David Leather Expressions has always kept true to its mission: to develop a different way of making fashion with a unique, original and innovative system for the market.
The latest creative project in chronological order of the tannery made in Fucecchio is the workshop it initiated at its booth during the last 2023 edition of Lineapelle under the direction of Leather&Luxury: involving five fresh graduates from the Polimoda fashion institute in Florence in the creation of a men's capsule of bags, footwear and clothing. The budding designers are Roberto Della Nave, Marina Medri, Rachele Baratto, Veronica Piotto and Maria Sofia Gareri. At their disposal: free access to the unique materials produced by David Leather Expressions and the technical and production support of trusted artisan suppliers, true emblems of Made in Italy: Paolo Rocchi Firenze for leather goods, Lydia Srl for leather clothing and Target and Fashion Group shoe manufacturers for shoes.
Paolo Quirici, owner of DLE makes the enthusiasm of ideas his fuel and that of those around him: "Young people are creative and go well with the product we like to propose, which is never banal and always particular. The idea of collaborating with these young people stimulated me instantly and was immediately clear: let them express themselves to the fullest. They brought the idea to life and we provided our high-level materials and know-how. From proposal to product realization took only fifteen days! It was a mad race against time but the result was amazing thanks to the willingness and skill of everyone involved in this project."
David Leather Expressions is famous for its leather weaves, and it was these that most impressed the former Polimoda students in making their designs: "During the visit to the tannery I saw the weave and instinctively had no doubts. I absolutely had to use it for my bag - bags stylist Paolo Della Nave tells us. He is echoed by colleague Rachele Baratto focused instead on clothing: "For me using leather is an extra stimulus because its use in my field is less frequent. More importantly, I have never been confronted with weaving. It is a very beautiful technique but it challenges you because the difficulty of using it to make an accessory or garment is considerable." Marina Medri, who was responsible for the creation of a men's ankle boot for the capsule presented at Lineapelle, tells instead about the tone of the collection: "Already from the palette of the leathers a tailored mood had emerged with a modern twist from the dark tones like the teal blue we used, very suitable for a men's capsule."
Adding to the enthusiasm of the boys was that of artisans such as leatherworker and patternmaker Paolo Rocchi, who made all the bags in the collection, "I, like the boys, had never used weaving before, so it was a stimulating challenge. It was almost a leap of faith for me to work from the bag designs; I usually make the patterns myself, based on my own ideas. Bringing those of young designers to life challenged me and was very satisfying." Closes the circle Martina from Lydia Srl: "What did we like about this workshop? First of all, the confidence we were given. Then the stimulus of being able to work with different materials and the innovative models thought up by the students. Being confronted with young and fresh ideas always allows us to improve. It would have been even better if the students could have also participated in making their own garment. Maybe it will happen in the next edition of this project!"
Indeed, in light of an idea born almost by chance that made the most of all aspects of Made in Italy genius, Can this workshop become a format? Responds Paolo Quirici of David Leather Expressions, "I am the man of last-second ideas and I am convinced that impromptu ones are always the best, the most sparkling. So why not?" All that remains is to wait for February 2024, appointment at Lineapelle.
