Abu Dhabi tannery acclaims appeal of camel leather
22/05/2012
A former Hermès leather expert, Jean-Marie Gigante, has been running Al Khaznah for more than two years and has said in a recent interview with local media that a new ultra-soft camel leather the facility is producing is “like butter” and that if you had a jacket made from the leather with a Hermès label on it, no one would be surprised. “We are already in final negotiations with two high fashion houses in Europe,” he said.
Mr Gigante said camel leather in Europe is regarded as exotic, but not as particularly prestigious; he wants to change that. Camel hide has ten times more fibres per square-centimetre than bovine hide, he explained, which helps protect the animal in its natural environment. “As a result, you get a leather that is extremely durable and extremely tough,” Mr Gigante said in the interview. “You also have a nice pattern that is unique to the animal, which I find extremely attractive.”
The Al Khaznah tannery is part of a wider project to add value to the camel sector in the United Arab Emirates, including farms, abattoirs and meat distribution. It also tans goat and sheepskins, but camel accounts for 80% of its output at the moment.
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