Credit: Conceria Nuvolari
Every season there is a shoe that goes viral and that we slowly but surely see on every fashion editor, every influencer and every celebrity. This season it is the turn of the black patent leather loafers from Chanel’s Resort 25, which are becoming a true cult object. Defined as “scuba tuxedo” by former creative director Virginie Viard for their elongated shape that recalls rock shoes, it is in patent leather that they find their strong point, thanks to the innate elegance of this material, which has a history that begins at the end of the 1700s and continues to innovate.
The origins of patent leather are found in England, where the first studies on a leather treated to resist water and always remain shiny are attested. However, it is New Yorker Seth Boyden who is responsible for the industrial introduction of this material, which the inventor obtained using linseed oil. A formula later revised by replacing the oil with plastic resins in order to make the leather more resistant and economical.
But how is patent leather produced nowadays?
“The traditional method involves the use of a classic film applied as a final treatment on calfskin or sheepskin, depending on the accessory for which the leather is intended,” explains Sara Santori of Conceria Nuvolari.
However, we have also developed a more sustainable alternative, which meets the regulations recently introduced both to protect the environment and the people who wear leather products. It is a water-based coating, which allows us to produce a product with a very low metal content and bisphenol free, while maintaining all the characteristics of the product treated with the film. The final result is slightly softer than that obtained with the traditional process, making it ideal for the production of shoes in particular.
How do you take care of this material? During production we must be careful of high temperatures, but if we are talking about caring for the finished object then the greatest attention is to preserving its color, especially when it comes to light colors, to avoid yellowing.
