Why I Still Choose Italian Leather

By Bianca Buccheri our Founder & shoe designer

There is a question I am asked more than almost any other.

"Why do you still use leather?"

It's a fair question, and one I think deserves an honest answer.

As someone who has spent decades working with Italian artisans, I've never believed sustainability is as simple as choosing one material over another. For me, it's about understanding the entire life cycle of a product—how it's made, how long it lasts, and what happens to it afterwards.

The leather used in our collections is not produced because someone wanted to make shoes. In almost every case, it comes from hides that are by-products of the food industry. If those hides were not used, they would simply become waste. European and Italian leather organisations, along with EU regulations governing animal by-products, recognise this relationship between the food and leather industries.

That doesn't mean leather has no environmental impact. It absolutely does.

Tanning leather uses water, energy and chemicals, and these impacts should never be ignored. But the conversation shouldn't stop there.

Italy has spent decades investing in cleaner tanning technologies, wastewater treatment, waste recovery and traceability. Many Italian tanneries now recover and repurpose by-products that once went to landfill, contributing to a more circular manufacturing system.

When I visit the small family factories we work with, I don't just see production lines.

I see generations of craftspeople making shoes that are designed to be worn for years—not months.

To me, that matters.

A beautifully crafted pair of shoes that is worn for ten or fifteen years has a very different environmental story from a synthetic pair that lasts one season before ending up in landfill.

Longevity is one of the most overlooked parts of sustainability.

As consumers, we've become used to buying more because products have become cheaper. But buying less—and buying better—can often be the more responsible choice.

I also believe we need to have an honest conversation about alternatives.

Many products marketed as "vegan leather" are made from polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC)—plastic-based materials derived from fossil fuels. Some exciting plant-based innovations are emerging, and I genuinely welcome them, but today many synthetic alternatives still rely heavily on plastics and often don't last as long as quality leather.

For me, sustainability isn't about choosing sides.

It's about asking better questions.

Where did this material come from?

How was it made?

Who made it?

Will I still love it in ten years?

Can it be repaired instead of replaced?

These are the questions I ask every season when I design a collection.

At Dolci Firme, we choose Italian leather because we believe in exceptional craftsmanship, responsible sourcing, and creating products that become part of a woman's wardrobe for many years—not just one trend.

No material is without impact.

But I believe the future of fashion isn't disposable. It's thoughtful.

It's transparent.

And it's built to last.

Bianca X