Leather BE

PRO­DUC­TION LOCATIONS

• Brugge, Belgium
• Tunisia

In order to set up a large collection with sufficient stock, Leather BE works together with LSP in Wakken, a Belgian family business with a workshop in Tunisia. Production is always based on Leather BE’s models and patterns.

WORKING CONDITIONS & LIVING WAGE

Leather BE designs and makes almost all of their creations themselves in the Bruges atelier. The brand therefore has the Handmade In Belgium label and is a member of I Buy Belgian. Thanks to this way of working, you can be sure that each product was made with love in ethical conditions!

Someone from the Belgian family is always present in the Tunisian atelier to ensure good conditions.

MATERIALS

• Cowhide leather
• Pigskin
• Apple leather
• Polyurethane
• Polyester
• Cotton

Most of the Leather BE collection is made of cowhide leather. The bags are lined with pig leather.

In addition, the brand also uses a vegan synthetic leather made from apples. While this may be an animal-friendly leather, it is not necessarily sustainable. To ensure the quality of the material, apple waste is mixed with polyurethane, polyester and cotton. Polyester and polyurethane are synthetic materials made from petroleum. The brand is trying to find plastic-free alternatives. 

PACKAGING

The brand does not provide information on packaging, but does not engage in e‑commerce.

WATER­USAGE & CHEMICALS

Several bags are made in vegetable-tanned leather. This is a more sustainable alternative to chrome-tanned leather, as no harmful chemicals are used in this process. Unfortunately, it is not clear what part of the collection consists of vegetal-tanned leather.

Leather BE guarantees that the material is PVC-free and does not contain any harmful chemicals. Furthermore, some leather has an LWG gold certificate and most Leather BE leather suppliers are silver or even gold rated against LWG standards.

CIR­CU­LAR PRODUCTDESIGN

Leather BE uses recycled leather in some products, for example in its placemats. This improves the brand’s circularity. Recycled hacked leather from old seats is used to reinforce the inside of the bags. This leather is also soft to the touch.

Vegetal-tanned leather is biodegradable, which is also circular, but this only applies if there are no chemicals in the product. All other Leather BE products are unfortunately more difficult to recycle after use.

Leather Be processes their own leather scraps. So the brand makes accessories such as keychains, small money holders, coasters, …, with the leftovers.

CIR­CU­LAR BUSINESSMODEL

Leather BE is recently putting more emphasis on product care. For instance, customers always receive care tips with their purchase. Since it is also possible to have handbags repaired or refreshed at Leather BE after long use, vintage handbags can be brought in for the same services.

In this way, the brand hopes that with a little care, handbags can stay in use for longer.

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

• Production locations: Belgium, Tunisia
• Leather: Italy
• HQ: Belgium
• Sales: Belgium

Leather BE sources their own leather from Italy, where the brand also regularly visits suppliers itself to carefully select leather. For the products produced in Tunisia, the brand itself brings the leather to the Belgian family business in Wakken who in turn bring it to their workshop in Tunisia.

TRANS­PORTATION

Transport in the supply chain: Given the nature of the supply chain, most transport will be road transport and by sea for production in Tunisia.

• Cow hide
• Pigskin

Leather BE has assured COSH that all the leather they use comes from Europe, is tanned in Italy and certified. This way, the materials are more traceable and there are more guarantees that the animals live in good conditions.

PRO­DUCT DESIGN

Leather BE’s products are made with care and attention to detail. The high-quality materials and handmade production help ensure that the bags have a longer lifespan. The designs are elegant and timeless, as well as practical.

SLOW FAS­HI­ON PROCESSES

Leather BE works with a permanent collection mainly aimed at tourists.

She also does customisation. She takes her time to find out the customer’s needs – what dimensions are needed? Colour? Shape? Is all discussed with the customer and then she goes to work.

TRANSPARENCY ON PRODUCT

The brand shares information about their processes and studio. 

TRANSPARENCY ON PROCESSES

Leather BE thrives on transparency. They shared with COSH! detailed information about their suppliers (including certificates) and the origin of different leathers.