Did you know? Since the 1990s Figus Designer has been producing a limited selection of bags made entirely from environmentally friendly materials. The use of “green” fabrics goes perfectly with the constant search for innovation that characterizes our brand.
Today we want to transport you to the world of eco-friendly leathers, so you can understand why using sustainable materials is a winning choice that does not negatively affect product quality. Quite the opposite.
First of all, it is important to make a distinction: leatherette and faux leather.
Faux-leather and Eco-leather: what are the differences?
Speaking of faux leather bags refers to a material that, in fact, leather is not. Figus Designer was one of the first workshops in Milan to bet on this material, declining its most iconic models to an eco dimension.
Figus Designer leatherette is composed of 67 percent cotton and 33 percent polyurethane resins, and is a lightweight and durable vegan friendly material. The result is a natural, rich and luxurious look that gives the product a natural waterproof, lightweight and durable feel.
Eco-leather, on the other hand, has completely different characteristics. In this case it is real leather. The difference compared to traditional leather lies in the tanning technique. Yes, because if the most commonly known leather is treated with chemicals, the vegetable tanning used by Figus Designer is a process that gives the product unmistakable properties, versatility of use and, above all, uniqueness.
Vegetable tanning refers to a process that has prehistoric origins, when it was discovered that, in order to preserve animal hides, certain substances contained in plants did not allow tissue degradation. The process has developed over the centuries, and the processing technique has found its highest expression in Tuscan craftsmanship, which, even today, represents the world’s largest handicraft hub.
This particular type of tanning uses tannins, complex substances contained in plants that give the leather its characteristic brown color. All imperfections and “flames” present on the products depend on the plant that is used.
The vegetable tanned leather absorbs the traces of experience. It ages, but it doesn’t spoil. It is precisely the changes and customizations that occur over time and with use that testify to the naturalness of the product. The colors of the tannins give warm tones to the leather over time, which tend to resurface with use. Choosing a product made with this leather means owning an item that is the expression of a unique and unrepeatable philosophy and lifestyle.
No leather is alike and this means that its interpretations in shapes and designs are enriched by the variety and personality of the material: a particular and subtle charm that is transmitted to the finished product and to the wearer.
Figus Designer has made this processing technique his own, which lends very high quality to the flagship products of the Timeless line.
