Craft The Leather. 12th International creative competition for new designer/makers at Lineapelle

Eight creative collections (2025) in Tuscan veg-tanned Leather. Eight talents from prestigious international fashion and design institutes interpret Tuscan-Veg-tanned Leather through the lens of contemporary art, craft and innovation. 
Vote for your favourite at our stand (Fiera Milano Rho, Hall 3, Stand A02/A18) from 11 till 13 February 2026 or online via Instagram. Happy and honoured that the Virtual Shoe Museum is part of the jury again for Craft The Leather 2025. 


It’s about time
Time: To learn, To experiment, To make, To repair, To plan, Time as a measure of heritage, Skills and culture built over time, Time line, A life time, Traditions and excellence, That take time, Value that reveals over time, Traces of time, Time will tell.

Every Craft the Leather workshop exploring Tuscan Veg-Tan leather, has a signature character. Across the varied cultural points of view, strong interest in materials and their long term impact is particularly important to this group. There is pivotal research development in the Tuscan Leather District. Highly specialised facilities present breakthrough studies on environmental impact and quantifiable analysis of materials and life cycle outcomes. The fuzzy greenwash days are over, there is data and analysis which make qualified, informed, responsible decisions possible. And vegetable-tanned leather is revealed as a remarkably good choice. Our collective reaction was emphatically: it’s about time!

Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale
The Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium was founded in 1994 by Tuscan tanners to preserve the tradition of high-quality, natural vegetable-tanned leather. Rooted in a craft dating back to the Etruscan Age and formally recognised in Florence in 1282, the Consortium today unites tanneries based in the Tuscan Leather District between Florence and Pisa.

It is the exclusive owner of the internationally registered trademark Pelle Conciata al Vegetale in Toscana, which guarantees artisan production, high-quality raw materials, environmental responsibility, and that 100% of the tanning process takes place in Tuscany. Only Consortium members complying with strict production regulations may use this mark.

Since 2012, the Consortium has organised Craft the Leather, an annual experiential workshop for students and tutors from leading international fashion and design schools. Through site visits and hands-on training with master leather crafters, participants explore the creative and professional potential of vegetable-tanned leather. Craft the Leather 2025 marks the 12th edition of the project.

Passionate Craft The Leather guides

DIANE BECKER/Director of Didactic Projects
Having worked in all aspects of the fashion accessories field: retail, trend forecasting, shoe design, and fashion design education, from New York to Tokyo to Firenze – Diane brings an international vision to this iconic Tuscan project. Researching and conducting this intensive, experiential workshop that delves deeply into how veg-tan leather is made and the ethical and sustainable choices involved, she intends to inspire the creation of wonderful objects
that can last a long time.

VIVIEN SASKIA WITTMER/Master Craftsman
In the world of bespoke footwear, Vivian Saskia Wittmer has a reputation for impeccable quality focusing on a classic and traditional shoe with a modern touch. She opened her own atelier for custom made shoes in Florence in 2000, and over the years many apprentices and interns have trained with her. In 2018 Saskia opened a dedicated School for Shoemaking, along side her bespoke studio.

CARMEL IMELDA WALSH/Master Craftsman
Carmel Imelda Walsh is a deeply curious creative whose practice explores material expression and meaning. Originally from Ireland, she moved to Italy to study fashion, where she met Saskia and immersed herself in the craft of shoemaking. She is known for her volume of work as a creative and art director for niche luxury brands, with a strong ability to translate insight and research into resonant, contemporary projects, always balancing substance with new modes of representation.

Participants 2025
HAYDÉE QUESEDO CASTILLO (Academy of Art University San Francisco, USA), EUGENIO CHENNA (Accademia Costume & Moda Rome, Italy), LUCA GREENWAY (Chelsea College of Arts London, UK), LIU HANG (Donghua University Shanghai, China), NAYEON LEE (Hongik University Seoul, South Korea), ZURIÑE BERRUETA (IED Kunsthal Bilbao, Spain), NINA DEL MARMOL (Jeanne Toussaint Art School, Belgium), NATHALIE SPIELMANN (Schola Academy Florence, Italy).

More information www.pellealvegetale.it/en