Ecco hosted a workshop during Milan design week inviting visitors to customise its latest leather innovations with natural dyes, as captured in a video produced for the brand by Dezeen.

The workshop took place as a part of Material Matters, an exhibition hosted by the footwear and lifestyle brand at cultural space and design store 10 Corso Como.

The workshop was part of Ecco's exhibition in Milan

The workshop was organised by Ecco in collaboration with its material innovation wing Ecco Leather and its At Kollektive fashion collaborations initiative.

During the workshops, visitors could customise panels and sheets of organic light pink leather developed by Ecco. Handmade natural dyes, petals and paint were used to create imprints and patterns on the material.

Participants could also use tools such as heat guns, airbrushing guns and stamps to transform the leather, which has a porous texture that allows it to be easily dyed.

The exhibition space also featured design objects made using Ecco's translucent Apparition leather, including large dark-grey curtains and a set of tables and chairs upholstered in the material.

The Apparition range was released in ten different colours. According to Ecco, other translucent leathers are stiff and inflexible, whereas Apparition has lasting pliability and can be moulded into different forms.

Also displayed around the exhibition space were examples of polyurethane-cast seating and leather objects created by Ecco collaborators.

Material Matters took place at the Capsule Plaza fair, held at 10 Corso Como in Milan's Porta Garabaldi district.

Material Matters was open to the public from 16 to 21 April. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks that took place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Ecco as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.