POSTED ON JULY 1, 2016 Brexit “democracy needs experts” Given that our Corium Club alumni are all scientists to a greater or lesser degree many who read this will also be reading this week’s editorial in the New Scientist (NS). If not it is worth buying the magazine for. The point it makes is short […]
Confusion in Bangladesh
The move of the tanneries to Savar from their unsuitable current location in Hazaribagh was first planned back in 2003. From today’s press the situation has collapsed into chaos. The government is trying to force tanners to move but do not have the effluent plant ready in Savar. Few of the 150 0r so tanners […]
Time to use more leather
This article appeared in the Observer (part of the Guardian group) in March 2016 and on behalf of LeatherNaturally! I sent the reply below: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/mar/13/is-it-time-to-give-up-leather-animal-welfare-ethical-lucy-siegle?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other Sirs, While it is admirable to hold strong views regarding the climate and the use of animals for meat and other things, to support these with a narrative built of […]
Rediscovering Portugal
POSTED ON NOVEMBER 12, 2015 Portugal with ICLT Over the last ten years I have become very identified with the University here, even although my involvement has always been part time and quite marginal. It is odd as it means I get identified as an “academic’ whereas all my career has been factory based and […]
Leather is a “rare thing to be treasured”
First published in ARS Tannery One wonders whether when people got really hooked on writing on parchment hundreds of years ago there was an outcry about there not being enough raw material being left for making garments? Where would all the raw material come from if the parchment industry took it all? No one, after […]
This is the year to focus on the tannery and the product
This article was first published in ARS Tannery It is hard to imagine that we are half way through the second decade of the new century. While in many ways little appears to have changed that would be a misinterpretation of reality. There have been a number of fundamental shifts. Most of all for the […]
Now plants want in on the act
We had a house in Plymouth Mass fifteen years ago when an eatery opened called Roadkill Cafe. It caused some amusement but soon closed. Now in the same US state under the name “petite mort” a young artisan is making exclusive fur articles from roadkill. An interesting discussion on the subject has been opened up […]
Its All in the Name
The big news capturing headlines in the leather industry in the last week has been man made beef burgers. Pretty ugly things with added blood of unborn calves and all sorts of taste and colour modifiers. More importantly and much closer to market is the 3D printing of a fibrous collagen material that has come […]
How Brand Leather is damaged by events in Bangladesh
If you read the discussions group for LeatherNaturally! on LinkedIn you will be aware that the subject of environmental and sustainable leather production of leather in the developing world has been raised by Anthony Wright, of Barrhead Kid in Scotland, and Ian Michel of Amandian Leather in Northampton. Many recent reports and YouTube videos have […]
Press release from Leather Naturally
POSTED ON DECEMBER 10, 2013 LeatherNaturally! supports UGG Boots against a totally unjustified attack Alumni will be well aware that leather frequently comes under attack from a variety of pressure groups who attack leather creating their narrative by using and mixing selective truths, errors and often what seem like deliberate lies. The latest attack on […]