Why I use leather and how I got accused of murder

A few years ago I was accused of being a murderer whilst I was at the opening of an exhibition.  I had some marbled leather origami vessels showing.  The irony of my accuser wearing plastic flip flops and a fleece top, did not go without notice.  I wanted to talk with her, I felt upset that she was so upset, but knew she would not listen to my reasons for using leather.   

Three of my vessels sold later that afternoon.  The buyer, having missed the murder mayhem in the gallery earlier that afternoon, only asked about my making and marbling process.  He did ask me why I use leather, so I was able to talk about its durability and pass on a few facts.

I did further research in case anyone ever took offence again so if you’re a bit nerdy like me, here’s a few, courtesy of Leather Naturally 

• Livestock is not killed for leather 
• The hides are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste and end up in landfill.  This accounts for 99% of the world’s leather.
• Modern leather manufacturing is regulated, audited and responsible, supplying fashion, furniture manufacturers, automotive and aviation transport.
• Leather is biodegradable, decomposing over 25 to 45 years.  Whereas, plastics take hundreds of years to decompose and produce microplastics that are toxic and damaging to the planet.

 My materials are sourced responsibly, for their provenance and environmental impact. I tend to choose natural materials which do not contain plastic, so they can be composted, recycled, or repurposed at the end of their life.

Why do I work with leather? I think it is less harmful long term, even weighing up water and land usage, than synthetic (plastic) alternatives or some plant based materials, which either have additional synthetics used to bind them, or they may use a lot of water or carbon to make the material.  Plant based materials do not yet have a history of a long life and so may only last 20 years, being more like “fast fashion” and therefore cannot be repurposed, unlike leather, which if cared for, can last hundreds of years.  I have just discovered a fungi that can eat plastic, so let’s hope this works.

I work with supple, strong virgin leather sourced from reputable tanneries here in Britain and Italy, who I choose as they use traditional sustainable processes, that do not harm the environment and know where their hides come from.  The hides are saved from landfill, as leather is a by product of the food industry. Using these tanneries, ensures the leather produced is of the highest quality, as they use no harmful chemicals, only natural tannins in the process. 

Each hide has character and will age beautifully, the patina darkening over time. After tanning, the hide is then dressed and if a colour is required, is hand-stained by a master currier, using techniques passed down from generation to generation. This leather is sustainable and 100% compostable at the end of its long life, unlike plant based synthetic materials, with an unknown long term impact on the environment and the use of fossil fuels (oil plastic) in the material.

For my community and school leather workshops, I repurpose leather, received from furniture and shoe manufacturers. I also repurpose the leather on ballet slippers, kindly donated by The Royal Ballet and Opera and saved from landfill.  Deconstructing a ballet slipper is hard work.  I then marble the ballet leather and create small accessories with any offcuts used for jewellery.  Proceeds from the sales of these items supports the wonderful work of the Trussell Trust, the food bank charity. Making these items is a labour of love.

I also brand all my leather products, as branding ensures the authenticity of British craftsmanship.