Today, April 29, 2026 is World Leather Day. This year’s theme set by Leather Naturally is, “Make It Leather”, it is about choosing materials that last. From timeless style to everyday durability, leather is made to be lived in, repaired & loved for years.

As we celebrate World Leather Day, I want to recall something, back in 2019, when I was an engineering student in leather technology at the Department of Leather Technology, Anna University, housed at CSIR-CLRI, doing exactly what this year’s theme asks, making things with leather.

During our department culturals in 2019, we had a product design competition & would you believe if i told you that I made a wall clock entirely out of leather?

Well, thats exactly what i did, haha.

Here’s what & how i did it, I first dismantled a regular wall clock, took its panel & wrapped it with scrap tan color garment suede leather.

Then, I used 12 medium sized shirt buttons for numbers on the clock face. Then I wrapped the outer frame in another brown color scrap garment suede leather.

Scrap leather that would have been thrown away became a functional product. I then presented it to the judges & guess what i won second prize.

(First prize went to an FDDI student who made a leather sneaker with 7 different colors on each pair – beautiful work)

So, why I am sharing this….

Leather isn’t just a material you study in textbooks.

It’s a material you CREATE with. You experiment with. You push the boundaries of.

A wall clock made from scrap suede wasn’t a groundbreaking product, but it showed me something important: you can make almost anything with leather if you understand the material, respect the craft and aren’t afraid to experiment.

I think that’s what “Make It Leather” is really about if you ask me.

This World Leather Day, we celebrate the people, processes & progress behind leather & the role it can play in a more considered, long lasting economy.

Make the choice. Make it last. Make It Leather.

Read: Leather Naturally Calls Industry to Push ‘Make It Leather’ Message Ahead of World Leather Day 2026