Interview with Luca Balsemin, founder of Leather's Valley
As Scoop’s SS20 edition grows ever-closer, we’re starting to feel the summer spirit. To celebrate the start of the sunshine season, we’ve been asking some of our favourite designers to share their summer holiday essentials, as well as a sneak peek into what they’ll be showing at Scoop this season.
We spoke to a new face at Scoop, Luca Balsemin, founder of Italian label Leather’s Valley, to hear a little more about his SS20 collection, as well as his favourite summer spots.
It’s the summer season, so summer holidays are front and centre in our minds. Do you have a favourite holiday destination?
I travel out of sheer curiosity. I enjoy the wind, and that’s why Puglia, on the Italian coast, is amongst my favourite places to visit, with its steep cliffs, the pinewoods lapped by the sea and loads of caves and reefs to dive from. In my opinion it’s the best coastline in the whole of Italy.
I also love the mountains, Val Gardena in particular; the beautiful rocky mountaintops are one of nature’s wonders.
Tell us a little more about your career in fashion
After spending significant time in the leather tanning sector, I am now taking my first steps into the world of fashion. I believe that knowledge of leather, and of the manufacturing processes that go along with it, is fundamental for us because leather is the raw material on which and for which Leather’s Valley was born.
How important is it to the Leather’s Valley label to work with artisan leather experts?
Of course, the excellent level of quality reached by working with competent craftsmen is so important, but the artisans can only achieve such a standard when provided with the right materials. The primary reason for the flair of my products is the quality of our raw leather. We live in an age where we simplify what’s complex and we complicate what’s simple. I use leather in an exclusive way as it’s a material I believe is extremely valuable and should be treated with care.
What do you think makes the “made in Italy” stamp so valuable?
The Made in Italy quality stamp is indisputable for the history and manufacturing culture involved. It certifies the quality and origins of an excellent product, labelling it as a specimen of the creativity of a true Italian brand.
Tell us a bit more about how you’re making your designs sustainable…
All of Leather’s Valley’s creative and productive processes respect the European Union’s environmental standards. Given that I deal with a delicate material, whose nature is intrinsically artisanal, I feel the need to communicate the serious and constant effort the Italian tanning sector is doing to safeguard its sustainability.
Can you describe your latest collection for us? What sums up your aesthetic for the season?
The idea behind my collection is to go back to the origins of the fundamental elements of both shoe and purse designs. The leathers I use are unique, chromatic and give each design its own personality and distinctiveness. This in turn means the wearer of a Leather’s Valley product can be confident that their piece is truly one of a kind.
Why have you chosen to exhibit at Scoop this season and what will you be showing?
I am looking to distinguish myself and my collections in the UK market and that’s why I have chosen to show at Scoop. I love the idea of presenting my project in a selective environment with likeminded people who are able to appreciate style.
