In today’s rapidly changing fashion world, some things give it some stability. And it is style, quality, and tradition. You can be a zealous supporter of practical minimalism like Mark Zuckerberg and wear the same type and color of T-shirts and jeans, but your belt will always give you away as the owner of good taste or just a wealthy and accomplished person. If it is a Todeschini Como belt.
The brand “Todeschini COMO” was founded in 2010 by brothers Christophe and Marc-Antoine TODESCHINI after they bought a family factory not far from Como in northern Lombardy.
This factory has existed since 1975 and grew from the dynastic craftsmanship of tanners in Northern Italy.
As the brand produces exquisite hand-crafted men’s belts and sticks to high-quality standards, it quickly turned to the tanning of exotic skins such as crocodile, ostrich, python, or even peccary.
Genuine leather made from the skins of exotic animal species is a valuable and expensive material. It has a spectacular appearance and excellent quality characteristics: high plasticity, significant strength, wear resistance, and durability. But the main advantage of exotic leather is its unique pattern and texture that never repeats. So, each product made from such leather is a real exclusive.
“Todeschini Como” practices only responsible tanning without the use of aggressive and environmentally dangerous chemical dyes such as nickel, PCP, or chromium IV.
Moreover, the maximum amount of substances used for tanning is recovered, recycled, and used again.
It requires a passionate wait, as the process takes more time: safe chemicals are not as fast as heavy metals. But it’s worth waiting to get the desired result: a luxury product and no harm to the breathtaking and magnificent region’s nature.
Dealing with exotic leather means extra responsibilities and obligations.
First of all, “Todeschini Como” observes strict exotic skin importing international standards under the “Washington Convention, 1973.”
Raw materials are purchased in Australia, Africa, North and South America exclusively from suppliers with a proven track record that complies with international breeding standards.
The protection and animal welfare is a real milestone even now. But decades of research and experiments have proven that commercial exploitation can save animal populations, not destroy them. Curtailing commercial breeding would be a disaster for some wild reptile populations, on the contrary.
A symbolic example confirming this principle is the breeding of saltwater crocodiles – a gigantic and the evilest cannibal – in tropical Australia.
In 1971 these giant reptiles became rare, almost to extinction point. They got protected by law throughout the Northern Territory. Their population began to recover rapidly.
But by 1979-80, when attacks on people started again, the public and politicians demanded crocodiles to be removed from their lands by any means. It’s hard to blame them – who needs a hungry crocodile in a pond where your kids would love to swim?
But fast forward to the present – that situation has completely changed. Saltwater crocodiles have returned to their original abundance.
The species conservation was achieved not by protecting crocodiles, but by turning them into a financial asset for the local population.
The eggs are harvested from the wild every year. The landowners are paid for them, and the hatchlings are sent to crocodile farms.
Landowners are financially interested in conserving crocodiles and their habitat because they profit from it.
The giant python trade in Indonesia, Australia’s northern neighbor, was studied in the same way and the conclusion was absolutely identical.
So, mind, when you buy our exotic skin belts you invest into the wild nature, but not only into your wardrobe.
Here are the main types of leather the brand’s masters use while producing their stunning belts.
Ostrich leather perfectly repels water and is second only to elephant skin in strength. Products made from this skin are very durable.
They will last an average of 30 years. At the same time, ostrich skin is amazingly soft and elastic. It contains a lot of natural oils and, practically, does not crack or scratch.
Ostrich leather is unmistakably recognizable by its appearance. It has a smooth surface with a characteristic “bubbly” texture. Ostrich leather lends itself well to dyeing and is available in many shades. These unique features make ostrich leather one of the most expensive in the world.
Genuine python skin is soft and pleasant to touch material. It is elastic and has a delicate sheen. In addition, python skin has high wear resistance and strength. Products from it serve for years.
Python skin has an unusual texture, the arrangement of scales never repeats, so each python product has a unique pattern. By purchasing such an accessory, you can be sure that there is no other like it.
Crocodile skin has always been considered one of the most beautiful, durable, and expensive materials. Any accessory made of crocodile skin can be worn for more than 50 years, and then inherited or sold at a profit.
As there are no two identical crocodiles, therefore the skin of each of them is unique, like fingerprints. All crocodile leather products are different from each other.
Crocodile leather production is costly and requires a lot of manual work. Leather processing is carried out exclusively by hand in order to save the unique natural relief. These factors affect the price of bags and other products made from genuine crocodile leather.
For ages, exotic leather accessories have been a sign of high wealth and status. They are produced in limited quantities and are a real manifesto against the fast-fashion trend and extra pollution of our planet.
There is nothing bad about having several ordinary black or brown leather belts made of quality leather. But there is a true pleasure to wear one of our outstanding belts hand-made in Como with love for our clients and nature.