Italy accounts for around 16% of world leather production and over two-thirds of all leather produced in Europe. But what is it about Italian leather that makes it better?
Italian leather goes back to the time of the Etruscans who populated the Tuscany region of Italy between Pisa and Florence. Thanks to the considerable availability of raw materials deriving from the slaughter of the cattle raised on the pastures of the coastal depopulated coast, this region became the hub of the leather industry.
High-end fashion owes a lot to Italian leather. Leather from Italy – or more specifically from the Tuscan region situated between Pisa and Florence – is so highly valued due to its impeccable quality, and the expert craftsmanship that has been passed down through the generations.
It all comes down to the special skills and techniques developed through centuries of experience. The most important part of process is the tanning. The raw hides undergo natural treatments in wood drums. Using vegetable tannins, the hides spend up to three months in water and shadow.
The tannins build insoluble complexes with the proteins of animal skins to guarantee the durability of the leather. Such a process gives a typical smell to the Italian leather which is so distinctive and intoxicating that it too has spawned many fragrances including Tom Ford Tuscan Leather and Acqua di Parma’s Colonia Leather.
Raw hides are treated with vegetable tannins, natural substances present in bark extracts and organic dyes, inside large wooden drums in a process that takes up to forty days. This authentic technique results in a leather product far superior to those mass-produced using metal-based dyes, not to mention the positive implications for the environment.
While you might expect that the appearance of leather will deteriorate over time, Italian leather made using authentic, vegetable-tanned techniques actually gains a unique aesthetic appeal as time goes on. The natural tanning processes used result in an increasingly distinctive look, allowing you to enjoy and timeless product that ages gracefully.
No high-end fashion bag collection would, whether Dior, Balenciaga, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada or Burberry would be complete without the famous Italian leather. Italian leather is used in all the most famous fashion houses and as such it helps to maintain both the quality and durability that can make a handbag not just a fashion statement but also a financial investment.
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