Consorzio Vera Pelle / Andrea Ghizzani

I am a tanner in Tuscany, from a small town in Pisa between Florence and the sea. My father was a tanner before me and my family has always followed the antique
method of tanning leathers traditional to that area, vegetable tanning. For me it is a choice that reflects deep values, about place and tradition, and respect for nature and work with our hands. In 1994, a group of friends, all who work in their family tanneries, decided to create a consortium called the consorzio vera pelle italiana conciata al vegetale, to join our energies to communicate the story of our leathers to the world. Today we are 26 tanneries, and have a strong profile that defines and guarantees the qualities that make our leathers unique. I am happy to take part in the natural by design workshop, to explain why our leathers are a happy choice for natural and sustainable design projects, and to learn from young designers what are the demands for the future of design, because even an antique tradition is constantly reinventing itself to respond to new market needs and opportunities.

I brought with me a group of leathers that represent the purest of the vegetable tanned leathers. They are sourced exclusively from the byproducts of the alimentary markets, no animal has been killed for its hide. The materials that are used in the tanning process are strictly of natural origins, vegetable tannins that are byproducts of the woodworking industry from sustainably farmed forests. The most important of these tannins are the chestnut from Europe and the quebracho from South America. These tannins are the natural antioxidants found in also wines and teas and give the leather its characteristic warm pinkish color. This process is a long slow cycle, it takes from 40 to 60 days to tan a hide. The leathers are highly reactive to light, heat, and wear, they will change over time and every object made with them is imprinted with the history of its use.

Another really critical ingredient to our leathers is the water in Tuscany. It has qualities that give out leathers a unique hand, and cannot be copied anywhere else, even in Italy. We take care of our water, over 15% of the cost of our products covers the depurification our the industrial waters. We are proud of our system which is a recognized global leader in this field, during the most recent G8 conferences this year, the president of the Chinese delegation came to visit Santa Croce sul Arno to visit our tanneries and our depurifiers.

The water is really also a very personal concern for me because I am a long distance swimmer in the open sea. I train for races in the sea off the coast of Tuscany where the waters of the Arno empty into the Mediterranean .

ghizzani

Centro de Materiales del FAD.
Andrea Ghizzani: President.Consorzio

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