Follow

From October 22 – October 26, 2014, RISD’s Division of Architecture+Design will present the first Leather.Footwear.Futures Symposium on its Providence campus. This five-day symposium will include artisan workshops, international presenters, bespoke shoe exhibits, and local, national, and international craftsman engaging new processes, historical traditions, and innovative materials related to footwear.

Workshops by the Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium of Tuscany, Italy and S.L.E.M. of Waalwick, Netherlands will include artisans demonstrating traditional and experimental leatherworking methods, dying and crafting techniques, and groundbreaking research of new materials.

The Honourable Cordwainers’ Company will hold its thirtieth Annual General Meeting during the symposium. The HCC, a non-profit 501c(3) educational organization founded in 1984, promotes the study, practice, and preservation of traditional shoemaking.

“Craft the Leather,” a traveling collection of leatherworks, will be displayed throughout RISD’s campus including the Fleet Library, Apparel Department (189 Canal Street) and the RISD Museum store. The exhibit recently visited Tokyo and Italy. Selections from, “In These Shoes, Bespoke Footwear in America,” including RISD grad Daphne Board’s handcrafted shoes, and shoes from RISD’s own shoemaking program will also be displayed during the symposium.

Leather Footware Futures Symposium: Photos

Browse the contents of Leather Footwear Futures Symposium:

Presentations