About us

We did quite a bit of thinking and research on the whole idea of eco/organic certification, as we are obviously in the perfect position to develop and steer a certification process, but we have decided against the idea, as we ourselves have very mixed feelings about the whole notion of "certification" and the "authority" ego aspects of it - we have seen the damage it has done in other eco fashion industries, and to small farmers and manufacturers in agriculture and don't want to promote more of that.-
We are more about telling the stories and creating transparency, so that the industry can keep evolving, and designers and customers can make their own choices - What we care about is that people are taking responsibility for their actions and evolving them as they find better ways, it is not about being perfect, or all being at the same standard - Some are better environmentally, some are better in terms of the animal treatment etc.
We respect the animals, the environment, the artistry of our crafters, and the style and conscience of our customers. Though the industry is in its infancy, sourcing leather that maintains our high standards is none-the-less our total commitment. The leather we work with currently comes from a variety of sources, and you will always be able to read about them on the label of anything you buy.
Recycled Leather: We also keep a constant look out for reclaimed leather from out dated garments, we use this leather/suede, for items such as journal covers, or as accents to some of our designs.

Vision

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We are not only consumers we are creators - we are constantly creating our world by the choices we are making.

At Organic Leather we choose to actively honor our sacred relationship to the land and her animals. The world we choose to create is one we inhabit in full consciousness, integrity and connection.

Traditionally leather was worn for protection, warmth and as a power piece, a way of venerating the animals essence. The hunters had a great respect for the animal and consciously communed with their spirit in asking to take their life. In gratitude people saw taking animal life as a gift of spirit to human, and a release of animal consciousness toward greater evolution.

It is our intention to return reverence to the practice of working with leather, to pay homage to the tribal peoples of our world who have never forgotten this, and to live in dominion with our animal friends and the earth.

We have chosen the tanneries that we work with very carefully and we are now working on developing channels between farm and tannary so that we can choose the farms we work with. We are strong supporters and promoters of small farms, and believe they hold an important resonance on our Earth. The hides we use are a by-product of the meat industry; Where ever possible they are from the wild, from organic or small family farms or free range, grass fed herds.

The tanneries we use work with bark tannins, plant tannins or smoke, to cure and preserve the leather. The run off from these tanneries is non-toxic and goes straight out on to the fields.

Our dream is to eventually expand our business into fair trade partnerships with people in developing nations where we will work with existing tanneries to convert them to organic processes and employ local craftspeople at fair trade rates.

Artisans

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Part of our philosophy at Organic Leather is to work with artists/crafters. We have both crafters that work in house and crafters that work on their own and sell there designs on Organicleather.com. Contact us if you work with Organic Leather and would like to be in this site.

Partners

Rowan Gabrielle - Founder

-Matt Richards; Founder and owner of Traditional Tanners an expert in indigenous tanning methods and natural tanning in general, owns and operates a boutique tannery in the USA.

-Nicki Port; Pioneer in Organic Sheepskin Tanning, has the 1st and only certified organic tannery in the UK, has Pioneered 100% veg tan sheep skins.

-Hossam Baba; A leather alchemist, who is pioneering totally new ways of tanning, using 100% organic tanning agents, owners an operates Lebanon's largest tannery.

Why Organic Leather?

My journey to starting this company had many twists along the way, finding right relations with animals and the wider natural world kept re-occurring as a theme in my life and eventually it became time to simply act.

I started my life as a vegetarian in a family of meat eaters! Much of my childhood was spent in a commune in the UK, where we grew our own vegetables and kept our own livestock. I spent many a winter's night nurturing young lambs with a bottle, and cold mornings with the cows, chickens and ducks. When some of these creatures ended up as our dinner I would refuse to eat them, and would cry, until one day my mum sat me down and explained to me. She told me about factory farming and how badly the animals were kept, and how it was much better to have a relationship with the animal and know it had had a great life. My nine-year-old mind totally got it! I made peace with our small farm and dreamed of one day having a big farm where all the animals had good lives :)

Later one of my first jobs was as a production assistant to my father, a documentary film maker. In "GreenBucks" (a documentary ahead of the curve of looking to corporate responsibility) one of the stories we followed was of a large tannery in Kenya that put in a water treatment plant that cleaned up a huge river, the source of water for thousands of people and also reclaimed the land around the factory turning it in to a wild life preserve. The story stayed with me.

In 2001 I produced my first Eco-Fashion show at the Wholelife Expo in Dallas Texas, one of the largest that had been done at that time. This led me to the realization that eco fashion still had a LONG way to go in terms of getting real style and appeal. It was also an incredible education in terms of what truly sustainable fabrics there were, I made a commitment then that no more than 10% of my wardrobe would be regular commercial fabrics (and that 10% would have to be really stunning to make me want to buy it). So as a result I started thinking about making some of the things I really love, like leather.

I woke up one morning from a dream with the words "Organic Leather" on my mind, I went to the computer and booked the domain right away. It took about 5 years of research and being too busy with my other projects until I decided This is the year, no one has done it, and if I don't do it soon, someone else will. With joy I saw the surge of growth the eco fashion industry was making, and I wanted in.

The relationship between humans and animals is for me a very sacred one, and to be undertaken with great reverence. When wearing leather one is wearing the energy of that animal, and I want to know that animal lived a full and beautiful life.

My love of farming and the cycles of life continues to grow, and my consciousness around it continues to change, at this point in my life I eat meat, if I know where it's from, and I have a great respect for the farmers that care well for their animal friends.

My dream for this company is to work with conscious Tanneries around the world that work with local craftspeople and provide sustainable incomes to help support and promote small farms as well as providing stunning leather goods for people around the world.

Leather is one of the most sustainable fabrics, it practically lasts a lifetime and is often treasured for generations, it keeps you warm, and it has a wonderful feel to it. When produced in genuine relationship and consciousness it is a truly ethical product and a very beautiful one.