Thoughtful Materials, Sustainable Style

At Leatherology, we are committed to “thoughtful consumption”. To us, that means creating timeless designs, selecting only the highest quality materials for durability and aesthetics, and minimizing our production footprint by responsibly creating lasting products. 

 

Our co-founder and Creative Director, Rae Liu, remarks on the progress we have made:

 

“One of the ways we are producing more thoughtfully is by embarking on what has been a multi-year journey to uplevel our supply chain.  We are proud to report that 100% of our leather vendors are now LWG certified, our cotton canvas is 100% organic, and that our newest paper products are FSC-certified.”

 

Material certifications are just a piece of the sustainability puzzle, and we’re here to explain what these confusing acronyms mean.

What Is LWG Certification?

LWG certification is the foremost designation given to leather manufacturers that meet specific environmental and ethical standards established by the Leather Working Group (LWG), a multi-stakeholder group focused on promoting sustainable environmental practices within the leather industry. 

 

LWG certification provides a way for leather manufacturers to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and responsible production practices. The certification process evaluates various aspects of a manufacturer's operations.

 

Like the Olympics, LWG ratings come in Bronze, Silver, and Gold, following a stringent checklist of criteria such as water usage, energy consumption, waste disposal, and chemical management and compliance. It also upholds the social and ethical responsibility of the manufacturer for labor conditions and supply chain transparency.

 

When you purchase a product made from LWG certified leather, you are ensuring that the leather is sourced and tanned using industry-leading sustainability practices.

 

All Leatherology leathers are sourced from LWG certified tanneries.  We are especially proud that our signature leather collections are LWG Gold certified, including our newest seasonal Emerald, Azure, and Lilac colorways. 

What Is GOTS and OCS Certification?

GOTS and OCS are two textile-specific certifications. GOTS stands for the Global Organic Textile Standard, an organization created to manage, certify, and uphold the environmental, social, and technical criteria for responsible textile production.

 

GOTS is internationally recognized by standardizing the expectations for sustainable and ethically produced textiles and replacing several other international certifications. It has become the leading standard for the processing of textile goods using organic fibers and is one of the most stringent certifications for organic textiles.

 

The GOTS certification covers the entire textile supply chain, from the harvesting of raw materials (such as cotton, wool, or silk) to the finished product. It requires that all aspects of textile production meet strict environmental and social standards.

 

Products that carry the GOTS label must be made with at least 95% certified organic fibers and must meet all of the program's environmental and social criteria. For example, it prohibits the use of toxic chemicals, such as certain dyes and solvents, and requires the use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable substances.

 

OCS, Organic Content Standard, is a voluntary counterpart to GOTS, emphasizing organically-grown products, recycling organic materials, and making those products more accessible to the global market at large.

Cotton is one of the oldest materials used by humans, but modern cotton production has a huge environmental impact, often requiring huge amounts of pesticides and fertilizers and generating huge amounts of wastewater.  We wanted to transform utilitarian cotton canvas in a luxurious way by combining it with leather, but Rae made it a priority to source a high-quality organic cotton that avoided many of these environmental impacts.

 

"We get asked a lot why a brand called ‘Leatherology’ is offering a line in canvas? Well, we have an affinity for all-natural materials, like canvas and leather, and nothing was more natural to us than 100% organic cotton. Working with cotton canvas and trimming it in leather gave us an opportunity to really play on texture and combine our two favorite all-natural materials, in a way that felt authentic to our brand.”

 

Our organic Canvas Collection is a sophisticated and resilient set of our best-selling styles made from GOTS and OCS-certified 100% organic heavy duty cotton canvas material, trimmed with our signature LWG certified leathers.

What Is FSC Certification?

The Forest Stewardship Council, FSC, is voluntary, market-based certification for the environmental, economic, and socially responsible management of the world’s forests for paper supply. FSC certification verifies that forest products, such as wood and paper, have been sourced from responsibly-managed forests, protect the rights of local communities and their environment, and preventing deforestation through conservation efforts like replanting tress, with no net loss of forests over time.

 

FSC certification is widely recognized as one of the most rigorous forest certification programs in the world. By choosing products made from FSC-certified materials, consumers can have confidence that they are supporting responsible forest management practices that protect wildlife, promote local communities, and help to mitigate climate change.

 

Leatherology recently launched a new line of stationery and journal covers in the international A5 size. It was important to us during the development of this new product that we work only with FSC certified suppliers. We plan to add even more FSC-certified products as we expand our stationary line.