The Lure Of Leather

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 13

The Lure Of Leather

New Zealand hides are now among the best in the world, and with the increased knowledge and skills in the tanning business in recent years, as well as better designers and specialist tailors, our leather garments are now of high international export quality. Deer and wapiti, calf, sheep and lambskins are being fashioned into jackets and coats, skirts, suits, trousers hats, bags and shoes, most of them styled after European designs, in up-to-the minute fashion, Nappa leather is the most popular for coats, jackets and two-piece suits, for both men and

women, but clever combinations of nappa and suede, in similar or coordinated colours, are being used to great effect by New Zealand designers. A feature on the leather scene this winter, to keep peole even warmer, is the introduction of the rugged 100k —shearling suede or lambswool and suede, with the skin on the outside and the fleece on the inside, and rugged, woolly edges of fleece poking through at the seams. “Fashion Press” has devoted the next page of its leather fashion feature to show this exciting naturai-look use of hides. On this page, in

;e, in

the photograph at left, is an example of just how advanced New Zealand manufacturers and designers have come, in the production of high-fashion garments of leather and suede. An outfit to stun everybody, it is a Benson and Hedges award winning threepiece jacket, jerkin and cap. In olive green, it is made of suede pieces, crocheted together with olive green natural wool. The design won the special award for daywear at the recent Benson and Hedges design awards. The sleeves of the jacket are of machine - knitted wool. The rest of the outfit is hand made, with speically cut-out panels and crochet work. The little jerkin is entirely suede. (From Capricorn Gallery).