Your new Mimi Berry bag or purse has been handcrafted in the UK using the finest naturally vegetable tanned leather. We commission our leather to order each season, from tanneries in Italy and Belgium, who produce leather for some of the most famous fashion houses in the world.
We use vegetable tanned leather, as it is the oldest and most environmentally friendly method of tanning and produces some of the best leather for making accessories. Vegetable tanning is a traditional craft, using machinery, recipes and tools passed down though generations, and is so called, not because it's made from garden vegetables, but because it's tanned using natural tannins. These are found in tree barks, fruit and leaves - Mimosa and bread flour are typical ingredients.
The leather produced using this method shows off the material in its most natural and beautiful state, retaining natural flaws and markings inherent in the skin of the animal. The method is also time consuming and can typically take anything from 5-12 weeks to complete. The process cannot be rushed like commercial Chrome tanning. The raw skins of leather are treated in huge wooden drums, or submerged on wooden racks in pits in the ground.
The quality of vegetable tanned leather becomes immeasurable as it ages and changes over time, and retains so many of its natural characteristics. No two items will ever look or feel the same. Each bag will continue to live and grow with its owner, and will develop what is called a patina over time. We hope that you will appreciate any slight variations in the thickness, colour and texture of your Mimi product as a sign of its authenticity.
