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. But 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. Later, already in the US, I discovered the traditions of Old California, and I immediately felt at home since it also comes from the Spanish horsemanship. I learned leathercraft 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 I want it to become.—All photos below ©Frederic Vigne.