Material choices
Lees in het Nederlands
Striving for a product that will age beautifully and stand the test of time, Lies handpicks every single leather hide for its quality, durability and environmental footprint. To limit our waste, all leather comes from animals reared for meat production, meaning it is fashioned from residue calf hides.
WHY DO WE CHOOSE TO WORK WITH LEATHER?
NATURAL BY-PRODUCT
Leather is a natural material that can perfectly align with a circular approach. As long as animals are part of our menu, hides will be available. All leather used for Lies Mertens handbags comes from animals reared for meat production, meaning it is fashioned from residue calf hides. We make sure that these hides are given a second life.
STANDS THE TEST OF TIME
Used in a consciously designed product, qualitative leather lasts for many years and ages beautifully. That’s why Lies handpicks every single leather hide for its quality, durability and environmental footprint.
RELIABILITY
Our partners Rigato in Italy and Hoffmann in Germany respectively hold a silver and golden certification from The Leather Working Group, ensuring the leather is tanned responsibly.
Leather Working Group (LWG) is an organisation focusing on the environmental impact caused by leather manufacturing. LWG awards certifications to tanneries that prove environmental best practices and performance IN all leather production areas. From chemical and water management to energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, and hide traceability. The different certifications awarded are gold, silver and bronze.
See all the tanneries, their LWG and their LWG ratings here. To learn more about the Leather Working Group and their work, visit the LWG website here.
TYPES OF LEATHER
MATTE LEATHER
Our matte leather has a smooth surface without any texture or grain, resulting in a refined look with a polished finish.
FINE GRAIN LEATHER
Our grain leather has a more structured surface, achieved through a process called milling. Because of this texture, scratches and other marks will be less visible over time.
It has a more sturdy and strong feel compared to our large grain leather.
LARGE GRAIN LEATHER
Our newest large grain leather is more supple and soft. Creating a distinctly different look from our fine grain leather. Because of this texture, scratches and other marks will be less visible over time.
PRINT LEATHER
The texture in our print leather is laser-printed on the hides, giving us the possibility to produce unique patterns designed and developed by Lies herself.
