Sol&Luna celebrates its 20 years turning leather craftsmanship into Art

Carolina Sánchez de Movellán y Carlos Ortiz de Zúñiga

Founders of Sol&Luna

We have organized a great party to celebrate Sol&Luna’s 20th Anniversary

20 years turning the ordinary into the extraordinary…Making leather craftsmanship an Art.

Being able to distribute original leather goods all over the world.

Making the Art of Leather fit in the international market without losing its entirely handcrafted essence.

Evolving towards contemporary pieces.

During the party, we exposed the 20th Anniversary pieces of Art that we have designed  in collaboration with Hiwood.

Left: Studio Hiwood; Jorge Alvarez Maluenda and Jorge Sotelo.

Right: Sandra Sánchez de Movellán from Palmira

All the people who have supported us during these 20 years wanted to join us to celebrate our anniversary.

Lázaro Rosa-Violán, one of the top 10 interior designers, did not want to miss the great celebration.

 Carolina Sánchez de Movellán with Lázaro Rosa- Violán

We toast with all those interior designers  and Architects that, during these 20 years,  have supported Sol&luna’s Art of Leather.

Left to right:  The great artista Andrea Zarraluqui, Carolina SM, María Muro-Lara, Paz Quijano expert in table setting, the interior designer Carmen López Quesada

Professionals from the decoration sector with whom we work on many projects gathered at a party where talent was the main protagonist.

Left Javier Antequera founder of the  Restaurant “MO”. Centre Beatriz Satrústegui autor of the book “Amor Platónico “ and Andrea Zarraluqui and in the back Carmen Alós and Piru Cantarell

The entire Sánchez de Movellán family

Left to right:  Carolina Sánchez de Movellán,  Albert García founder of  Lobsters Day,  Carlos Ortiz de Zúñiga, Sandra Sánchez de Movellán founder of Palmira Decoración,  María Isabel García Ogara  and María Sánchez de Movellán

The sisters Alberca Fashion and decoration

Special thanks to Grupo Varma for the Ron Barceló bar that sponsored our party. They admire our Art of Leather and we admire their Art in making Cocktails to liven up any event!

Our leather ice buckets covered in leather placed in Ron Barceló counter bar.

We are also very grateful to Fisan who gave us a wonderful ham for our 20th Anniversary party.

Fisan Ham Leg

 Special mention to our dearest friend Gonzalo Galobart from the Xtragon catering who gave us a wonderful dinner!

First Class waiters!

We offer you this photo report that shows the wonderful evening we spent surrounded by Friends.

Special mention to our best DJ Paola

Part of Sol&Luna’s Team

Our most loyal collaborator Rocio Galatas with a group of friends

Thank you all for your great support during these 20 years. Now  let’s go for another 20 years

SOL&LUNA SHOP

C/Núñez de Balboa, 79

28006 MADRID- SPAIN

Tel: + 34 91 78128665

Many people believe that fake leather is more sustainable than real leather although is completely false.

S&L leather hides

In our Blog, we usually talk about how Sol&Luna over the past 20 year has been turning Leather Craftsmanship into an Art.

We love using this communication tool to transmit our customers and followers all kind of news and beautiful pictures of our handmade products.

On many occasions, we have told you about the production process, with images and explanations of this great handcrafted work.

Today we want to go further back, to the origin of everything, to delegitimize those voices that question the sustainable character of leather, explaining how Sol&Luna always uses leftover hides  from cows and  transforms them into  beautiful and eternal products.

Cattle farming Paraguay

Cows are not slaughtered for leather. Animals such as cows are raised for food by the meat and dairy industries. This production results in millions of hides that would go to waste unless they are used for leather.

Cattle farming Paraguay.

The reality, therefore, is that leather is a by-product of the food industry. As long as people eat meat there will be leftover hides that can be transformed into leather through recycling processes, helping to reduce the volume of leftovers in landfills.

Leather sun drying process

Contrary to what many people think, fake leather (called “Vegan leather”) is much more harmful to environmental sustainability.

These materials are made from plastics such as polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, which are not at all sustainable, damage the environment and can take up to 10 times longer to decompose than real leather, introducing destructive micro plastics when disposed of in landfills.

However, well cared genuine leather lasts over time and becomes an object of desire, soft, beautiful and with patina.

In short, real leather comes from the leftover parts of the cow at the end of its life cycle, and far from ending up polluting landfills, it is absolutely sustainable over time.

In Sol&Luna we also use natural dyes and products in the whole process of leather treatment, to achieve the colors and finishes of the leather. Finally, our craftsmen create the unique art of desire.

leather dyeing process

This is the way we get the colors and finishes of the leather that we need to manufacture unique pieces hand finished and hand stitched by our craftsmen.

Hand- stitched process

We hope that the next time you choose our products you will enjoy them and appreciate them even more!

Thanks for your trust ¡

 Sol&luna 5 letaher colors

 SOL&LUNA SHOP

C/Núñez de Balboa, 79

28006 MADRID

Tel: + 34 91 78128665

Sol&Luna displays all its Art to cover with leather lots of objects to

decorate and make wonderful gifts.

Sol&Luna shop window 

Our shop window is very inspiring to decorate Christmas in your home. Every year we offer more and more Christmas decorations that we design in Sol&luna: reindeer, trees of different sizes, sleighs, little angels… And all of it, covered in leather and hand sewn with our characteristic cross stitch.

Our customers come to us looking for special and unique gifts. Pieces of contemporary craftsmanship ideal for Christmas gifts!

Sol&luna Reindeers in brown and red leather

The success of the leather angels for Christmas decorations left us out of stock last year, but this year we have brought a whole regiment so that no one is left without theirs!

Sol&luna Little Xmas Angels in red leather

Our forest of Christmas trees and reindeers covered in brown and red leather able to fill every house with joy!

Sol&luna Christmas Tree

This year, Sol&luna has participated for the first time together with 12 shops in “La Ruta de la Mesa” organised by the prestigious Academia de la Mesa from the 3rd to the 14th of December.

Decorating our dining table for Christmas by the expert @vanessacraccoliving has allowed us to show our entire collection for the dining table: Table mat, bowls, napkin rings together with our red leather chairs and, of course, our Christmas decorations!

To dress up our table, Vanessa chose the porcelain tableware hand painted by @mariatorrobapainting, the table linen by @villalegriahomelinen, the floral decorations by @bewater_flores and the glassware made in Spain by @realfabricadecristales. A whole team of talent to decorate Sol&Luna’s Christmas table in this wonderful initiative of the @Academia_de_la_mesa.

Sol&luna Xmas table with reindeer in the window background

The table will be on display in our shop all Christmas long. We encourage you to come and visit us because you will find all kinds of ornaments and gifts with a lot of personality with Sol&Luna stamp.

@mariatorrobapainting. @Villalegriahomelinen. @Bewater_flores

We are looking forward to deliver exciting gifts and we hope to surprise you !

Happy Christmas !!!

STORE SOL&LUNA

c/Núñez de Balboa, 79

28006 MADRID SPAIN

Tel: +34 91 78128665

Leather goods for your desk

 Leather goods make “back to work” much more appealing!

We have noticed that our customers show special interest in leather goods for their desk when they work at home.  A space as pleasant as possible that makes our work comfortable and at the same time flows with the design of our home.

(S&L leather on a desk . Photo of a client)

Sol&Luna has once again turned leather into an Art with the development of a whole line of leather desk goods, which as well as being functional, decorate any work space at home; desk top tray for documents, note organizer, leather desk mat, pencil case, Book holder , etc…..

It is essential to protect the table with our leather desk mat. It is available un 5 leather colors and also serves as a mouse pad.

(Leater desk mat in natural leather with our characteristic cross stitching)

Our leather desk top trays are the best option to keep everything in order. They are stackable and are available in the five leather colors. The Art of Leather with our characteristic cross stitching.

(Brown leather desk top tray with the cross stitching)

To match the tray, the leather pencil case available in 5 leather colors ; a leather article absolutely different from what you can find thanks to the personality of Sol&Luna.

 (Pencil case in Brown leather with our cross stitching)

The last reference that we have developed within our line of leather desk articles, has been the leather desk organizer that, matching with the rest of the objects, turn our office into  a dream…

(leather  Desk organizer )

For a good result,  it depends without doubt on the harmony and balance of the context…working at home cannot mean neglecting those details that mark a comfortable, beautiful, special environment…; leather wastepaper baskets, Tissue box, etc…

(S&L clipboard in black leather)

 (Sol&luna Tissue box and umbrela stand)

HO BY Sol&Luna collection helps to tidy up your desk. Small leather baskets for stationery, leather and fabric boxes, leather box file, etc.

(HO by Sol&luna small baskets )

The desk is the centrepiece of your office.  You can choose our architect desk with the base in five leather colors. In addition, to protect the glass top, we offer matching corner protectors.

A very comfortable table to work at home. Come and see it in our shop!

 (Sol&luna window shop with the architect desk in leather and glass top)

SOL&LUNA STORE

C/Núñez de Balboa, 79

28006 MADRID SPAIN

Tel: + 34 91 78128665

Email: solxluna@solxluna.com

Pampering your leather goods

It all started in 2002, when the owners of Sol&Luna were presented with an opportunity to invest in a cattle ranch in the jungle of the remote Paraguayan Chaco.  After several visits it became clear that over generations, the people of this region had become agile craftsman in leather and the opportunity to share their wonderful work became a passion.
Focused on ​​using leather from the Chaco region to form a product line of sustainable goods combined with an unparalleled standard of excellence; Sol&luna starts to produce leather objects and realizes the enormous possibilities and versatility of this material.

20 years later we can tell you many curiosities about how we treat the leather and, more practically, how to maintain and clean it.

Great care is taken during the tanning process to retain the natural characteristics of the leather. Examination of the finished product will reveal some variations of  coulour, graining and briar marks from scratches sustained during the life time of the animal.  All of wich garantee that each piece is unique

(Variations of the leather color)

Sol & Luna leather is handcrafted and the tanning process is ecological, 100% vegetable leather, 100% cowhide

We would like to explain briefly the process of the leather, from the moment it comes out of the animal until any Sol&luna leather object is handmade.

The first step is to scrape off the animal’s hair completely and remove all the fat that remains under the skin with a large pressure wash.

Secondly, we use a machine to give the leather the right thickness.

If we want natural, undyed leather, the leather is stretched out like a sheet for about two days to dry completely. The result is what we call “sun-dyed leather” or “natural leather”.

(Leather sun drying in the sun)

For the dyed leather, the hides are put in fulons (like barrels that go round and round) for 3/4 hours, adding vegetable dyes and aniline. 100% natural components.  In this way, we obtain the other four colours in which we cover all our Sol&luna leather objects

(Fulón where the hides are dyed )

They are then taken out and ironed and stretched with a piece of wood. Finally, they are laid out to dry.

Before the lining process begins, the leather is beaten several times to soften it…

Our craftsmen have the ability to cover any type of leather product with both concave and convex shapes. Their technique consists of wetting the leather before lining any surface. …. This gives no idea of the capacity of this material to withstand humidity.

Then they cut the piece according to the pattern and finally, they glue it with cobbler’s glue to the surface they want to cover. The two pieces are joined together with the characteristic handmade cross-stitch. First they use an awl to mark each small hole and then they use  the waxed thread through the holes.

(Craftsmen sewing leather )

After having described the whole process of our leather, we really hope that we have taken away your “fear” about the resistance of this material. Contrary to what it may seem, the more it is used, the better and more beautiful the leather looks.

You will find the best tips for the maintenance and cleaning of leather, in the set of products that we sell in our store.

• Keep the upholstered furniture or leather object  at least 70 cm away from any heat source. Prolonged exposure of this material to heat sources will cause the fibre to shrink and the leather, which may cause lose of elasticity and softness.
• Avoid exposing upholstered furniture or leather objects to direct sunlight. This exposure will cause the leather to gradually lose its colour.
• Every leather item needs moisturising. Use petroleum jelly or the cream from our set.

If we now talk about the cleaning process, there are a few important aspects to consider:

• Rub with dry chamois once a week.
• Sporadically, use the sponge moistened in water and neutral soap, well wrung out. In our set you will find a neutral gel.
• Use the “eraser” from our set for specific pen stains, coffee stains, etc
• No aggressive chemicals or cleaning agents should be used on the leather (this includes products from the so-called “multi-purpose” range).

Come to our Sol&Luna shop and turn these good tips into a great gift with our maintenance set in a wonderful leather box.

SOL&LUNA STORE

C/Núñez de Balboa, 79

28006 MADRID

Tel: + 34 91 78128665

Spanish craftsmanship is booming and is becoming more important than ever in the decoration sector. This tradition also joins the current of Sustainability more and more present in everyone’s conscience.

The Art of Leather of Sol&Luna joins this movement mixing the skill of its Artisans with the Craftsmanship of glass, which develops products with traditional techniques of blowing and pressing, using 100% recycled glass.

100% recycled Crystal pieces covered in leather

Sol&Luna’s new collection mixing leather and recycled glass is made up of 9 references; two round carafes (large and small), small bottle for a candle or a flower, large container for a candle, “peasant” jug, medium carafe, XL bottle Rioja, large flower vase and a Damajuana bottle

New collection recycled crystal and leather

Sustainability has to do with recycling, durability over time and with the different uses we can give to the same product. In this sense, these glass containers wrapped with Sol&Luna leather can be used for many purposes, as flower vases, candle container, wine decanters or carafes. We can also use it to decorate a corner of the bathroom or make a wonderful still life in our kitchen, etc. ….

Flower vase with leather sash in a bathroon

Glass and red leather carafe on a dining table

This mix of disciplines is a good opportunity to promote Spanish Crafts in general and at the same time Sol&Luna once again demonstrates its Art of Leather and the enormous capacity it has to be associated with any material.

S&L Set of two carafe with leather sash

The fusion of the two materials results in a product full of art, decorative and sustainable.

We invite you to visit our shop and see the result of leather craftsmanship in perfect harmony with sustainability.

We look forward to seeing you!

S&L 5 leather colors

SHOP SOL&LUNA

C/Núñez de Balboa, 79

28006 MADRID

Tel: + 34 91 78128665