ELLINGTON’S signature materials

Ellington ECO Leather

Ellington ECO Leather is made in an award-winning environmentally responsible tannery that uses efficient processes to reduce water consumption, energy use and CO2 emissions.

Our ECO Leather comes in a variety of finishes. The Joni Collection features a supple full-grain leather that is drum dyed to create rich hues. The distinctive pebbled texture of the leather is achieved using a milling process. Flat, smooth-grain leather is loaded into a large wood or metal drum; then natural waxes are added while the leather is turned in the drum—or "milled"—for many hours. This process transforms the smooth grain into a soft, pebbled surface.

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Ellington Vintage Italian Leather

Ellington Vintage Italian Leather is a soft, lightweight lamb leather with a distressed finish. The tanner first buffs the leather to create a subtle gloss, then applies a light wax which gives the hide a distinctive, pleasing tactile quality. Finally the leather is tumbled in a drum to create a “weathered” effect, giving the leather its vintage look and feel. Each piece of leather is unique and will have slight variations in texture and color.

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Ellington Washed Leather

The Ellington Washed leather is a new addition this season. After the vegetable tanning process, the leather is placed in a large wooden drum. Liquid soap is added to the drum and rotated for several hours. After the “washing” process, the leather is air dried. The result is beautiful supple leather with a hint of shine that emphasizes the natural grain variation.

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Ellington Glazed Italian Leather

Ellington Glazed Italian Leather is 100% vegetable tanned—the compounds used in the tanning process are all derived from natural plant sources. Drum dyeing creates deep colors, which are accentuated by highlights that are applied by hand. The leather is then hand-glazed for an understated gloss with a lightly washed character. The natural grain of the leather is unaltered, so each piece has unique variations in texture.

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Ellington Washed Nylon Twill

Ellington Washed Nylon Twill has the durability of a synthetic fabric but the soft, pleasing hand-feel of a natural fiber. The softness is created naturally using a special washing technique, while a light, water-resistant coating adds to the fabric's durability.

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Ellington's Glossary

ANILINE DYED:

Leather colored with a transparent dye that is applied by immersing the hide in a dye bath. Because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only the best hides can be used.

DRUM DYED:

The process of coloring leather by immersing it in dye and then tumbling it in a rotating drum. This method allows the color to penetrate the leather for a deep dye.

FULL-GRAIN LEATHER:

Leather with a natural, unaltered grain. The most genuine type of leather, as it retains all the authentic texture and markings of the original hide.

GLAZED LEATHER:

Aniline-dyed leather which has been polished to a high luster by passing through glass or steel rollers under great pressure.

GRAIN:

A word used to describe the textural characteristics of the leather.

HAND, HAND-FEEL:

A word used to describe the tactile quality of a material.

MATTE FINISH:

A flat or dull finish.

NAKED LEATHER:

Leather with no treatment or finish other than the dye. The natural characteristics of the leather, such as the grain, are preserved throughout the tanning process.

NATURAL GRAIN:

The original, authentic grain.

PATINA:

The luster that develops in a quality piece of leather as it ages.

PULL-UP:

Describes the behavior of leather that has been treated with oils, waxes and dyes in such a way that when the leather is pulled the finish becomes lighter in the stretched areas. Considered a mark of high quality.

TUMBLED:

Leather that has been rotated in a drum to create a soft hand-feel and pebbled texture.

VEGETABLE TANNING:

A method of tanning that utilizes organic materials, such as extracts from bark, rather than traditional tanning chemicals.