Are You Ready for a New Exotic Fabric?

Pardon my surprise in hearing about folks using fish skin as a fabric! You see, I’m a big salmon fish eater, and I never thought about its skin being so creatively used. The fish skins on most of the fish I’m accustomed to in the Bahamas’ waters are generally soft and edible. So how could a fish skin become a leather-like product?

As you can tell, I found the concept rather intriguing, but still, I could not wrap my mind around it. As an island girl who has grown up on fish and intimately involved in the cleaning, preparation, and cooking of them, I could hardly fathom how such a skin could be used as leather, except for a beautiful turbot fish whose skin is as tough as they come.

My Slop Bucket, Your Treasure?

You know the slogan one man’s junk is another man’s treasure; well, so it seems with the fish skin. Although it is not a big an industry as the cow, goat, or gator hide, fish skins have made their way into the high-end markets being used for footwear, handbags, and just about any high-end designer item, you would use a quality skin on.

Is Fish Skin Leather Durable?

Now that I think about it, there is the sharkskin that some would say is on par with the cow’s hide when compared in strength, so with that being said, there are obviously many heavy-duty skins in the ocean. However, for the most part, the skins used in this process are the smaller fish with the lighter weight skins.

While some people use a manual method of cleaning and tanning their skins, there is also the well thought out high-tech machinery used to create massive amounts of professionally cured and tanned fish leather for top fashion designers around the world. Of course, the commercial method of how it’s done is pretty much a well-kept secret and quite laborious in its undertaking. 

High-End Designer Fabric

But what does that mean to you as a designer? It means that your world of creativity and design has just opened up another level. If you are a handbag designer looking for another amazing surface to showcase your designer handbag, you may want to consider the fish leather.  You’ll be in good company with the likes of Prada, Nike, Ferragamo, Puma, and Dior, who purchase it for their top-notch designer creations.

This leather is treated as most animal skins in that it will be softened for easy application, although becoming incredibly sturdy. It is also dyed and treated with various levels of sheens depending on the final look desired. Quite like other pricey leathers, good fish skin leather can go through rigorous quality testing for durability.

Pattern & Design

One of the most remarkable features of the fish skin leather is how it maintains its exterior design. After the scales have been removed, a fascinating pattern is revealed on the skin, which in itself is quite mesmerizing.

Now when I eat my fish, I will have a new respect for its skin. I really have to think; do I want it pan-fried and crispy with a hearty dose of lime and scotch bonnet pepper, or do I want to savor its beauty by preserving it as a designer covering for one of my custom made designer handbags.

So, in addition to the wonderful meal and the beautiful leather, this barely touched yet ancient industry could be just the fabric your custom purses were hoping for.