How indigo leather is made.
Ad| SUKUMO Leather is a leather company from Tokyo which produces indigo leather. In this interview, Mr. Makoto Horii, the president of SUKUMO Leather, introduces his traditional leather to us.
You tan your leather using a 600 year old Japanese tradition. Please, tell us more about the tanning process of indigo leather.
SUKUMO indigo leather is dyed by hand in a process that is performed completely in Japan. Following a 600 year old tradition, the natural dye used in the process is made by fermenting indigo leaves in Tokushima prefecture, Japan.
With the dye, called Sukumo, the dyer colours the leather in the historical city of Kyoto. The dyeing process takes up to 4 weeks and include 20 to 40 rounds of dyeing for a single piece of leather. The critical skill to keep a constant quality in the dye-bath to dye the leather is held by one dyer in the world, only.
This traditional Japanese process makes the beautiful indigo colour and the softness of SUKUMO indigo leather unique in the world.
Please see the video linked below for the full production process.
Which hides do you mainly tan?
Our main line is made from cowhide.
For which kind of products can your leathers be used?
They can be used for not only apparel products like bags, small leather goods or shoes, but also for furniture.
You do customized designs and styles according to your clients’ requirements. Which are the most exceptional tans you can do?
As a unique technique, we dye the leather with “Shibori”(Tie-dye) and “Rouketsu”(Wax-resist) which are also traditional Japanese techniques to dye.
Where is SUKUMO Leather available?
You can order directly at our website or you can find some SUKUMO Leather products at the shops below.
2-14-12, Kakigaracho-Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
1-5-2, Ujiurata, Ise-shi, Mie, Japan
35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong
More information about SUKUMO indigo leather can be found on the website and on Instagram.
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