Are Digitally Printed Hides the Future of Leather?
The latest endeavor from the renowned British leather artisan Bill Amberg isn’t your typical product launch. Arriving one year after its inaugural collection, the digitally printed leather hides in the sophomore iteration of Bill Amberg Print, which made their debut this week at the 2019 London Design Festival, bring new collaborations with leading creatives from across the design world, featuring work by the likes of Calico Wallpaper, Champalimaud, Lisa Miller, Matthew Day Jackson, Marcel Wanders, and Solange Azagury-Partridge. “The wonderful alchemy of some of the world’s most prestigious designers, combined with a printed leather that brilliantly illustrates the natural characteristics of the material I love, is something I’m so excited to share,” Amberg says.
With more than 30 years of experience, Amberg has become a go-to name and a leader in the bespoke-leather industry, creating everything from small leather goods and bags to custom furniture and interior installations. Amberg remains innovative while respecting the traditions of the craft; Bill Amberg Studio brings together a wide range of leather artisans who strive to explore the possibilities of the material and who abide by the industry’s highest standards of ethics and sustainability.
The newest sector of his studio, Bill Amberg Print, strives to push the boundaries of leatherwork even further. The cutting-edge digital-printing technique, which took the studio three years to fully develop and perfect, is executed in Amberg’s own tannery. The European bull hides are printed with the various graphics—using watercolors and photographs created by the artists as a template—and then coated in a durable dressing that helps to retain the original grain and feel of the material while ensuring a colorfast design.
With inspirations ranging from the 1969 moon landing to humanity’s instinctive reliance on color, each of the designers was given free rein on the conceptualization of his or her designs. Some of the graphics, like Tom Dixon’s from the 2018 collection, offered an edgy, hyperrealistic approach to the task; others, like Natasha Baradaran, took a more traditional route with a floral print that resembles many textiles. “We were thrilled with the success of our first digitally printed leather series, and this new collection showcases the unique properties of our technique and reinforces the Bill Amberg Print range, which will grow as we continue to innovate,” Amberg says.
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