The act of wearing and manipulating animal flesh has been around since early human existence. It has been an essential part of survival. Functional leather vessels have been used notably by pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries. “Black Jacks” as they were known, had an inside lining of tar which gave them their name, as well as acted as a sealant. These mugs were also quite crude and unpleasant, yet very functional. In today’s material culture, leather goods have transcended their original intent, and have transformed into a luxurious, much sought after textile. Attributes such as durability and accessibility have been disregarded as style and trend have surged ahead as the leading contributors towards leather’s desirability. Leather is indiscriminately used in a very wide variety of objects and applications ranging from car interiors to coasters, not because it is the appropriate material to use due to its inherent attributes, but because of its popularity as a status symbol and its association with luxury.

Does leather’s association with luxury still hold up when used in objects other than fashionable clothing and upholstery? Would a functional leather martini glass be as desirable as a fine leather jacket? Would a person who wears animal skin on his or her own, drink a cocktail out of that same material? The martini glass optimizes luxury and opulence and is immediately recognizable by way of its simple and iconic form. The classic martini glass silhouette is fully intact in this leather interpretation, and a single crystal held in place by a bees wax seal, both fills in the void of the hollow stem and contradictorily speaks of the traditional use of black tar as an interior lining. There also exists a theoretical potential for mass production. As far as industrially made leather martini glasses are concerned: they are made up of a 2 piece pattern, with simple stitching and a bee’s wax water proof seal. Entirely organic and functional, they can be made very easily in industry, while the boiling process allows for each to warp and harden uniquely, altering each one from the next.