The leather used by the Brooklyn Museum is
“Where/Who/When/How”
everything is clear
Only highly traceable leather.
Strict environmental regulations
Including tanneries from European countries,
First time in Japan
LWG (Leather Working Group)
We are developing materials with certified tanners.
Everything is
For a sustainable world.
sustainable leather
sustainable
To be the world
responsible sourcing
Leather is a natural material.
What we get is
It's just a byproduct.
They were not bred just to make leather,
The benefits we receive from meat and dairy products that turn into energy for people.
Things we spend our days with and touch our skin.
That's why,
Animal Welfare,
supply chain traceability, etc.
We need transparency at each point.
Increase transparency in everything,
Creating things that can be used for a longer time.
Coexisting with limited resources,
Passing the baton to the next generation.
This is our responsibility as a company and as a creature living on earth.
LEATHER TYPE
There are three main types of leather selected for BROOKLYN MUSEUM items.
Calf imported from Europe, daily steer imported from North America, and Wagyu leather.
A globally rare and high quality calf.
In Europe, calf is supplied as a by-product from cultures such as French cuisine, and many big brands choose it due to its high quality.
As a result, market requests from all over the world are flooding in, making leather difficult to obtain. However, BROOKLYN MUSEUM is able to secure stable supplies through the relationships it has cultivated over 40 years, and the community it has built with its suppliers is also a major asset.
A dairy steer is a male dairy cow.
Female dairy cows are raised for milk, while males are raised for meat. Due to advances in artificial insemination technology, castrated males are characterized by a very docile personality and fewer blemishes.
The difference between North American and Japanese hides is the fiber quality.
In North America, the fibers are soft and supple because they spend time in the vast land and eat grains.
In Japan, they are carefully grown on limited land and fed on grass, resulting in a firm, thin, and delicate finish.
Creating things that can be passed down to the next generation.
Aiming for the ``richer'' expression we envision, we carefully select the source of the hide, control its quality, and select the dyeing method to output it into our products.
- LWG -
Leather Working Group
An organization that meets high standards for environmental and social compliance and examines the impact on environmental protection and local conservation activities using international standards.
Comprised of leather-related brands, tanneries, and drug manufacturers, the certification has now become a global standard, with luxury brands at the top of the list.
565 companies
Number of tanneries certified by LWG worldwide. Among the tens of thousands of tanneries, only those that pass a thorough examination of energy and water usage, waste management, and working environment are eligible for the award. For this reason, it is said that 90% of candidates will fail on the first examination, so the examination is rigorous.
12.1 billion ℓ
The average amount of water saved each year by LWG certified tanneries and manufacturers around the world. LWG certified tanners account for approximately 23% of the world's leather production. Approximately 3.9 billion ft of leather2. It continues to be reduced day by day through various capital investments and environmental considerations.
1 company
Kosei Leather Industry Co., Ltd. is the first tanner in Japan to obtain LWG certification and has now been promoted to the highest gold rank. It took two years for the company to provide sustainable leather, including replacing all equipment, replacing chemicals, and optimizing staffing by managing work process data until it was certified in 2018.
Hyogo Leather Industry [Hyogo - Japan]
In November 2018, we were the first in Japan to receive LWG certification. We have been consistently manufacturing leather for over 90 years since our establishment in 1928.
The entire production system, from raw hide procurement to finishing, is in place, and production recipes are fully digitized. Engineers are invited from Italy four to five times a year, and the finishing touches are a combination of world trends and Japanese expert technology.
Persimmon tangy dyed
Tanner: Prosperity Leather Industry
“Leather that returns to the earth”
``Persimmon Shibu Dyeing'', which started in 2003 with the desire to finish leather with natural dyes, was born at a time when mass production and mass consumption were popular all over the world.
As the harmful effects of air and water pollution began to be talked about, we continued to ask ourselves what we could do as a leather industry.
“We should be able to make leather that can be used with more care, using natural materials that have no impact on the environment.”
The leather that was completed after repeated trial production with suppliers is
However, the tannery who had supported us from the beginning went out of business due to a lack of successors. BROOKLYN MUSEUM took over all the persimmon tanned leather that was in the tannery and has managed to continue producing it until now.
``We cannot afford to lose persimmon tannin dyeing.'' Persimmon tanning dyeing has many fans not only in Japan but also overseas. I tried to find a tanner that could somehow reproduce this brushstroke, but the days just seem to go by.
At that time, I came across Shinsei Leather Industry.
A group of people who love leather poured their passion into the technique, and after repeated attempts, the persimmon tangy dye was brought back to life. Not only dyes but also tanning and finishing are created that do not rely on chemicals, so they can be returned to the earth.
Craftsmanship and pride.
This is leather that fascinates the world.
- Yamato
- Indigo dyeing
- gloss cordovan
- French calf [leather accessories]
- French calf [bag]
Yamato
Tanner : Kaname [ Tokyo - Japan ]
``I want to make sure that the entire process is done in Japan, from the farm to pre-tanning, post-tanning, dyeing, and finishing.''
The company that fulfilled this request was Kaname, which has been specializing in tanning tanned leather for many years.
The beautiful transparency of Yamato is carefully colored by hand, one by one, in order to faithfully reproduce the colors ordered by BROOKLYN MUSEUM. This finish provides clear yet deep aging.
Recognized for their high quality, Yamato items have been selected for the TOYOTA LEXUS lifestyle collection. I'm traveling all over the world.
Indigo dyeing
Dyeing: Aifuya [Tokushima - Japan]
A color created by the balance of blue and purple.
The Awa Sei Aizome method is designated as an intangible cultural property by Tokushima Prefecture. We are particular about this "Japan Blue" rather than chemical dyes, and we met at a workshop that has been preserving traditional crafts as a weaver of cotton fabrics since its establishment in 1919. Yarn dyeing is a completely different type of know-how, and after many years of discussions about all the methods, including tanning, dyeing, squeezing, and finishing, indigo-dyed leather was finally born.
The leather is dyed using only the power that has survived nature, so it cannot be dyed in one go. By taking the time and effort to check the mood of the indigo, a vivid blue emerges. And it makes us realize that the unevenness that is not uniform is the natural beauty.
The beauty of indigo dyeing is not only its texture, but also that it is a sustainable dyeing method. Being able to touch the dye with bare hands is proof that it is natural. Leather is full of craftsmanship that has been developed in harmony with the environment for hundreds of years.
gloss cordovan
Tanner : Shinki Leather [ Himeji - Japan ]
Radel Ogawa [Chiba - Japan]
We purchase the raw hides from Japan's only tanner, Shinki Hikaku, which is said to have only two cordovan tanners in the world, and request Radel Ogawa to handle everything from carving to dyeing and finishing.
By impregnating it with more oil than regular cordovan, it has a finish that combines supple strength and firmness from the moment you hold it in your hands. BROOKLYN MUSEUM's color creations are expressed through a collaboration with Radel Ogawa, which is said to have the best dyeing technology.
With scarcity and value increasing on a global scale and high quality cordovan becoming harder to obtain, this is a valuable leather that can last a lifetime.
french calf
Tanner : Perlinger [ Germany ]
BROOKLYN MUSEUM's French calfs are made using two types of leather depending on the characteristics of the item.
The leather we use for our leather accessories is Noblessa Calf from the prestigious German tannery LUDWIG PERLINGER GmbH.
This leather is finished in Germany, the birthplace of chrome tanning, by tanners with a history of over 150 years and numerous achievements, and its moderate firmness and beautiful shading make the item stand out in its elegance when you hold it in your hand.
What is noteworthy is the richness of the coloring. And the point is that you can enjoy the color for many years. The chewy calf does not lose its shape easily and becomes softer with use. Furthermore, the embossed finish makes it highly resistant to scratches and dirt, making it suitable for any lifestyle, making it highly praised by global luxury brands. We continue to refine our top-class technology not only for the beauty of color, but also for quality maintenance and environmental friendliness.
french calf
Tanner: Weinheimer [Germany]
BROOKLYN MUSEUM's French calfs are made using two types of leather depending on the characteristics of the item.
The bag I use is Weinheimer's Word Processor Lux. Weinheimer, a tannery founded by craftsmen to inherit traditional techniques from Karl Freudenberg, one of the world's leading German tanneries that has come to an end in recent years.WEINHEIMER LEDER）〉。
A soft texture with just the right amount of stiffness unique to calfskin, the fine elasticity of the fibers, and the careful finish of the tanner. In search of a body that touches the skin and fits supplely, we came up with this leather.
The finish is resistant to scratches, dirt, and water. Every time you pick it up, its stylish appearance will expand your coordination.
In Germany, an environmentally advanced country, we are a tanner who makes traceability clear and treats leather to an even higher standard. Feel the aesthetics of our world-renowned craftsmen.
