The Atelier
WHERE NAPPA LEATHER IS SHAPED BY HAND, STITCH BY STITCH
"We do not produce in volume. We produce with intent."
Every LOURVIÉN garment begins and ends in the hands of a specialist. Our atelier is a dedicated leather outwear facility with over 20 years of continuous practice in crafting garments for European luxury brands — operated by master artisans who have spent their working lives understanding a single material.
This is not general garment manufacturing. Leather demands a different discipline: different machinery, different hand techniques, different quality standards at every stage. Our production partner specialises exclusively in leather and shearling outwear — and exhibits internationally each season at Première Vision Paris.
STAGE 01 — MATERIAL
Sourced for depth and longevity
We work exclusively with LWG-certified tanneries — facilities independently audited for environmental management, water usage, chemical compliance, and traceability throughout the supply chain. This is not a label. It is a measurable standard.
Our leather of choice is fine nappa — selected skin by skin for consistency of weight, grain, and handle. Each hide is assessed by hand before cutting begins. Skins that fall below standard are rejected. The leather that reaches the atelier floor has been chosen for how it will perform, move, and mature over years of wear — not merely how it appears at first handling.
All materials are developed in compliance with REACH regulations, ensuring European chemical safety standards throughout.
STAGE 02 — PATERN
Cut with precision, not speed
Each LOURVIÉN silhouette is engineered in London, then translated into physical pattern pieces by our atelier team. Leather is not fabric — it does not forgive imprecision. Every seam, pocket, and panel is positioned to work with the natural character of each hide, accounting for the direction of grain, the natural stretch, and the way the skin will respond to wear over time.
Cutting is done by hand against hardworn cardboard templates, refined across multiple sampling rounds before any production run begins. The result is a garment where every seam falls exactly where it should — not approximately.
STAGE 03 — CONSTRUCTION
One artisan. One garment.
LOURVIÉN jackets are assembled using a single-artisan construction model: one person builds each garment from first seam to final stitch. This is not an assembly line. It is how quality control actually works — when one pair of hands is accountable for the entire garment, there is nowhere for error to hide.
Leather requires specialist machinery calibrated for the material — industrial walking-foot machines, specialist edge-finishing equipment, and precision skiving tools. The artisans who operate this machinery have worked with leather their entire careers. The results are seams that lie flat, edges that are clean, and construction that will not degrade with wear.
Hardware — zips, buckles, buttons — is fitted by hand and tested individually before the garment proceeds to quality review.
THE PROCESS
METERIAL SELECTION
Nappa hides assessed individually for grain, weight, and handle. Only skins meeting our standard proceed to cut.
PATTERN & CUTTING
Silhouettes cut by hand against precision templates. Grain direction, stretch, and panel balance are considered at every cut.
INDIVIDUAL CONSTRUCTION
Each piece assembled by a single artisan from first seam to final close. Hardware fitted and tested by hand.
QUALITY EVALUATION
Every garment inspected for construction, proportion, edge finish, and hardware integrity before approval. No exceptions.
STANDARDS & RESPONSIBILITY
Verified at every stage of production.
LABOUR & ETHICS
SMETA Audit Sedex Members Ethical Trade
Our atelier undergoes independent SMETA audit — the most widely used social audit in global supply chains. It evaluates labour standards, health and safety conditions, environmental performance, and business ethics. This is a third-party verification, not a self-declaration.
SUPPLY CHAIN
amfori BSCI Code of Conduct
Our production partner is a signatory to the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct — a commitment to responsible business practice, human rights due diligence, and environmental protection across the supply chain, aligned with internationally recognised principles.
LEATHER SOURCING
Leather Working Group Certified Tanneries
We source exclusively from LWG-member tanneries. The Leather Working Group independently assesses tanneries on environmental management, traceability, and chemical compliance. It is the global benchmark for responsible leather sourcing.
A NOTE ON LEATHER
Genuine leather is a by-product of the food industry — hides and skins that would otherwise become waste. When sourced responsibly and produced to a high standard, leather is not opposed to sustainability: it is one of the few materials that biodegrades, improves with age, and is designed to last a lifetime. One well-made leather jacket, worn for decades, is the opposite of fast fashion.
Limited by choice. Crafted with intent.
DESIGNED IN LONDON
HANDCRAFTED IN TURKEY