Leather Types

Our Values

Sustainable Materials

Our aim at DeMellier is to use materials that are sustainable as possible. All our leathers are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste and we never use exotic leathers. They are all responsibly sourced mainly from Europe, USA and Australia and none come from areas at risk of deforestation, such as Brazil. We only work with tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group with the majority being top rated Gold or Silver for its advanced sustainability, traceability and social practices. We extend our sustainability efforts to all our materials from our sustainable cashmere to our plastic free raffia and recycled reinforcements.

Smooth bovine leather

We use three types of smooth cow leather, one firmer for structured bags and two softer for relaxed shapes. All are top quality full grained leathers from two tanneries in the north Italy top rated Gold and Silver by the Leather Working Group. They have a light finishing to ensure its durability while maintaining the natural feel and softness of the leather. The leathers are sustainably sourced from the USA and Europe where they are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

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Small grain bovine leather

Our small grained leather is a top quality full grained bovine leather and comes from a tannery also located in the north of Italy, Silver rated by the Leather Working Group. It is a naturally soft leather with a rounded touch. It has a light finishing to ensure its durability while maintaining the natural feel and softness of the leather. The leathers are sustainably sourced from North America where they are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

Grain bovine leather

Our grained leather is a top quality full grained cow leather and comes from a tannery in Spain, Silver rated by the Leather Working Group. It is a naturally soft leather with a slightly larger grain than our small grain leather. It has a light finishing to ensure its durability while maintaining the natural feel and softness of the leather. The leathers are sustainably sourced from the North of Africa where they are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

Croc and lizard effect bovine leathers

Both our croc and lizard effect leathers are made with top quality full grained bovine leather finished with a small croc or lizard print for a refined effect. They are made by a tannery in the north of Italy certified Silver by the Leather Working Group. The leathers are sustainably sourced from Australia where they are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

Suede Cowhide Leather

Sourced in Italy, our suede has a soft and velvety texture and has been finished with a special handbag polish for extra durability. The sustainable efforts implemented by our suede tannery have been recognised with multiple certificates; Blue Angel Eco label certified and USDA certified bio-based product. The tannery is implementing a water-based finishing process which includes building water purification plants and reducing carbon emissions.

Apple vegan leather

After searching for over a year to provide an alternative for our vegan customers, we found one of the most sustainable vegan leathers available. A 40% bio-based material made in northern Italy, our vegan leather uses leftover apple pulp and peel. Once processed into a powder and combined with other materials, it is laminated onto recycled cotton. This innovative process is PETA approved, BioPreferred and Global Recycled Standard certified. Vegetable tanning is used to give the leathers colour, in our seasonless Black and Taupe colourways.

Gold textured sheep leather

Our textured metallic leather is made from top quality sheepskin in a tannery in the north of Italy. They specialise in sheep and goat leathers and are certified by the Leather Working Group. The leathers are embossed with metallic foil to give them the sparkly and luxurious effect while retaining the softness of the leather. The leathers are sustainably sourced from New Zealand where they are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

Shearling leather

Our Shearling leather, rated Silver by LWG, specialises in sheepskin and shearling. The tannery embraces cutting-edge production technology to minimise environmental impact. They employ innovative processes to reduce harm to the environment and carefully manage raw material sourcing, energy consumption, and production inputs and outputs, even considering sustainability in global transportation. Notably, they hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications, demonstrating their dedication to quality, environmental management, and workplace safety.

Sustainable raffia

One would think that ‘raffia’ is made of natural materials, unfortunately we found out that most raffias in the market contain plastic fibres which we wanted to avoid as part of our sustainability values. After one year of research we found a sustainable raffia made in Italy with cotton and plant-based viscose fibres that are FSC approved. Our raffia has been woven on classic wooden handlooms by a family run factory in the north of Italy who have been making these incredible textures for over 100 years.

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Palm baskets

Our baskets are made from 100% natural palm leaves that are sourced and handwoven in Morocco. No toxins or pesticides have been used during the process. Each bag is a unique creation, handwoven individually by local artisans.

Sheepskin Nappa Leather

Our Sheepskin Nappa is rated Gold by the LWG and is sourced from a factory that solely works with this material. The result is a very fine and light Sheepskin Nappa that is perfect for soft bags and quilting leather. This specific tannery ensures that all their leathers are a by-product of the livestock industry to remove waste from their supply chain, establishing a circular process. Alongside this, they are committed to social responsibility activities and currently sponsor a local school to increase access to eduction in the area.

Cotton linings and reinforcements

All our handbags are lined with a sustainable cotton made with 30% recycled cotton and 70% cotton, certified by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). The BCI provides training to farmers to build more sustainable agricultural practices. Producers need to meet the BCI requirements in order to become certified under the Better Cotton Initiative. Our reinforcements are made with 100% recycled plastic made in Italy and certified by the Global Recycled Standard, or cardboard from paper sources.

Sustainable Materials

Ethically and Sustainably Manufacturing

Sustainable Materials

Sustainable Operations