A&S 2026SS – Boar Shrink Leather

Gibier leather refers to leather made from the hides of wild animals captured as part of wildlife management. It is an effort to make use of skins—once often discarded—as by-products, much like meat. Each hide bears marks such as scars and wrinkles, left as proof of life in the natural world. These marks create an irregular surface, sometimes described as “wild leather,” that conveys the material’s inherent strength.

Working with this leather requires considerable time and care. Boar hides, for example, have a thick fat layer, and those from winter are said to be especially difficult to process. Residual fat and flesh must be carefully removed, while vegetable tannins are slowly worked into the hide over time. The process demands more effort than conventional leather production.

In Japan, many animals captured through wildlife management are still not fully utilized as meat or material. Only a portion undergoes proper processing, and within that, an even smaller percentage is used for leather.

At tanneries working with gibier leather, the owner personally travels to collect raw hides upon receiving a call from hunters. After being left to thaw naturally from their frozen state, the hides are then processed. In the workshop, hides still bearing fur and traces of oil are laid out—an environment that brings one face to face with the reality of where the material comes from.

At A&S, we are drawn to these efforts surrounding gibier leather, and hope to reflect both its background and its material qualities in our pieces. This season, we have prepared five small items to invite engagement with the material.

We believe that sparking even a small sense of interest can help ensure this initiative continues rather than remaining a passing effort. Encountering gibier leather has also offered an opportunity to reconsider leather as a material. Moving forward, we hope to stay engaged with this approach and carry it into our pieces.

Interviewed by ALMIGHTY