0CO2 Leather

Can eco-luxurious textiles be made out of smoked and fresh salmon skins?

0CO2 Leather is a material research-based project that explores the techniques of traditional tanning, natural dyeing and off-loom weaving.  As a by-product of the fishing and food industry, the question raised is how waste can be transformed into valuable material.  Although fish leather has been around for centuries, the traditional art of tanning raw fish skins into leather seems to be buried deep in history. 

Inspired by Alaskan Native American methods of tanning leather, a major part of this project is experimenting to find how to tan salmon skin that is sustainable and 100-percent chemical free.  Since the salmon skins are collected from a local smoked salmon warehouse, the challenge was not only of tanning fresh salmon skins but also smoked salmon skins.  After transforming the material from raw salmon skins into useable, valuable leather, the next step was an investigation into how it can be used as textiles, particularly as woven or constructed pieces.  Strip weaving and modular constructions were used to create a collection of woven textiles that are adaptable for fashion, accessories, product and interiors.