Recycling bio-waste.
Leather is a byproduct of the food chain. This means that without the milk and meat industries, the leather industry would not exist... and without the leather industry, animal's hide would just be another waste product that would be disposed of!
Leather is therefore bio-waste. It's the result of the transformation of decayable material, the hide, into a durable product, leather. This metamorphosis takes place thanks to the know-how of tanners.
By definition, all materials not derived from this transformation of animal hides are excluded from calling themselves leather.*
* BEWARE OF IMITATIONS AND ABUSING LANGUAGE!
In the decree of 2010-29 of January 8 2010 regarding the article L.214-1 of the French Consumer Code pertaining to certain leather and similar products specifies that: "the use of the word leather (...) is forbidden in the designation of any material other than that obtained from animal skin by means of tanning or correcting, preserving the natural shape of the skin fibers."
In other words, any product made from fruits or vegetables cannot be considered leather. Also, by definition, a saddler-leatherworker is first and foremost a leather specialist.
Animal welfare, a must have for the leather industry.
It goes without saying that the leather industry is part of an age-old tradition: animal breeding. However, the domestication of food-producing animals has not always been as widespread as it is today, which is why animal welfare is at the heart of our concerns. And as we say in the leather industry, a mistreated animal will not produce a beautiful skin.
For this reason, the French leather industry, represented by the Fédération Française des Cuirs et Peaux, the Fédération Française de la Tannerie Mégisserie and the Conseil National du Cuir, has been working for years to raise awareness among breeders, encouraging them to vaccinate their animals, administer anti-parasite treatments, as well as improve breeding facilities and transport conditions.
Leather, the most sustainable natural material.
Eco-design is at the heart of craftsmanship, which means that it is very important to keep the product's lifespan in mind when creating a new model.
An MDPI study published in February 2021 on Comparing the technical performance of leather, imitation leather and new alternative materials (Comparaison des performances techniques du cuir, du simili cuir et des nouvelles matières alternatives en vogue) showed that leather was far more resistant to traction, bending and tearing than plant-based alternatives.
This is why, contrary to popular belief about vegan material used to replace leather which is an idea flirting with greenwashing, leather is, and always be, the most sustainable natural material for creating fashion accessories.
SAVOIR-FAIRE AND LOCALLY MADE, FRANCE AS A GUARANTEE OF QUALITY.
We choose to collaborate exclusively with leather suppliers based in France. All the tanneries and mégisseries we work with are specifically recognized for the quality of their leather, their expertise in tanning and finishing, and for their commitment to sustainable development and traceability.
It's important to note that French tanneries and mégisseries are subject to both French and European legislation such as regulations on environmental protection (ICPE) and that they must work in compliance with the European REACH regulation, which protects consumers in terms of product safety and about the elimination of hazardous substances. Namely that these standards applied to our leather suppliers are the highest in the world.