order to stabilize the population, the meat of the animals is utilised, the valuable deer skins are mostly disposed of. To make use of this skin, we founded in 2017 the brand Cervo Volante. According to our philosophy, all our products are based on leather from red deer that have been sustainably hunted in Switzerland, processed according to the strictest ecological criteria and in traditional craftsmanship in Switzerland.
We put a lot of energy and know-how into reducing the ecological footprint, from skin preservation, transport, leather tanning to product manufacturing. Our leather is processed in an extremely consistently ecological way.
All leathers are tanned in the canton of Bern in traditional barrel tanning 1oo% vegetable, without chrome and without synthetic pre-tanning agents.
Attention is paid to the use of sustainably sourced plant extracts, mainly from Europe, such as hand-collected oak fruit from Turkey. We do not use surface coatings or hydrophobic treatments. Our leathers are greased by hand and air dried. As a result, they are fully breathable, anti-allergic and always smell good.
Sustainable in every aspect
Cervo Volante accessories are manufactured in Switzerland and Germany. Swiss quality matches our quality skins. Our shoes are handmade in Northern Italy. Long transport routes cause a large ecological footprint. We want to prevent this.
Whenever possible, we use ecologically certified or recycled raw materials, e.g. inner shoe reinforcements made of leather and recycled cotton instead of plastic; Swiss sheep’s wool or natural rubber instead of PU foam as padding; tissue paper and cardboard box made of recycled material.
Leather Naturally launches ‘Get the Facts’ icon
The ‘Get the Facts’ Icon supports consumers access clear information about the leather products and materials they buy.
The recent ‘greenwashing’ backlash has made it clear that consumers need clear information about the products and materials they buy. Understanding this, Leather Naturally has developed a ‘Get the Facts’-Icon, which has been created for brands, retailers, makers – indeed anyone that wants to provide access to straightforward, easy to understand information about leather for their audience or customers.
Available as a simple graphic link for online use (by adding the link: https://www.leathernaturally.org/resources/fact-sheets/, or a QR-code enabled icon that can be featured on Point of Sale at retail, in product brochures or magazines, even in training guides. It takes the user direct to the Fact Sheet section of our website, where they will find information they need in English, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese.
Leather Naturally Communications lead, Claudia Spahr commented, “We have seen an increased demand for fast-to-find facts and our new icon provides instant access to what we know is the most frequently searched information, as well the wider content of the Leather Naturally website, including our comprehensive Modern Leather Making Guide, which is also proving an invaluable training resource for brands and retailers.”
The ‘Get the Facts’-Icon is available, free to use for all and interested parties can register for more information about its use here.
Sustainable Leather Forum 2023
Toward a new vision for a responsible leather supply chain
The Sustainable Leather Forum, an event that brings together professionals from the leather, fashion, luxury and design industries, is back for its 5th edition.
This international symposium aims to discuss the major challenges facing the leather industry and its positioning in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility.
On the agenda:
#The role of standards in the leather industry
#New approaches in agriculture and breeding and their impact on raw materials
#CSR, a real cog in the wheel in the leather goods sector
#The Personal Protective Equipment industry, pioneers of CSR
#Circular fashion: maintenance and repair favored
This fifth edition, organised in the form of round tables and keynotes, will focus on topics related to the development of a creative, innovative and increasingly sustainable industrial sector.
A day of reflections which will also be punctuated by numerous interventions of experts of the sector and public and political personalities.
Also, many companies and organisations will be exhibiting at this forum. Traceability, sourcing, training, product development… they will share their solutions and best practices in terms of CSR to support the French Leather Industry.
The Sustainable Leather Forum offers this year several new services:
- partipants from abroad can either come to Paris or follow the 5th edition live streaming
- personal profile that each person that is taking part of the forum can create via their dedicated platform
- a matchmaking service to oganise your meetings onsite the 11th September or the day after if you are following remotely from your online profile
Leather Naturally will participate in the Sustainable Leather Forum.
Register now or for more information: https://www.slf-paris.com/
Check the Social Media Channel of Sustainable Leather Forum on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-leather-forum/
The Porsche commitment: How sustainable leather fits the brand's vision
Porsche is committed to sustainable leather sourcing
Mrs. Barbara Frenkel – member of the Executive Board Procurement at Porgsche AG says in a Social Media post: Leather is a mark of quality for our customers. At Porsche AG we are committed to sustainable leather sourcing. An important step is that we have joined Leather Working Group (LWG). LWG is a non-profit organization that advocates transparency and universal environmental and social standards in the global leather supply chain. It also offers certification for leather manufacturers. 📋
What do we do at Porsche Procurement regarding leather? A lot:
✅ We apply material-specific specifications that are mandatory for all new contract awards for leather suppliers. Among other things, they must disclose the country of origin of the raw material and be audited by external auditors against a leather-specific sustainability standard such that offered by LWG.
✅ Equally important: It is mandatory for our suppliers to respect animal welfare and ensure responsible production and processing of leather.
Please read more by clicking on the Press Release: Porsche_committed_to_more_sustainable_leather_sourcing
Credits: Porsche AG
Successful celebration of World Leather Day 2023
On April 26th the industry celebrated World Leather Day 2023.
It was a joint initiative between Leather Working Group (LWG) and Leather Naturally (LN) and its aim was to engage the industry to celebrate the positive attributes of leather. Leather is a circular material, a by-product of the meat industry and it is one of the original bio-based, durable materials.
This year World Leather Day united leather manufacturers, chemical suppliers, machinery suppliers, finished product manufacturers, industry associations, industry media, retailers, and schools to promote the positive attributes of leather with over 350 registering to participate in advance.
Particularly encouraging were the number of companies that took the theme and ran with it, creating their own posts featuring the World Leather Day logo and the theme of longevity.
Chair of Leather Naturally, Debbie Burton commented, “World Leather Day was imagined as a day to engage the industry and harness the strength of working together. The growth in participation this year was exceptional, now let’s build on it. If the industry can collectively maintain the momentum of 26 April 2023, it will be a powerful statement. Leather Naturally is committed to continuing its support as a resource for providing the information, materials and social messaging that will more easily enable that.”
Christina Trautmann of Leather Working Group added: “We’re thrilled with the success of this year’s World Leather Day celebrations and the level of engagement from stakeholders across the industry. It is inspiring to see so many organizations come together to showcase the positive attributes of leather and promote its sustainable and circular qualities. Leather Working Group hopes that we can continue with this momentum into 2024, and build the support for responsibly made leather as a sustainable material.”
Read more about World Leather Day
Leather Naturally acts as a global voice for the Leather industry to promote the use of certified, responsibly made leather by providing trusted facts and inspiration for consumers, designers and brands.
World Leather Day
What is World Leather Day?
Leather is a natural material and in using the hides and skins that are the by-product of the food industry, leather makes its contribution to a circular society every single day, but once a year we come together to celebrate its benefits as a material, the people that make it and the innovation and expertise that continue to push it forward.
Why is leather so important?
There are many complicated messages about how to live more sustainably, but leather is NOT complicated. Simply put, without it, around 10 million tonnes would go to landfill. In a world where we are trying to do more with less, keep waste to a minimum, and where we have the expertise and the technology to turn this by-product into a versatile, long-lasting material we have a responsibility to do just that.
It’s important to remember that alternatives to leather are, the main synthetic and fossil-fuel based. Even those that sound natural or as though they come from plants often need combining with PU for strength and stability. Check out our fact sheet on labelling to learn more.
Celebrating Longevity
The first step to make in reducing impact for all of us as individuals, is to buy fewer things that last a long time. Choosing leather items from footwear to furniture, bags to apparel, means investing items that will last, wear beautifully and can be repaired through their lifetime.
That’s why in 2023 World Leather Day celebrates the long lasting* beauty of leather and its place in a circular economy.
*The FILK independent study showed that leather compared to many of its alternatives gave the balance of comfort and wear – check out the full report here: Benchmark Study on Leather Alternatives Published
Responsible Manufacturing
Modern leather making is clean and highly regulated. Want to know what to look for in terms of certification of the leather you buy? Independent bodies such as Leather Working Group, (LWG) Institute of Quality Certification for the Leather Sector, (I.C.E.C. Italy) Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (C.S.C.B. Brazil) Leather Standard by Oeko-Tex and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (S.L.F.) audit tanneries in terms of best practice. Look out for their symbols and learn more here – Certification.
Leather FAQs
Learn more about leather with our FAQs.
Join Us!
If you’d like to help celebrate World Leather Day 2024, please register here.
Breakfast Meeting at APLF - Dubai
Sign up for the Breakfast Meeting. This year the APLF Leather Fair will be held from March 13th – 15th 2023 in the World Trade Centre in Dubai.
Breakfast Meeting – Location: Level One, Room AL AIN F – March 14th 2023 – 09.00am – 10.00am.
During this open Breakfast Meeting, we will update you on:
- #LeatherTruthfully initiative to target journalists
- Introduction of the Modern Leather Making Guide
- World Leather Day and how to get involved this year
- The new Leather Naturally mark to help spread the facts about leather
- Leather Naturally’s cross-industry collaboration on a new HIGG standard
Guest Speaker
We are delighted to announce that Federico Brugnoli of Spin360 will join us a guest speaker to present our collaborative work on a new industry standard LCA.
This Breakfast Meeting is accessible to everyone and as such, we invite you to bring your business partners with you. You are most welcome to join us, get into conversation and ask any questions that you may have.
Make use of the opportunity to network and exchange business possibilities with other attendance.
You can sign up by clicking on the link:
http://bit.ly/3EeBkh5
Leather Naturally and its team will also be actively involved in a series of other seminars and presentations in and around the APLF show:
Leather Naturally is honoured to be part of the judging team for the Design a Bag competition https://www.designaccess-fa.com/.
Date: 14 March 2023
Time: 14:30 – 15:00pm
Location: Main Stage, Sheikh Saeed Hall 1, DWTC
The Leather Naturally stand will be at: S2-E02
Information about our partners:
https://www.aplf.com/
Building Trust With Consumers
Building trust with consumers and understanding what they want to know.
By Debbie Burton, Chair, Management Board of Leather Naturally
As part of a renewed strategy for 2023, Leather Naturally has restated its mission to promote the use of certified, responsibly made leather by providing trusted facts and inspiration for consumers, designers and brands. We are on a drive to reach more consumers than ever before and in order to do that we spend a lot of time studying what it is that consumers are need to know and we make sure that we create the content that answers their questions. But what are those questions and what is the content that most people read? Checking out the most-read pages over the last year makes for interesting viewing because it isn’t complex information. Rather it is our most straightforward fact sheets and articles that cover just a few topics.
The benefits of leather
A succinct summary of the advantages of leather, from its origins as a by-product of the food industry through it’s long lasting and repairable qualities, together with its comfort and beauty.
What is leather made of and where does it come from?
This concise but informative feature was specially commissioned in response to a series of questions that consumers most often search for. It includes the four main sources of hides and skins, the crucial information that livestock is not raised for leather, a brief description of how leather is made and the most common types of leather.
Is leather environmentally friendly?
This again is a specially crested article that answers some of the most often asked questions about the environmental impact of leather making and whether it can be considered a sustainable material. Emphasising certification standards, and the question of real vs ‘faux leather’ this is a great starting point for consumers that want to go deeper as it links to longer, more in-depth features.
Leather Naturally factsheets are available to download for free in six languages; English, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. Later in 2023 we will start to roll out mini sites in those languages, making it even easier for anyone to find the answers they need. Perhaps the most important element of creating our content is building the trust with the consumer – if they find the information they are looking for Google recognises it and as a result will suggest Leather Naturally fact sheets and articles more often. It doesn’t just help Leather Naturally achieve its objectives, it helps the whole industry by building better knowledge. Education through transparent communication of the facts has been central to the Leather Naturally ethos since the beginning and we are pleased, thanks to the support of our members to be able to intensify this in 2023.
Publication by Edizioni AF/ARS Tannery www.edizioniaf.com
The Story behind the Glove
How one baseball glove came to represent its owners teenage years.
LN: How did you come to play softball? Isn’t it more of a US game?
AB: In 1992 in the Netherlands I was thirteen it was definitely not a typical sport. I came to it really by accident. My best friend and her sister had lived in the US for a while and in the boredom of the long summer holidays I decided to tag along with them to a training session. The love affair was instant and it opened up a whole new world of sport, teamwork and, (most importantly) life-long friendship.
LN: How did you come by the baseball glove?
AB: I actually bought my glove second-hand from another older girl at the baseball club, so it was already a few years old. I liked it all the more for that, it was already broken in and more flexible to play with. We trained two nights a week, our patient parents drove us across the country for matches at weekends – that glove was in constant use for five solid years. It withstood sun, rain, heat, cold and a lot of red sand. Being a teenager I didn’t give it much care, but it never needed repairing and was good to go time after time.
LN: Looking at the glove now must bring back lots of memories?
AB: It really captures all those hours training, playing and travelling together. It represents such an important part of growing up in a tight knit group through my teenage years. We went to different schools, but went out together to (our first) parties, gave new coaches collectively a hard time (sorry!), and went together on our first holidays (without parents) to Spain. We won and lost games, yelled at each other and always made up, and cried and laughed together.
At some point, we all decided to quit playing softball. Some friends went studying outside town already, I continued playing field hockey. The friendships stayed, but my glove ended up in a box at the attic of my parents home.
LN: what’s next for your glove?
AB: As soon as I had my own home, the box moved back in with me again. And now, after more than 30 years, the glove still lies – in great condition and still very good to use – at the attic of own home. My kids are too young to use it right now, but it’s nice to think that it could go to work again for the next generation and continue to store more great memories.
The leather baseball glove proved to be truly sustainable, very durable and of excellent longevity.
Aukje is Global ESG Director at Royal Smit & Zoon
Website: Royal Smit & Zoon
