REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT. ITALIAN DESIGN COMPETITION ENTERS ITS DECISIVE STAGE
Judges have chosen the finalists in the Italian Student design competition, and the successful students now face the exciting task of making prototypes.
Burnishing smooths the surface of leather and can make it darker and look more aged. It is done by applying pressure with a burnishing tool, or anything with a round, hard, smooth surface, and rubbing. It is often just done to the edges of leather but can be done to any surface. It makes the leather more resistant to both wear and water.
This is a great way to moisturise leather, making it softer and more supple and more resistant to the elements. It can be done with specialist leather oils or vegetable oils including castor and shea butter. The oil is rubbed into the leather and left for a while. Then the excess oil can be wiped off. Oiling leather usually darkens it.
Anyone who know how to look after their shoes knows what polishing is. Specialist polish is gently rubbed into the surface of the leather, left for a while then polished vigorously with a cloth or brush or both. Polishing nourishes the leather, extends its life and helps protect it from the elements.
Specialist leather wax should be applied in the same way as oil and has similar effects. It shines very well and can be done throughout the lifetime of the product.
This involves the application of soft cream colour that comes in shades of brown or tan. The cream is applied in different amounts to different areas of the leather – if there are carved details it can be used to highlight them. This process darkens the leather and makes it look aged. The process doesn’t offer any protection from the elements, so it is best to polish over the top when the antique finish has dried properly.
Judges have chosen the finalists in the Italian Student design competition, and the successful students now face the exciting task of making prototypes.
Xiao-Yun Chang has always had a love for disassembling and building objects- she has worked with a range of materials including metal, ceramics and glass. Whilst studying Craft Design in College she was introduced to leather, and found its charm and
Super-stylist Mike Adler catches up with London-based designers and leather sculpture pioneers Patrick Whitaker and Keir Malem, the men behind Whitaker Malem.
“People who want to ‘buy green’ should be able to do so, confident that they aren’t being misled,” says Sarah Cardell, interim CEO of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which is currently investigating fashion brands including Asos and
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