Material Process
All fish skins used in the project were locally sourced waste materials from kind Edinburgh-based fishmongers, collected through a collaborative relationship that emphasised regenerative design, transparency, and community exchange.
An adapted tanning method was developed through iterative testing, using black tea, white vinegar, jojoba oil, and beeswax, referencing natural approaches found in Indigenous practices. This process preserved translucency and flexibility, while offering a chrome-free, fully biodegradable alternative to industrial tanning.
Extensive dye experiments followed, testing both historic and invented formulations; from onion skin and iron sulphate to red cabbage and bicarbonate of soda; each indexed and presented on a sample board for accessibility and replication.
A parallel investigation into cod skin highlighted the material’s unsuitability for this application, reinforcing the choice of salmon as a structurally and visually appropriate leather.
The finalised process is documented in the accompanying printed booklet: Salmon Leather: Contemporary Adaptations of Traditional Techniques, serving both as a pedagogical resource and a form of material advocacy.