Leather was life-changing for Deni: it makes you visible, seen, heard and respected.
What do you think the power of leather is and why is it life changing?
Leather attracts attention and creates a fascination. It can also give confidence and protection. On top, leather is a sustainable material and it is a part of one of the oldest systems for circular economy. For thousands of years, leather was always a secondary product of the food industry.
Leather can be life changing because it makes you visible, seen, heard and respected. It encourages you to develop your personality because suddenly people expect you to take the lead. I am not aware of any other material with such a power.
You said leather fashion is not only in line with my believes, it’s deeply part of my personality. Please explain.
In my case, I have always been a dominant person, since a little child but the world around me did everything to limit it. Leather helped me find my position and gave me self-confidence to become myself.
Like many people of my generation, I do care about the impact we have on the ecosystem and I do my contribution by fighting against over-consumption. I love efficiency and deeply hate wasting. Be it food, water, people’s energy, time or clothes. Leather clothes, if well maintained, can last for a lifetime. They can be even handed over to other people and even to the next generation.
Where is your passion for leather coming from?
It came by accident (or was it a destiny?). I got my first leather jacket when I was 25 and saw a new world opening up for me. The impact it had on me and on people around encouraged me to slowly replace my wardrobe to the point that today, my wardrobe contains 90% of leather.
Do your leather clothes also say something about your character?
Of course, I believe that in general your wardrobe says something about yourself. Whether you care or not about fashion, what you wear gives the world a good hint about who you are. For my friends, colleagues and clients, the fact I wear leather everyday gives a clear indication of who I am.
Do you have a background in leather?
Not at all, I have actually been very far from leather for most of my life. When I was young I didn’t know anyone wearing leather. It wasn’t even in the fashion wave in Prague when I grew up.
What do you think of the sustainability of leather and its role in a circular economy?
Leather is the complete opposite of the fast fashion industry we see growing for several years now. Leather clothes can last a lifetime and it resonates with my very cost conscious education. Then, I know people struggle to understand it but leather is a secondary product of the food industry and as such, is part of one of the oldest systems for circular economy.
You created a leather book. What drove you to make this book?
Writing a book about my life in leather came naturally after I started having an audience on Instagram. I got more and more followers asking me about leather, about my motivation to wear it. Questions came also from my friends and family as I naturally developed and changed. Writing a book was a nice way to provide all those answers to the world.
Besides that it was a nice personal challenge. I like to push my limits and learn new things. During this project which took me approximately 7 months, I learnt enormously and developed skills that I never thought I would.
In your book people can find 19 stories to discover why it is practical and exciting to wear leather. Would it be possible to explain one story briefly?
Please share a piece of your secret. In one of my stories I write about the dress code in the office. The impact my leather clothes suddenly had on my co-workers. The silence in the room when I entered, their eyes on me.
From one day to another, perceptions of myself have changed. I got the respect and even the admiration.
At that time in the company I was working for, we had a dress code which says no jeans and nor casual clothing in the office. I always respected that. Even the day I changed cotton pants for leather leggings, wondering if HR is aware of the impact leather can have on people. 😉
The chapter is called forget the dress code and the message behind it is, that you can still stand out while remaining within the rules.
In the end, how can you have a positive impact and achieve your goals if you are invisible? If no one even notice you? My secret is to use leather as a tool to get where you want to be.
What do you think consumers like to know about leather and what should a consumer need to know about leather?
Based on my experience, people would like to know why they are attracted to leather. Why it touches their psyche. They would like to understand more about the superpower leather has, why it can even become an obsession for some people and how to use it in order to serve their objectives.
Concerning what they need to know. People do not realize that leather is part of one of the oldest systems of circular economy and it is actually a very sustainable product. Most people believe that we kill animals for the skin while actually, it comes massively from the food industry and it would be wasted otherwise.
