Five years of vigorous research has led to the only organic tannery in the world developed by Nova Kaeru. While the material has striking similarities to bovine leather, this leather is made out of leaves and was developed in the heart of the tropical rain forest in the interior of Rio de Janeiro.

The production process for the leather involves multiple phases including initially growing the plants, then harvesting their leaves and then finally producing the material through tanning, drying and pressing the plants.

While the manufacturing process causes CO2 emissions, the manufacturing actually leaves a positive carbon footprint by balancing the carbon absorption through planting and leaf growth. This makes the leather one of the most sustainable options on the market today.

The company, Furf which is a Brazillian design studio, has collaborated with Nova Kaeru to not only create their Autumn collection but to also demonstrate that this vegetable leather is a valid substitute to traditional leather.

When comparing the leather to traditional animal leather, the plant based leather has similar properties such as durability and flexibility. It also offers colour customization options and true uniqueness through the leaves original texture.

For the Autumn collection, we are given an opportunity to see the unique composition of the leaves as Furf decided to include the leaves’ original texture on the surface of the seating cushion. The stools themselves are a sturdy structure industrially produced from recycled steel, with handmade welding and finishing.

You can check out Autumn collection here.

*Article information and images provided by Furf Design Studio.