Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 460,592 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,240 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,086 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,240 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,086 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,210 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 460,592 cutting edge ideas.

Human Epidermis Products

Human Leather Uses Peoples' Skin

— November 7, 2011 — Fashion
Only known to a few skilled craftsmen and not to the world at large, except for those few idiosyncratic individuals who study the macabre; human skin can easily be prepared, stretched, tanned and bound to create fashionable accessories just as successfully as the rawhide of animals, as demonstrated by Human Leather. In fact, it's been so successful that antiquated books have been leather-bound using the flesh of humans on more than one occasion.

Maybe you've never heard the stories of physicians who've made covers, cases or handle grips for their instruments using a section of skin. You may or may not have heard of amputees using the skin of that severed limb to fashion souvenir accessories. And what about that company that uses human leather for designer wallets, belts and shoes?

If you haven't heard of them, it's probably because their products range from anywhere between $14,000 to $27,000 USD, and with a small, yet reputable clientele who request a degree of secrecy, combined with a supply of material not easily obtainable, though when stocked is only of the finest quality, everything they do is deemed perfectly legal.

They are Human Leather, and they are innovators of their trade. From craftsmen, wholesalers, artisans and leaders of leather manufacturing, they produce “the best and most beautiful products out of our unique leather” from donated human flesh, according to the site. While using human leather to create wallets, belts and shoes may be repulsive to some, the truth is, throughout history the use of human skin to fashion accessories has long been practiced.

However, it wasn't until the 17th and 18th century that binding human skin became a more adopted occurrence. With the 1765 French Encyclopedie giving a recipe for tanning human skin, as well as a documented statement of a surgeon named M. Sue presenting a king with a pair of slippers fashioned from human skin, it appears that the use of human leather to customize accessories wasn't just an isolated phenomenon.

Though the activity isn't as common as it was in the days when flaying was considered a common practice in torture techniques, Human Leather has seen such a high demand for their product that they've had to place their clientele on waiting lists.
Trend Themes
1. Customized Leather Accessories - The use of human skin to create customized leather accessories has a niche market and potential for disruptive innovation in the fashion industry.
2. Ethical Sourcing of Leather - The demand for ethically sourced leather is increasing, creating an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the leather manufacturing industry.
3. Human Skin as Luxury Material - The use of human skin as a luxury material in the production of high-end accessories presents a unique and controversial disruptive innovation opportunity.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry can explore the niche market of customized leather accessories made from human skin and innovate their product offerings.
2. Leather Manufacturing - The leather manufacturing industry has the potential to disrupt traditional sourcing practices and explore ethical alternatives for leather production.
3. Luxury Goods - The luxury goods industry can potentially tap into the controversy and exclusivity of using human skin as a luxury material to create disruptive products.
0.8
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness