Leather Futures marks London Repair Week

To mark London Repair Week, Central Saint Martins hosted Leather Futures, a 3-day programme of masterclasses, workshops and conversations exploring leather as a material defined by longevity, repair and cultural knowledge.

The programme convened a community of designers, makers, regenerative farming advocates, researchers and students to examine leather through multiple, interconnected lenses, from provenance and land stewardship to craftsmanship, sustainability and the future of creative practice. At its core, Leather Futures positioned leather not simply as a material, but as part of a broader system spanning ecology, industry, skill and culture.

Participants heard from an exceptional group of speakers, including Bill Amberg (Bill Amberg Studio), Rob Goodwin (Leatherworks), Whitaker Malem (Pop Artisans), Jonathan Burton (CEO, Cockpit), and Mary Wing To (Chanel Atelier and Master Whip Maker), who shared critical insight into the role of repair, aftercare and craftsmanship in shaping long-term value, particularly within luxury and specialist production. Sara Grady (British Pasture Leather), Jack Millington (Billy Tannery) and Joyce Addai-Davis (researcher and footwear activist) brought vital perspectives on regenerative systems, material traceability and global waste hierarchies, helping to articulate the full journey of leather, from farm and landscape through to product and end-of-life.

Equally important was the contribution of a new and emerging generation of makers, engaging directly with craft through hands-on workshops and demonstrations led by practitioners Riina Õun, Martina Spetlova, Beth Malcolm, Luca Greenway Studio, and Liz Ciokajlo, alongside makers Tania Clarke Hall, and Nette, from the Cockpit craft ecosystem. These sessions reinforced the importance of embodied knowledge, material literacy and the transfer of skills across disciplines and careers.

Leather Futures demonstrated the value of reconnecting creative education with the full material journey, from land and resource, through design and making, to repair, maintenance and longevity. It also highlighted the critical role that education, industry and craft communities must play in addressing skills gaps while advancing more responsible and regenerative approaches to materials.

Looking forward, the ambition is for Leather Futures to develop into an annual platform across UAL, strengthening partnerships with industry, livery companies and cultural organisations, safeguarding heritage skills, and supporting new pathways into craft and material-led practice.