The soul of leather meets nature: our new photo shoot at Witches’ Oak

This year, Alpaca Tannery decided to step outside the usual boundaries. Literally. We took our leathers out of the factory, out of the industrial context, to tell a different story. A story made of roots, natural elements and deep symbols. Our new photo shoot – created by Simona Romani – was born under the branches of the Witches’ Oak, also known as Pinocchio’s tree. A magical, centuries-old place nestled in the Tuscan countryside, which with its more than 600 years of life and its branches stretched out like wings welcomes anyone willing to look beyond.

Why specifically the Witches’ Oak?

The choice of this location is not random. Conceria Alpaca has always combined traditional craftsmanship and innovative vision, in a balance that is nourished by respect for the environment and attention to detail. The Quercione is a symbol of rootedness and transformation: a tree that has spanned the centuries, that has been able to bend but not break, that has inspired legends and stories-including that of the world’s most famous puppet. Similarly, our leathers tell paths of transformation: from raw material to finished product, through processes that combine technology and craft sensitivity, sustainability and design.

A dialogue between leather and landscape

Bringing the leathers into the midst of nature was not only an aesthetic choice, but a symbolic gesture.
We wanted to photograph our materials in a context that recalled the origin of everything: the earth, the trees, the natural light. It was a return to the essence, a shot that speaks of the balance between production and the environment, between aesthetics and responsibility. In one of the most significant moments of our journey, we wanted to affirm that the beauty of our work lives not only in the products, but also in the way we choose to tell about them.

The value of sustainability

We are aware that working with leather today means taking responsibility for the land and future generations.
That’s why all our leathers – from pigmented splits to printed calves – are made in accordance with the strictest environmental standards, certified by LWG – Leather Working Group.

The shooting at the Witches’ Oak is also meant to be a visual manifesto of our commitment: to connect matter to nature, to bring the skin back to its symbolic habitat, to tell its sustainable beauty.
With this photographic project we want to propose a new language. A language that speaks not only about production, but about values, vision and territory.
We chose forest light instead of spotlights, bark instead of a white background, the sound of the wind instead of the artificial silence of the studio.
Because every skin has a story. And sometimes all it takes to tell it is a change of perspective.