Abstract
This article explores how material properties and sustainability awareness shape aesthetic perception in leather handbag design. Drawing on practice-based research, the study combines memory collection, collaborative designer-led prototyping and user feedback to examine designer and consumer experiences. Findings show that designers focus on structural and tactile qualities—stiffness, thickness, and texture—while aesthetic attributes such as colour and surface finish support conceptual and stylistic intentions. Sustainable tanning methods and innovative leathers introduce new challenges, requiring adaptive strategies. For users, long-term interaction with leather fosters appreciation for durability, patina, and cultural meaning, shifting aesthetic evaluation from immediate visual appeal to qualities signalling longevity and emotional attachment. First impressions are primarily driven by colour and texture, but deeper engagement highlights leather’s role in sustaining meaningful experiences. The study demonstrates that material knowledge mediates between making, perception, and meaning, and that sustainability awareness shapes both aesthetic evaluation and emotional connection with leather.
Keywords
leather, handbag design, meaning-making, experiential knowledge
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1987
Citation
Päeva, J. (2026) Material awareness and meaning-making: Leather in handbag design, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1987
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Material awareness and meaning-making: Leather in handbag design
This article explores how material properties and sustainability awareness shape aesthetic perception in leather handbag design. Drawing on practice-based research, the study combines memory collection, collaborative designer-led prototyping and user feedback to examine designer and consumer experiences. Findings show that designers focus on structural and tactile qualities—stiffness, thickness, and texture—while aesthetic attributes such as colour and surface finish support conceptual and stylistic intentions. Sustainable tanning methods and innovative leathers introduce new challenges, requiring adaptive strategies. For users, long-term interaction with leather fosters appreciation for durability, patina, and cultural meaning, shifting aesthetic evaluation from immediate visual appeal to qualities signalling longevity and emotional attachment. First impressions are primarily driven by colour and texture, but deeper engagement highlights leather’s role in sustaining meaningful experiences. The study demonstrates that material knowledge mediates between making, perception, and meaning, and that sustainability awareness shapes both aesthetic evaluation and emotional connection with leather.