Rough Skins

For Rough Skins, Nina van Bart researched the characteristics of leather and developed a collection of leather samples introducing new structures and finishing possibilities for the application of leather in the furniture industry and for interior objects.

This specific research was conducted during Nina van Bart’s training at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, at the invitation of Ecco Leather. The pioneering company selected a small number of students and opened their laboratory for them for four days, spread over eight weeks — a creative environment focussing on experiments with leather finishing techniques. Nina van Bart concentrated on matte and delicate finishes, referring to the aesthetics of aged materials such as weathered concrete and oxidation-perforated metals. She explored the possibilities and limits of existing techniques and procedures and expanded them with new proposals. She cooked the leather, cut it, waxed it and perforated it. She sanded and printed the leather, embossed and laminated it… …until a collection of leather samples, each of them with exceptional qualities, was created. Nina van Bart also decided to experiment with the material outside Ecco Leather’s laboratory. This enabled her to work with techniques other than those available and to achieve unexpected, surprising findings.

“By reconsidering existing techniques and adding them to new experiments and research, you will achieve innovative and surprising results.”