Latin Leather
In our ad hoc series on fashions emanating from Buenos Aires, today we'll concentrate on leather. It's always been a major Argentine product--when you eat that much steak, you have to do something with the packaging--but it's been relegated to coach-class status by Italian leatherwork. Today's Cool Hunter points to VacaValiente, which we immediately knew was Argentine when we saw the red leather dog-shaped pen holders. Founded by an Argentine who grew up in new year, the Buenos Aires-based company ("The Valient Cow") sells leather desk and home accesories through a Florida distributor and claims its name is, "our homage to the cow, as a symbol of a life without fear or rush" (though we'd point out that, as a cow, getting killed and turned into a penholder is a bit fear-inducing).
They're far from the only company selling Argy leather in the US of A. A few months ago, down in BA, we also talked to the flak from Qara (which apparently means "leather" in the Quechqua, but in Spanish sounds exactly like "expensive"), a company founded by a young American woman who's embarked on a well-documented quest to sell high-end Argentine leather handbags and the like in New York (and Argentina too). As Qara's website shows, Argentine leather still suffers "little baby brother syndrome", even though a lot of it is really v. swank:
The Argentine leather industry pre-dates the Italian leather industry. The difference lies in the technology used to tan the cowhides; the Italian tanning process is more technologically advanced and streamlined, making for a slightly more consistent and controlled product. Argentine cowhides...are tanned in what is a more manual process. Qara artisans sort and select only the best-tanned hides, which are of the same quality as Italian leather.
VACAVALIENTE Leather Animals [coolhunter]
VacaValiente [Official Site]
Qara Argentina [Official site]
Previously: Poverty Footwear Boom, Tango Alpha Boob Job, BA Goes Boutique, No More Smoking With Your Tango, Polo Shopping, With Much Renting of Garments
