DMU provides students with sustainable leather workshop

De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) provided 20 final-year students with a workshop focused on using leather as a sustainable material.

The event started at the University of Northampton’s Institute for Creative Leather Technologies. During the day, the students visited a working tannery and a leather lab to learn about the various restrictions around using skin from rare species and how to recreate these effects using contemporary techniques.

The rest of the workshop took place at the DMU campus where the students practiced the following leatherworking skills: creating gussets, edging, embossing, hand stitching, inserting zips, laser cutting, machine stitching, making pockets and skiving.

Yusuf Osman

The workshop was a week-long event sponsored by DMU’s partner The Leathersellers’ Company and it was mentored by designer and leather craftsman Yusuf Osman.

“Leather is the first and only truly sustainable material as it’s a by-product of the meat industry. Although it’s expensive, it lasts a lifetime, and unlike synthetic materials, it doesn’t pollute our waterways. This is why we should be promoting its use to the future generation of designers.

“During the week I taught students highly sought-after fine leatherworking skills, which they practised by designing and making a handbag. Knowing how to actually make their designs will lead to more efficient production,” said Osman in a statement.

Photo credit: De Montfort University