Lookout Emirates

Camel Race to Luxury

A local tannery is wooing the market with its unique, eco-friendly leathers. T Emirates finds out more.
By Orna Ballout

Local brand Al Mandoos developed a range of sandals using camel leather from Al Khaznah Tannery.

According to the industry expert, camel leather can be described as a leather for connoisseurs. It contains up to 10 times more fibres than any bovine leather, which gives it a higher durability and a unique mellow feel, he elaborates. As well as producing its own in-house products, which include a unique hair-on camel leather that Gigante says creates that extra authenticity and character, the tannery also supplies leathers to other producers. Many international and local brands are tuning in to the benefits of camel leather, and selecting Al Khaznah leathers for their product design. Parisian designer Pierre Corthay, founder of Maison Corthay, a bespoke shoemaker, points out that the main appeal of using camel leather in his collection was to connect with the unique culture and history of the Middle East. The region is very evocative of adventure, nature and craftsmanship, and camel leather provided us with the exact exceptional characteristics that we were looking for, he says. He also suggests that as the material is not often used by other prestigious designers, a little innovation and creativity is always welcome. For Al Mandoos, a brand that has developed a collection of sandals showcasing camel leather, the local connection similarly offered great appeal. As a local brand, Al Mandoos also supports locally-made goods. The camel itself reflects the culture and heritage of the UAE and has a very nice natural-grain look, says

Mohamed Al Falasi, General Manager of Al Mandoos Trading. And its not just fashion brands where camel leather is proving popular. Clients including Etihad Airways, interior designer Philippe Starck and CDB Yacht Design have shown an interest in camel leather. Cyrille Bieri, Director of CDB Yacht Design, says that camel leather adds a wonderful touch to its projects, especially in the local market. CDB has featured the leather in a variety of its yacht design projects for clients such as GumWood Yacht Interiors. We have the option of customizing the finish and colours to match exactly what we are after, and this makes the product the right choice for yacht design, Bieri says. Acknowledging challenges, Gigante notes that the regional market is extremely brand-sensitive, but demand is picking up as more consumers and corporate customers become aware of the high-quality leather, especially camel leather, produced right here in the UAE. Style-conscious consumers often seek something spectacular to differentiate their style, and Gigante has no doubt that camel maintains as much appeal as coveted skins like crocodile, alligator or ostrich. I am confirmed in my opinion when I see how top-end designers get inspired with this new and noble type of leather. They are first attracted by the specific appearance and feel of the camel leather, before showing an interest in the ethical values of our production.

Ph o ai tog s o ra p n C o hs r th c o ay urt es .

Maison Corthay features camel leather in its highend shoe designs to connect with the unique culture and history of the Middle East.

Camels have always played an important part in Emirati society, as a source of

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Yacht designer Cyrille Bieri selected camel leather for a range of his design projects.

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T Emirates: The New York Times Style Magazine

Photograph courtesy of Cyrille Bieri.

transportation and food in Bedouin life, and as an attraction for tourists who visit the desert. And with the help of local company Al Khaznah Tannery, which supplies premium leathers to the market in an environment-friendly way, camel leather is increasingly making an appearance in the leather industry, providing a unique option combining heritage with distinctive design. Managing operations at the Abu Dhabi Governmentowned tannery is Jean-Marie Gigante, who brings over 30 years of experience working in the leather industry to the job. Its a small world, after all, and the creation of a tannery in the United Arab Emirates didnt go unnoticed, says Gigante, who resigned from the Hermes Group, for whom he managed the largest crocodile tannery in France, to take up the role in Abu Dhabi. Al Khaznah Tannery collects raw hides and skins as a by-product of the meat industry, and carefully processes them in its modern factory settings to produce a huge range of fully biodegradable and sustainable leathers. We are proud to be the first tannery worldwide to offer a chrome-free biodegradable leather, Gigante says. And at the very heart of our offer is an exclusive range of camel leathers customized for all applications. Gigante, who has worked across the world in tanneries specializing in different leathers, reveals that the majority of the leather market treats leather with metal salt, which can be toxic when its disposed of. However, thats where Al Khaznah differentiates itself. Our exclusive process is totally metal-free, uses sustainable ingredients, and allows the production of highperformance leathers, he says.

Photograph courtesy of Al Mandoos.

A range of exclusive Al Khaznah Tannery products created by its skilled in-house craftsmen, available at alkhaznahboutique.com

Issue 3, 2013

Photographs courtesy of Al Khaznah Tannery.

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