The leather is at the heart of every NDLOVO piece. Explore the materials behind our wallets, belts, and valet trays, and learn how their character develops with everyday use.
Horween Leather Company
Horween Leather holds a near-mythic status in the crafting world, widely regarded as the absolute pinnacle of American tanning. Its reputation comes from an unwavering refusal to shortcut traditional methods. While modern industrial tanneries speed through production in just a couple of days using heavy machinery and synthetic chemicals, Horween relies on labor-intensive, artisan techniques that take up to six full months. Central to their process is a proprietary hot-stuffing technique where unrefined natural oils, waxes, and tallow are deeply driven into the hide fibers using heated wooden drums. This rich saturation gives the leather a supple feel, self-healing qualities, exceptional water resistance, and an incredible pull-up effect, meaning the color lightens when bent as internal oils shift, creating dynamic visual depth that only grows richer with age.
That meticulous quality has made Horween globally renowned across industries where durability and prestige are paramount. In professional sports, Horween is legendary: every single official Wilson football used in the NFL since 1941 is made strictly from Horween leather, and they also supply the hides for official NBA basketballs and elite baseball gloves. In high-end footwear, heritage bootmakers like Alden, Allen Edmonds, and Viberg treat Horween as the gold standard for boots and dress shoes designed to last decades. Across bespoke leathercraft, simply naming Horween on a product page immediately communicates luxury, authentic heritage, and a material built to age into an extraordinary patina.
Among their extensive lineup, two flagship leathers define Horween's iconic status. Chromexcel undergoes an 89-step process that combines chrome tanning for toughness with vegetable re-tanning for body, resulting in a rich, supple leather world-famous for heritage boots and goods. Genuine Shell Cordovan, harvested from a specific membrane inside horse hides, requires six months of hand-curving, vegetable tanning, and polishing; the result is an almost indestructible, non-porous leather that never creases, making it one of the most sought-after and expensive leathers on Earth.
Badalassi Carlo Tannery
The tannery is particularly beloved for its color palette and patina process. Unlike many vegetable-tanned leathers that come only in natural earth tones, Badalassi produces deep, saturated hues—like Ortensia (teal/blue), Olmo (tan), Tobacco, and Papavero (red) that age faster and more dramatically than almost any other leather on the market.
For luxury buyers, a product made with Badalassi Carlo leather signifies authentic Tuscan heritage, rich tactile character, and an article designed to look better ten years down the road than on the day it was made.
Badalassi Carlo specializes in Vacchetta leather—a century-old traditional Tuscan tanning method. Hides are tanned in wooden barrels using natural plant tannins derived from tree barks and chestnuts.
What makes Badalassi's Vacchetta special is its hot-fatting process: pure tallow and animal oils are deeply driven into the hide fibers over weeks. Because the oil stays locked inside the leather, products made from Badalassi Carlo require almost no artificial conditioners or waxes; they naturally self-hydrate and age beautifully through handling.