Fish Leather… another sustainable choice

Fish Leather is an exotic material made from fish skin that is a by-product of food industry. This type of leather is becoming an attractive material for fashion brands. That’s why we, as a leather goods manufacturer, have to adapt and learn about any materials demanded by the industry.

The tanning process is similar to other types of animal skins. This material is a durable, odor-free leather and as strong than cow leather. Atlantic Leather is the only fish tannery in Europe. They produce from four differents species of fish: salmon, perch, wolffish and cod – each with its own unique characteristics. They offer a diverse range of colour, textures and finishes. Although Atlantic Leather is a relative young company, created in 1994, Icelanders have used this type of leather for centuries.

Fashion accesories brands are also using this type of material for its desings. One example is Batliner, an accessories company that sells accessories with fish skins. They use different raw materials from Italy and England. However, the most important material is Fish Leather produced in Iceland. Katherine Batliner, designer of Batliner, says that “the company that produces its fish leather is 100% energy self-sufficient. Certainly this is an exception as Iceland has numerous volcanoes with geothermal activity, but it also raises general awareness for ecological issues.”

Barbara della Rovere is another brand that use fish leather sourced from a women’s cooperative in the South of Brazil. Barbara choose to work with this material because of its structure, beauty, texture and above all, sustainability. Her designs are timeless accessories with a unique sense of style.