Leather: A Rich Field Shaping Innovation and Creation The - Spring-Summer 26 - Leather - Leather - Première Vision Paris
The leather industry continues to undergo a full-on transformation, driven by two key forces: on one side, a push for sustainability and circularity ready to challenge traditional know-hows, and on the other, a thirst for creative innovation. In response, new proposals are emerging that redefine production offcuts as a precious resource, opening the way to exceptional creations.
Manufacturing waste: a source of materials for exceptional pieces
In the leather industry, as in textiles, waste management is a critical challenge. One solution is to recycle offcuts, paying careful consideration to the chemical impact during the process, so that offcuts can for example be converted into fertilizer. Another approach involves recycled or regenerated leathers. Long available, these materials are now evolving towards greater flexibility and improved eco-friendliness, with petrochemical -based binders and finishes gradually being replaced by more sustainable alternatives. Recycleather for example, repurposes semi-finished leather waste from glove production.
An alternative and particularly inspiring approach to repurposing offcuts lies in a synergistic alliance between artisanship and a sustainable commitment. Here, production scraps and rejects become the raw material for meticulous work, where constraints fuel creativity, and traditional expertise meets a contemporary vision. Designers and artisans make the most of scraps by weaving and braiding them, sometimes fusing traditional techniques with cutting-edge technologies. Transformed into exquisite jewelry, luxurious materials for fashion, or innovative resources for design and displays, these reimagined resources enrich and broaden the horizons of exceptional craftsmanship.
Première Vision Paris February 2025: a celebration of expertise
For its February 2025 edition, Première Vision is honoring artisanal and industrial expertise by spotlighting three innovative designers – Audrey Bigouin, Hors Studio and Studio Loann – each of which is redefining leatherwork with skill, daring and sensitivity. Each designer delves into the vast possibilities of leather, exploring vibrant textures, ingenious interweaving, and masterful color palettes. From sculptural elegance to functional creations,their work reflects a rich dialogue between the artisan’s hand and the challenges of upcycling.
Audrey Bigouin, founder of Audrey B Studio, and “Maison d’Exceptions” exhibitor at the PV show next February, stands out for her ability to shift materials and techniques beyond their traditional uses. Through folding, embroidery, braiding and cut-outs, her studio creates distinctive visual and tactile effects that reflect the unique DNA of each client. Hors Studio, founded by Élodie Michaud and Rebecca Fezard, combines R&D and design to upcycle industrial and artisanal production offcuts and waste. These “waste-resources” are recovered, ground and micronized, then transformed into new materials, objects and display elements using a mix of artisanal techniques and new technologies. Loann Dijan, a promising young designer, works leather with the precision of a goldsmith, crafting intricate meshes and pieces combining leather and gilded brass, at the very frontier of luxury and ornamental jewelry.
At the crossroads of fashion and design, this exhibition, to be discovered in the Leather space of the Inspiration Forum at the Première Vision show next 11, 12 and 13 February, will highlight circular and sustainable practices, inviting us to envision projects in the spirit of a collaborative approach and a sharing of know-how.