Made in the UK: Ensuring the survival of the British leather

Being able to trust the manufacturing process and origins of a product is important to British consumers. After being plagued by a series of food scandals, such as horse meat being passed off premium beef, mozzarella sold whose contents is less than half real cheese and frozen prawns

that consist of 50 percent water, consumers are turning to local produce they feel they can rely on. The growing veggie and health food trend has become tantamount to local production. Now it's high time that the fashion industry followed in suit. But do we still have the knowledge and technological possibilities? Can we manufacture jeans in Europe, produce bags and purses and knit sweaters?

In this new series FashionUnited investigates garment production in six European countries: Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and France - to shed light on the production possibilities that lie within our backyard.

On average, a single consumer will have at least four leather items on them at any one time, which usually consists of their shoes, belt, wallet and watch-strap. Leather production in the UK is a key component in the global leather industry due to its expert manufacturers, number of technical specialists and education/training facilities in Northampton, Walsall and Somerset. The leather industry in the UK is known to manufacture a diverse range of leather products for a number of sectors, including the fashion industry. According to the UK Leather Federation, the country's leather industry has an estimated annual turnover of 195 million pounds.

Leather once was one of the top three industries in the UK

However, even though leather goods in the UK are produced to the highest quality and standards, it has not stopped leather production in the country from slowly diminishing over the past few decades. What was once regarded as one of the top three industries in the UK has largely disappeared, due to a number of traditional and long-standing leather companies exporting as much as 90 percent of their local manufactured products and investing in offshore production facilities in Africa and Asia. Yeovil-based Pittards PLC, a luxury leather producer which lists Hèrmes amongst its clients, has 4 factories in Ethiopia that contribute to its 39 million pounds in annual revenue and produce 2 million square feet of quality leather from local hair sheep each month.

Today

there are 13 companies left in the UK which are classified as leathery guilds and 30 different tanneries and manufacturers left spread throughout the country, according to Michael Redwood, visiting professor in Leather from the University of Northampton. However, thanks to a number of essentially British brands; such as the Cambridge Satchel Company, Globetrotter, Mulberry and Dr. Martens and the efforts of the Made in Britain Campaign and the Northampton University Institute for Creative Leather technologies the leather industry in the UK lives on.

Micheal Pearson, former managing director of Pearce Leathers and trustee at the Northampton Museum of Leathercraft, always had "a huge affection for the leather industry". After the renowned W. Pearce & Co. tannery, best known for its high quality embossed leathers closed its doors for good in 2002, Pearson, grandson of the original founder, remained passionate about the leather industry. He attributes the decline of local leather business to the loss of local customer base, who have swapped over to cheaper imported leather goods being brought into the country from the Far East.

Pearson also believes that the decline of local leather businesses and tanneries is not solely due to competitive conditions posed by offshore facilities and cheaper import products, but to the prospect of financial gain, acquired by selling off production assets and land assets, as traditional leather companies usually have headquarters and buildings in prime retail location in city centers. He argues that the British leather industry should be focusing on adding value to its sector by slowing down the export of raw hides and skins and using them in local leather manufacturing.

On the other hand, Kate Hills, founder of the Make it British, argues that the manufacturing of leather goods is "still quite a labor intensive process," which is one of the main reasons leather companies began off-shoring their production facilities in the 1980s. She notes that although the mass-production of leather goods in the UK may never be able to return to its former glory, companies like the Cambridge Satchel Company (the CSC) and Mulberry have managed to make it work by "adding brand value to their products".

Both companies are known throughout the world for their leather handbags and purses, which are handmade in the UK by local craftsmen and craftswomen. The CSC has set up an apprentice scheme with local colleges to make sure British leather working and production remains alive in the UK, as its founder Julie Deane is a strong supporter of the Made in Britain campaign. Since 2006, Mulberry has had an apprenticeship programme in place to teach and train the next generation of leather craftsmen. The 18-month training course is run in conjunction with the local Bridgewater college, and there is a waiting list of young individuals waiting to join the production team.

"They both do very well in export markets because they use their Britishness to their advantage. They also both have very modern and efficient factories, where as some leather goods makers here are still somewhat, shall we say, 'quaint' in their approach to production," adds Hills. The CSC opened its new 30,700 square foot factory last summer to keep up with it growing demand and double its production of 1,000 handmade satchels a day. Mulberry, on the other hand currently operates two factories in Somerset. The Rookery has seven production lines which produce 1,100 handbags per week, whilst newly opened 5 million pound Willows factory runs 10 production lines. However, the luxury label also operates out of a number of leather factories abroad - all men's bags are made in Turkey and small leather goods in China.

There are not enough leather manufacturers in the UK

Hills notes that there are currently not enough leather manufacturers in the UK to satisfy the needs of the niche international markets looking to produce leather in the country, "hence the CSC having set up their own". Pearson, whose family owned business was one of the first companies to supply Mulberry with leather, notes that the leather companies who seem to be doing well in the UK are situated in niche markets and smaller, family owned or run businesses.

"The leather industry in the UK is best served by smaller family owned companies," adds Pearson. Having been involved the leather industry for over 40 years, Pearson believes that the industry works in cycles, much like farming, and believes that the British industry should focus on the use of leather in the fashion sector to become more bespoken and ensure its longevity. Pearson has ensured the survival of the family trade, and passed down his love for leather to his daughter Deborah Thomas, who runs Doe Leather, a heritage brand which produces exclusive handmade handbags out of bridle hide with zip pulls that feature embellish prints from the W.Pearce & Co. archive.

"I believe in the British leather industry tremendously. As it is versatile, I believe it will survive on in niche and fashion markets because leather is able to adapt itself," concludes Pearson.

Photo: Cambridge Satchel Company