The story of our suede

The story of our suede starts in Solofra, a small town in the south of Italy. Solofra is known as the heart of the Italian leather industry, and has a reputation for their elite-level leather and suede production. All of our suede at Vitolli comes from our tannery in Solofra. 

Each skin is processed for 9 to 12 weeks, in which it transforms from a raw lamb skin to a 0.4 mm suede skin. During this process, the skins are constantly monitored and kept under tight supervision to ensure the quality of the garment.

At Vitolli we exclusively work with lamb suede. The reason for this is due to the natural thinness of lambskin, which makes it possible to cut it down to 0.4mm without destroying the strength or durability of the products.

Our goal is to make timeless products that last forever. Therefore, we at Vitolli set high requirements for the suede we use for our products. Each skin cannot exceed 0.4 mm thickness, needs to match the exact color requirements and needs to have a minimised amount of dust capture.

Our goal is to make timeless products that last forever.

The suede making process goes through 4 major stages. Starting with the preparatory phase, followed by the tanning and crusting process, and finished with the surface coating process.

During the preparatory phase, the lamb skins are prepared for the tanning process. Unwanted raw skin components are removed and the skins are degreased and prepared for the tanning process.

This stage is followed by the tanning phase, where the protein of the lamb skin is converted into a stable material which will not putrefy and is suitable for the production of Vitolli's suede products. Leather tanning in Italy is done under strict environmental regulations in order to ensure the proper use of chemicals and to avoid environmental damages. 

 

At the crusting phase, the lamb skin is thinned, retanned and lubricated. Strong emphasise is set on the purification of the suede side of the skin. This is also the stage where the suede skins are cut down to a minimum of 0.4mm in order to meet Vitolli's product requirements.

The last step is the surface coating process. Here, the suede receives an extensive finishing, including a deep dye in the color of the end product. Vitolli extends this process by undusting the skins in order to minimise possible suede hairs giving off on clothes and to give it a smoother touch. 

The softness of our suede feels surreal, a feeling that cannot be described in words, but needs to be touched, smelled and felt. 

 

We see our suede as a piece of art. Each bit of suede tells a story. A story about passion, love and perfection. The softness of our suede feels surreal, a feeling that cannot be described in words, but needs to be touched, smelled and felt. 

The natural characteristics of suede make it difficult to sew through it by hand. Therefore, all our tie makers are specifically trained in order to sew our ties and bow ties by hand from suede. 

The sewing process starts with careful pattern planning of each individual skin. Each suede skin has a unique shape and unique natural characteristics. This pattern planning is done in order to minimise suede waste by optimising the yield of every skin.

We see our suede as a piece of art. Each bit of suede tells a story. A story about passion, love and perfection.