Happy Earth Day: Could salmon be the next big exotic skin?

When one thinks of salmon, brand names like Prada, Loewe, Puma and Nike would not necessarily come to mind. But look a little closer the next time you walk into your favorite department store. Because that handbag quietly cooing your name from a glass display shelf might actually be made out of a slippery, scaly little thing.

As shoppers become more conscious about their carbon footprints, designers become more active in sourcing earth-friendly textiles for their clothing and accessories. Fish leather is an unlikely fabrication for a luxury product. And yet, it has been developing a more noticeable presence in the fashion world.

“It’s a good fit for fashion because it’s stronger and more durable than leather, believe it or not, because the fibers cross more than in cow or lamb,” says Gunnsteinn Bjornsson, co-founder of Iceland-based Atlantic Leather. He and his wife, Sigríður, produce five types of leather made out of perch, salmon, wolffish and cod. His company, which was a lambskin tannery, started developing fish leather back in 1989 after noticing a decrease in raw material. “We’re surrounded by fish in Iceland, so the skin seemed like an obvious choice,” he said. Turning the thin, delicate skin of a fish into a strong leather was not an easy task. He wouldn’t end up introducing the product to global markets until 1995.

It took another ten years for the fashion world to take notice. “People simply didn’t know that fish leather exists,” he says. “We had to really market it and let the world know about it.” Nike and Puma were the first to come on board in 2005. Luxury brands including Prada, Dior and Loewe eventually followed. “It’s appealing because it’s considered an exotic skin, but it’s not endangered. It’s sustainable and easier to attain,” explains Stivan Kerestegian of ES Sustainable, a salmon skin manufacturer in Chile.

Salmon leather also comes in many textures, from rough and scaly to shiny and smooth, which makes it an ideal textile for accessories. “I think we’re really only seeing the beginning of what will be major growth for salmon leather in the fashion world,” says Bjornsson who has several pairs of shoes made out of the stuff. He adds, “We’re just growing past the first steps.”