ABOUT LEATHERS
FOR THE LOVE OF LEATHER
DON’T FAKE AUTHENTICITY
Genuine leather shows strength, and rightly so. Availability and price are subject to economics and politics at a global level. But above all, the natural origin of leather is of great influence. The consumption of meat is the base for every final product of leather. The skins that leather is made of are a waste product of the abattoir. Raw skins come from every continent where meat is eaten and find their way to tanneries all over the world. The climate and living conditions of the animal are often decisive for specific characteristics in the final product. Not only raw skins and their ‘ways’ make the product complex; also the many steps in the production process and the diversity of techniques of tanning and finishing contribute to the great complexity of the leather product.
Ropelli’s owner Robert de Graaff: “In addition to a changing product and the complex tanning process, the global market is also constantly changing; therefore there is a delicate balance, continuously. Tanners are special people, strong and resourceful. Partly due to the transfer of knowledge from previous generations, they can handle the continuous challenges they face. This has shaped them into true artists who ‘for the love of leather’ want to keep up in a difficult market. I have a lot of respect for that, their love for the product. They fight for the leather and even lie awake at night. And it is a good thing, because it means they really care. That is how we see it at Ropelli; you must not forget that a cow will
die for its flesh, not for the skin. So you start with a waste product and they make something out of nothing. By a fascinating production process, we work towards the final product. It’s all about the experience, luxury and authenticity and I think it is very important that you can retrace this in the final product. The structure of the skin and the scars must be visible; after all it is a natural product.
Genuine leather shows strength and is associated with success and luxury “.