This collection of vases and bottles is a result of both research into natural leather treatments and its innovative shaping using a CNC milling technique. Fascinated by craftsmanship and its future in the digital age, Heleen Sintobin pushes the boundaries of traditional leatherwork.

 

 To treat the hides, she collaborated with Radermecker, a Belgian tannery that uses traditional plant-based tanning, made with blends of bark and tree leaves. This was followed by research into abandoned dyeing techniques. She experimented with a 2000 year old coloring technique vinegaroon, a blend of vinegar and steel that reacts with the tannins inside the leather to give it a deep black hue.
 
From a formal perspective, the designer takes inspiration from black jacks, traditional English black leather jugs, to then offer versions with a contemporary look. To form the leather into these surprising shapes (some may recognise, a nod to the shape of a crushed plastic bottle), the designer has developed a novel procedure: milling a 2D drawing on the inside surface of the leather with a CNC machine, before manipulating it into the desired shape by hand, inspired by the traditional technique of wet moulding. Handcrafted sewing and waterproofing with natural products add a finishing touch.
 

​

​