Stile

21
Febbraio
2023

The power of the Made in Italy Brand

All over the world the best term that represents the idea of Italian products is “Made in Italy”. The popularity of this expression, which over time has been increasingly successful, is due to the grandiose creativity and famous mastery of artisans operating in Italy. Even today, Made in Italy products enjoy incredible trust from international buyers, thanks to their elegance, refinement and very high quality, elements that distinguish them from any other object on the market. But have you ever wondered why?

Why choose a 100% Made in Italy product?

There are many reasons why Made in Italy products are better than others. Italian production has always been synonymous with quality and style, and precisely for this reason, when we talk about products Made in Italy, certain unmistakable characteristics are highlighted. These include the high quality level of materials, the indescribable attention to detail and the ability of a product to last over time. Elegance and Sophistication, more aesthetically focused characters, also make Made in Italy products unique and desired all over the world.

When can you really define a Made in Italy product?

Following the continuous counterfeiting by those who used the “Made in Italy” brand illegally, in 2009 a new directive appeared to protect companies that daily engage in the defense of production on Italian territory. According to this legislation, a product can be considered “100% Made in Italy” only when it has been made exclusively in Italy or when it has undergone a fundamental processing stage in Italy.

The importance of supporting Made in Italy today

In today’s globalised world, which is severely affected by a major economic crisis, the level of competition on international markets has become ever higher, also due to the emergence of new industrial powers. Nowadays it is not uncommon to see politics promote laws that asphyxiate the craft sector in favor of multinational chains, favoring the spread of approved products that lack the typical quality of Made in Italy.

Precisely for this reason it is increasingly important to support local artisans and small traders, who through a history handed down from generation to generation, try every day to create high quality artifacts, entirely produced in Italy.

Florence Leather Market: a 100% Made in Italy story

We too at Florence Leather Market, as proud craftsmen since 2007, are great supporters of Made in Italy. For us it is essential that one of our products is made 100% in Italy, so as to offer the highest quality and monitor every detail in the production phase.

Everything we produce is 100% made in Italy, using materials with a high quality level and dedicating great attention to detail. The slower the product is made, the longer it will be able to last. We sign all our products with a label or with a gilding that certifies the production in Italy, “Made in Italy”.

14
Febbraio
2023

How to choose a men’s wallet

The wallet is an object used daily with frequency, as essential to carry banknotes, coins, documents and credit cards with you, as it is important to express your personality and your status. If a few decades ago the trend was to go around with a swollen wallet, today a more minimal and sober line is preferred. Both for those who have to buy their wallet, as for those who find themselves giving gifts perhaps to their partner, it could be very useful to take into consideration both aesthetic and functional factors. In this article we will give out some tips on how to pick the perfect wallet.

The wallet’s purpose

First of all, it is important to know clearly what you are going to put into it. Keep in mind if you usually carry around the bare minimum and therefore some banknotes and a couple of credit cards; if perhaps for work reasons many cards and credit cards are used; if you will also keep the coins or if you will have a special purse for them.

You will then have to keep in mind how much organization you will need, and consequently how many compartments. From these considerations it will be possible to get a first idea on the capacity and above all on the model you will need.

In short, as seen, the choice is extremely subjective, as it varies depending on whether you are a minimalist type, for whom we would like to suggest a thin wallet without a purse, or whether you are a more sentimental and creative person, for whom instead we find a more suitable wallet that allows you to carry with you the coins found on that journey as a young man, the photo of your loved ones and why not some receipts. It all depends on you, but we want to help you along this path by suggesting what to pay more attention to.

Details to pay attention to when choosing a leather wallet: material

The material is undoubtedly the first factor to take into consideration, since the quality, resistance and durability of the wallet depend on it. If real leather is synonymous with durability and protection, there are also different alternatives for those who are not interested in a product that lasts forever, preferring a synthetic material such as nylon, aluminum or polyester, which allow for more colors. gaudy.

The material must also be selected on the basis of one’s status: for a person who holds a certain job position and therefore needs to present himself with an elegant style, a genuine leather wallet is recommended; for younger people, on the other hand, the use of cheaper and more colorful wallets in synthetic materials is also largely allowed.

Come to have a look at our man’s wallet collection and browse every wallet Florence Leather Market has to offer.

Color, Size and shape

Color is an element that largely depends on the type of material: natural colors are more suitable for natural materials such as leather, while brighter and more artificial colors for synthetic wallets are also very interesting.

Other important terms of comparison are the size and shape, which mainly depend on the arrangement adopted to transport it. There are those who prefer a vertical wallet to carry in the jacket pocket, but also those who make a more sporty use of this object by carrying it in a trouser pocket, and therefore prefer a thinner wallet, with horizontal opening. Take a look at our top seller vertical card holder Ivo GM,

Functionality and Price

The functionality of the wallet also depends on the type of use made of it, and may or may not offer space for coins, credit cards or loyalty cards. In fact, many people choose their wallet almost exclusively based on the number of credit cards it can hold. Like our card holder Luigi, loved especially by our younger customers. Finally, another element to take into consideration is the price, which however is inevitably linked to the type of quality and durability that is sought. A genuine leather wallet is certainly more expensive than a synthetic one, but there is no comparison in long life.

For example, a genuine leather wallet, if made in compliance with the most ancient artisan techniques, is capable of lasting up to ten years, taking on a lived-in look and slightly changing shades.

21
Giugno
2022

Preparation and Tanning

Leather is a natural and noble product which has been using in a wide range of human activities. Italy is home to more than 300 tanneries: modern and safe factories where leather is produced following the highest standard in quality and efficiency. There are three main districts specialized in leather manufacturing process along Italian peninsula and each of them preserve peculiar features that combine the traditional know-how of craftsmen with the most modern techniques in leather manufacturing. One of these districts is Florence, where our production is situated, and where Florence Leather Market makes high quality products for fashion and design.

Now let’s see the leather processing steps to obtain a genuine and noble product: preparation and tanning.

Leather production process: Preparation

Many changes have occurred from the beginning of the Nineteenth century in the tanning process, changes that have considerably reduced polluting chemicals and created new methods of tanning and finishing. On the other side, in Italy, thanks to stringent standards in food industry and leather production, every batch of hides is marked with a unique number so that it’s possible to track the origin of every single hide that passes through the tanning process. Leather, in fact, is a by-product of the food industry so that the raw material strictly depends on the natural condition in which animals live.

The raw material is the starting point of the leather making process and its conservation is a fundamental step to obtain the best quality leather:

Skins are salted with common marine salt in order to eliminate as much water as possible from the skin with the aim of avoiding the natural hide degradation.
Defrost is another method. It consists of cooling the raw material at very low temperature but it’s not so common at all in Italy.

After the salty process, hides are folded and stored for up to 30 days in a warehouse.

Leather making process: Tanning

By the tanning process hides become leather through three different steps that may be divided as follows:

Soaking: hides are loaded into tanning drums full of water from several hours to several days. Water and surfactants help remove salt and dirt, while vegetables tanning agents preserve the leather as well as soften it.

IMPORTANT: In the United States and Europe tanneries are required to process and treat the water used in tanning, it is completely filtered and purified.

Leather flashing and unhairing: subcutaneous material is removed as well as the majority of hair thanks to a lime treatment. After that, hides pass through the splitting machine and are sliced into two layers: bottom portion and upper portion. The first one is used for inferior leathers, while the last one is utilized for high quality full grain leathers.
Tanning process: it converts rawhide into leather. It can be made using natural or chemical substances. Vegetable tanning is an ancient leather making process that utilizes vegetable materials such as mimosa, chestnut, and bark. Synthetic tanning uses Chromium, while another possibility is the combination of both processes to obtain a soft and durable leather.
Sammying machine: two rollers apply high pressure to the hides to remove excess moisture. After that operators inspect hides to grade them according to their natural features and flaws.
Drying: this can be done in various methods all of them depending on the moisture level: vacuum dried, oven dried, or air-dried.
Dyeing: it’s a lengthy process in which hides are put into the dye drums for several hours and a cutting is taken to be sure that 100% of the dye has saturated the hides.

These are just two of the processes; to find out all the processes carried out so that your product represents Italian excellence, continue reading our articles dedicated to the manufacturing sector. And don’t forget to keep following us on our social channels.

28
Febbraio
2022

Sustainable fashion

The stakes in the debate over leather are growing. Leather goods, largely handbags and shoes, are the biggest and highest margin category in the luxury sector. Fashion recognises the need to reduce its carbon footprint, and leather’s own footprint is relatively large as far as materials go because of the emissions associated with animal agriculture. The tanning process also relies on toxic chemicals that are harmful for workers and the environment. Even most vegan options are petroleum-based, which is not a particularly sustainable alternative. Still, leather proponents say that it would be wasteful to not use the hides left over from the process of meat production. It’s also durable, and therefore can fit into the “buy less, buy better” ethos.

What does ‘sustainable fashion’ mean?

Not to be confused with ‘ethical fashion‘ (although they often go hand-in-hand), ‘sustainable fashion’ essentially refers to how the clothing will affect the environment – in production, through sales and how it’s then transported and creates waste. Also, leather will never be an animal-friendly product: It is made of dead animal skin. However, the skin used to make leather comes from animals raised for their meat. In that sense, it uses a by-product from another industry, so it doesn’t actually need additional land and resources.

Conventional leather is heavily criticized for the environmental impact of the tanning process. But leather can also be eco-friendly. There are not many options in the market yet, but they do exist.

How to shop more sustainability?

If you think shopping for sustainable brands means spending more money, you’re not alone – but Florence leather market‘s philosophy says first and foremost, a great way to be more sustainable is to simply work with what you already have. “Shop your wardrobe, it says. “Re-use what you have. Do clothes swaps with friends. And if you have to buy new, get informed and then seek out brands that are really trying to produce more sustainably, especially follow these good rules.

Here are some things you can do to curb your effect on the environment, when it comes to shopping for clothing:

Avoid trends, buy classic timeless designs The absolute best, most sustainable thing you can do, when it comes to shopping for clothing, is to buy an item and wear it as frequently as possible, for as long as possible.

Buy the best quality you can afford With the same idea of avoiding trends so your purchases will last longer, you should also try to buy the highest quality (most durable) product you can afford.

Buy natural fibres, not synthetic Always buy clothing made from all-natural fibbers (like wool, cotton, linen, silk, hemp, etc), not synthetic fibres (like polyester, nylon, spandex, rayon, acrylic, etc).

Know your size, and how to use alterations One of the biggest reasons people throw-out clothing is because it doesn’t fit. Never buy the wrong size, even if it’s on a crazy last-chance clearance sale. You won’t wear it.

We hope this helps you. There should be nothing stopping you from dressing with style, in a sustainable way, on any budget. If you are interested in it, also read our article on “how Florence Leather market makes an eco-friendly business”

Thanks, as always, for reading and doing your part. Together we can make a difference.

14
Novembre
2021

Black leather addicted

Rock, classic, elegant, romantic, wild, sometimes fetish: black leather has a thousand languages and shades. An evergreen that does not know ups and downs, is a proven truth. The leather garments to show off from head to toe in a thousand shades are definitely «never without», as demonstrated by celebrities, social networks, and catwalks. Carrie Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves, but also Joan Crawford who cleans the Camperos boots for her in Johnny Guitar and Olivia Newton John and her copied leggings of Grease, are just some of the stars bewitched by the charm of black leather during their movies.

Black leather is always a great choice

With the arrival of winter, as every year brings with it the idea of wearing purely dark and winter colours. The air cools, the days get shorter, and the atmosphere goes down, a bit like our wardrobe and here we are ready to put away the pastel bags and to pull out our timeless black leather bag. And then you can buy new trunks, wallets, hand bags, cross-body, and bag Matrix effect! If you then decide to do the fashion upgrade of the moment you no longer focus on just a garment or an accessory to show off and highlight to give a more daring touch to the look. To be cool the skin must be worn up and down, a real “total leather”. But for our personal advice it doesn’t matter to wrap yourself from black leather from head to toe like Kim Kardashian at the last Met Gala 2021.

For this fall/winter 2021-22 we recommend arming yourself with black leather accessories that will give us the grit necessary to get back on the bike after the summer break: shoulder bags, belts, backpacks, and clutch are the protagonists of the autumn wardrobe. The guide to how to wear them comes, as always, from the catwalks: there are those who dare pointing to total leather looks and those who instead adopt styling strategies in which black leather garments conquer with the right to name their title of must-have. On the podium of the non plus ultra-pieces of Fall Winter 2021- 2022 fashion, the trend in question arranges black high-waisted leggings combined with a white blouse with wide balloon sleeves, the look is completed by the clutch Alexa. For those who prefer the chic and feminine style we recommend pants in fabric drapes characterized by the closure with male belt in calfskin. In the international catwalks instead, it is the leather skirt to be the protagonist along with the minidress: both garments are worn with maxi-leather boots and are worn with pride. Just about the latter: the presence of leather boots in the season looks has more than reason to exist. Amphibians are no less important: combining leather garments of amphibians of the same material is always an interesting idea, not only because you can create an informal look with chic declinations, but because you can dress casually in a rather “rock and roll” outfit without appearing excessive. To succeed in this combination in a balanced way, simply add a very feminine note.