Full grain, vegetable-tanned leather is in a class on its own. Unlike the materials filled with chemicals that we are used to, veg-tanned leather actually ages; it scratches; it bears the scars of life. It reveals imperfections. But it does so in a way that leans towards eternity: time doesn’t beat it down, it ennobles it. Like a fine wine, it will only improve with age. Yet it’s not for everyone: if you are looking for a sleek, sanitized, glossy product, this may not be for you.

“A single step away from the source can only lead one astray” — Masanobu Fukuoka, “The One-Straw Revolution”

My work is deeply rooted in my family history and in the horse and cattle culture of Camargue, in Southern France. I learned the craft basics from my father as a boy. And as a former commercial photographer and a trained graphic designer, I have my own way to look at the material and at what it will become.—All photos below ©Frederic Vigne.