Exotic leathers have long been used by major haute couture fashion houses such as Prada, Hermes, Gucci, Botega Venetta, and Louis Vuitton. Each line offers specialty handbags, shoes, boots, wallets, and belts that highlight the luster and unique beauty of exotic leathers. The discriminating shopper can choose from an array of luxury products made from these unusual hides.

For many, dressing a pet in high style is just as important as making personal fashion choices. After all, a companion pooch is every bit a reflection upon his owner’s taste and style. Many of the leathers used in high fashion are highly suitable for luxury pet accessories such as custom leather dog collars, jeweled dog collars, and designer dog harnesses due to their durability.

Luxurious Ostrich Leather

Ostrich skins were first sold for fashion purposes in 1969 and 1970, out of South Africa. At that time, only one tanning company knew how to process ostrich hides to make them supple. Arnold and Dianne de Jager, founders of a London tannery, offered to train a tanner from the South African region of Klein Karoo, and the ostrich leather industry was born.

The exporters of ostrich hides in Klein Karoo kept careful control of how many hides were shipped to each importer, including a Dallas-based importer in the United States. Due to the monopoly on ostrich hides at that time, the skins were extremely expensive, making them a highly prized possession.

By the 1980’s, demand for ostrich skin had grown to very high levels, but political problems and apartheid in South Africa led to economic sanctions and boycotts by many countries. The small amount of ostrich leather that made it into the United States and other countries came at a very high price, controlled by a strangling empire compared at one point to the diamond cartel of DeBeers.

About the same`time`apartheid ended, serious droughts hit South Africa that eliminated many ostrich herds. The market was finally opened up worldwide and new suppliers with fewer trade restrictions were able to provide ostrich leathers at more reasonable prices.

The Unique Hide of the Ostrich

Ostrich leather has a very unique appearance, with a series of “bumps” giving it an immediately recognizable texture. These bumps are quill sockets, and are found only on the crown of the ostrich skin, which comes from the area where the body meets the neck. Only about one-third of an ostrich hide has these quill markings, which are highly sought in fashion design.

In addition to being beautiful, ostrich leather is extremely soft and supple, yet highly durable. For this reason it has been popular for shoes and boots, which take more wear and tear than other leather items. Now ostrich can be found in beautiful luxury pet accessories as well, including unique dog collars that will make any dog the envy of the dog park.

Custom pet accessories have grown in popularity over the years, especially the demand for custom leather dog collars and high fashion dog collars. Now dogs can enjoy the buttery softness of ostrich skin as they sport some of the most luxurious leather available. Giving a dog such a unique dog collar shows the impeccable taste of the owner, who has offered her canine companion a bit of the same haute couture found in the major fashion design houses.