What is so Special About Italian Leather?

Italian leather is famous around the world, as are a multitude of products made from it, ranging from shoes to car upholstery. Given the diversity of leather products available on the market, and the very high cost of Italian leather, some people are led to wonder what makes it unique, and whether or not it is worth the added cost. The primary distinction of Italian leather is its quality. Leather producers in Italy consistently produce very high quality products, in contrast with sometimes spotty production in other regions of the world. Leather is made by subjecting the hide of an animal to a lengthy treatment process. People have been working with leather for thousands of years, and Italy has been famous for leather production for centuries. Florence is particularly famous for its leather, and in Milan, Italy's capital of fashion, Italian leather is used almost exclusively by high fashion houses. Italian brands tend to dominate the fashion world, so Italian leather has come to be closely associated with quality, fashion, and good taste.