People all asking the same thing as woman shows how she makes 'fish leather'
In an increasingly eco-conscious world, we're always looking for alternatives to traditional leather.
One woman thinks 'fish leather' could be the answer, but everyone's asking her the same question.
In a TikTok video by @fishtokisab, fashion designer Isabelle shows viewers how she makes the material.
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After donning protective overalls and glasses, she takes cuts of fish skin from a freezer and rinses them with cold water.
Then, she uses a blunt tool to scrape all the meat, fat and membrane off.
After a brief interlude from the fishy business to grab a snack (because obviously), Isabelle returns to the office where she soaks the skins in soapy water.
This is the preparation stage of making fish leather.
After this, the fish skins go through tanning and drying processes to make the material strong and resistant to wear.
Once tanned, it functions much like the tanned cowhide we're more accustomed to and is actually said to be 10 times stronger than calf leather, due to its natural cross-fibre structure.
While not frequently used, fish leather is actually a great alternative to traditional cowhide.
It is a by-product of the seafood industry meaning no extra energy is required in terms of production to provide the material.
Fish leather is also environmentally friendly as none of the products used involve endangered animals and it doesn't leave the carbon footprint associated with raising cattle.
But, there's a potentially smelly elephant (or fish) in the room and it's a question that flooded the comment section of Isabelle's video.
Does fish leather smell? After all, nobody wants to smell like a fish and chip shop whenever they put their new shoes on.
One user wrote: "I can smell it from here," while another said: "Can I ask about the smell?"
As it turns out, the tanning process removes the fish smell, leaving the material smelling like any other leather.
In a follow-up video, Isabelle explains: "When I acquire the skins, they have been smoked. They are literally smoked salmon skin.
"Imagine smoked salmon in your fridge. Are you gagging from the smell or does it smell like smoked salmon which is actually kind of making you hungry?"
Explaining that the skin doesn't smell as strongly as the meat of the fish, she says that you're just left with a faint salmon smell.
She added: "And then, once you've turned it to leather, it's odourless.
"You have to tan the skin to turn it into leather and tannings actually structurally change the skin. It's just like cow leather."
Bec Oakes