IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section B
Abstract
The Leather Hub at De Montfort University serves as a dynamic reference and innovation centre for leather as a material, exploring its historical significance and future potential. Leicester has a deep-rooted connection to leather, reflecting its reputation as a leading city in global textile and footwear industries. With the establishment of the Leather Conservation Centre in 2025, the Leather Hub will further enrich knowledge exchange and skills sharing. The City That clothed the world? The leather industry has evolved from an artisanal practice to a fragmented, internationally connected sector. The Leather Hub provides an opportunity to revisit the heritage of British Leather Industries, British Shoe Industries, Automotive and Furniture production, British Fashion and Apparel Industries, and British Design. Through museum holdings and leather artifact archives, the Hub engages new audiences via talks, workshops, knowledge exchanges, and conferences. A key challenge is the current inaccessibility of the Leathercraft Trust’s extensive collection of leather objects. The Leather Hub addresses this by digitizing and touring objects, enabling research-led community engagements focused on sustainability and conservation. Training programs co-designed, covering species identification, tanning processes, manufacturing and decorative methodologies, preservation techniques, and ethical care considerations, empower individuals to make informed decisions while contributing to high-level heritage research. The Leather Hub’s research focuses on supporting new leather production initiatives and making conservation knowledge relevant to artifact presentation and public engagements such as our recent exhibition at Asia Pacific Leather Fair Hong Kong.
Christine White researches design, materials, the experience economy and sustainability at De Montfort University. Emphasizing the importance of circularity, material innovation, and heritage crafts, her work explores how traditional techniques can be preserved while integrating cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing, bio-based materials, and design for disassembly. Her forward-thinking approach continues to influence, bridging the gap between traditions, innovations, types of education and learning.
Gillian Proctor is an Honorary Freeman of the Leathersellers. She Instigated ‘Artifacts Live: A Legacy in Leather’ collaborative project with the Museum of Leathercraft, (now Leathercraft Trust). She is the principal investigator for the Leather School at De Montfort University that promotes haptics and heritage skills with leather business, trades and tanneries. She has recently presented a further artifacts exhibition for the Asia Pacific Leather fair, Hong Kong. Her next exhibition is Leather and Lace.
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
Wednesday 25th June, 2025