Our modern world holds many contradictions at once. Lots of facets of our day-to-day lives would have been nearly inconceivable even fifty years ago, formed as they are by technological advancement, societal shifts, and a growing awareness of environment repercussion. And yet, as much as we continue to innovate within a field, there are still techniques that remain tried and true, century after century.
Following the great humanist custom of using the entire animal, Beyond Leather was born from an exploration between premium leather company Elmo Leather and Madrid-based creative studio TetuánCrea. Crafted in partnership with Soulem, a company dedicated to supporting ladies in vulnerable scenarios through skill-building, craftsmanship, and neighborhood, the collaboration existed as part of the Viveros project throughout Madrid Design Festival 2026.
Leather is a questionable yet exceptionally sturdy product. Some of the earliest surviving leather things reveal just for how long people have actually comprehended its resilience, utilizing tanning and preservation strategies that predate much of what we now think about modern-day making. In a world of bonded leather, artificial substitutes, and items– even within the luxury sphere– that can begin to fall apart after just a few years, the enduring quality of the genuine deal stays hard to match. Color, texture, grain, and irregularities within the conceal become collaborators while doing so, forging a much deeper relationship between creator, material, and production.
Generally connected with upholstery, high-end bags, and car interiors, leather is used here as lighting. Radiant from within, the particular intricacies of each offcut develop a distinct look, each light a little various from the next. Through structure research studies, mock-ups, and prototypes, TetuánCrea designers Estrella Poza Ruiz and Ilaria Franceschini checked out how cuts, stress, overlays, and color combinations might transform residues into objects with sculptural presence and functional purpose. Taking what could have been discarded and changing it into a helpful and stunning object is a testimony to materiality and process. Regard for the living and the dead is infused within the luminaire, a warmth that lends the basic geometries special significance.
Elmo Leather has long been dedicated to sustainable organization practices, with paperwork to back it up. Quantifiable and scalable objectives are our truest course to sustainable design, and Beyond Leather points towards this type of systemic modification. Rather than treating waste as an aesthetic shortcut, the job elevates an existing resource, asking how design can develop brand-new narratives around materials that already bring worth. “The real worth depends on the process rather than the last things. It is a shared effort in which every participant contributes to something higher,” shares Marta Pascual, Task Lead through U-Ak Social Design Project.
Aptly called, Beyond Leather examines not just the systems that produce leather, however likewise the people who produce leather items. Each light reflects a network of partnership developed on craft, learning, and the development of brand-new opportunities. In this method, the cycle of style modifications: from direct consumption to recycle, from isolated authorship to shared making, from material excess to product respect. An amazing opportunity to recover product while developing employment opportunities, this partnership is yet another example of how real circular style can benefit everybody involved.
To read more about Beyond Leather, check out elmoleather.com.
To learn more about Soulem, visit soulem.org. Photography courtesy of Elmo Leather.
Maturing in NYC has given Aria an unique point of view into art + design, continuously striving for brand-new tasks to get immersed in. A passionate baker, crocheter, and pasta maker, handwork and individual touch is central to what she likes about the constructed environment. Beyond the city, she enjoys treking, biking, and learning more about area.