A Q & A with Georg Picard
What is leather?
Leather is the tanned skin of an animal, usually a cow. It is one of the oldest materials that people have used for themselves since time immemorial, for example to make clothes or to seal their homes. Nowadays, animals are raised for their meat and the hide is a waste product. This leather is then auctioned off on the world market. Processing the hide is upcycling, as it would otherwise be thrown away or burned.
Where does the leather come from that PICARD uses to make its bags?
PICARD only buys its leather from tanneries around the world that are certified or registered with the Leather working Group (LWG). The LWG is the world's best-known NGO, which sets high minimum standards for social and environmental compliance in tanneries and awards the "good" ones accordingly.
Why is leather tanned and what exactly happens during the tanning process?
Without tanning, the hide of the animal would rot. It is tanned to make it durable. There are a number of different processes. The two most important are vegetable tanning and chrome tanning. This is done using various chemicals, salts and/or concentrates. Preservatives are added to vegetable tanned leather, otherwise the tanning process is not sufficient to protect the leather from decomposition. New tanning processes, such as olive leaf extract, are already possible, but the small scale is still very expensive.
What types of leather are there and which are the most popular?
There are two types of leather: full grain and split. Full leathers refers to the robust, tear-resistant epidermis. This is the type of leather that becomes more beautiful with use and lasts forever. Usually the seams or zips break before it does. Split leather is the lower layers of skin, which may still be called leather, and is divided into several layers. They are rough on both sides. Tanneries often coat split leather with special motif foils or prepare it as suede.
How do I care for my leather handbag to keep it looking good for a long time?
Coated leather can only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Anything else is not recommended, as the coatings often react with the care and give unsightly results. With uncoated full grain leather, it all depends on the colour. Pigmented leather can be beautifully treated with nappa care or pigmented shoe polish. Natural dyed (also called aniline dyed) full grain leathers are delicate. The best way to treat them is to spray or rub them with a clear wax-based polish, similar to that used on shoes. However, this may result in a slightly darker colour.