About Skinned Potential

Creativity + Science + Waste Fish Skins = Valuable Fashion Artworks.

Farmed salmon is the most consumed fish in the UK. By cutting fillets of salmon, it’s estimated around 30-40% of the fish is wasted. I’m concerned about the skins wasted in smoked salmon processing. The skin is often discarded or sold at low profitability such as fish oil or biofuel. Through historical, cultural and practical research and experimentation, I have developed my own plant based tanning method to transform the skins into leather. From there, I have developed a plethora of manipulation techniques to integrate fish leather into fashion, from sculpting to embellishing. A lot of hard work and love has gone into my garments, representing a story of transformative power. I’m here to do different, be different and make a difference, and I invite you to join me on my exciting fish leather adventure.

Sustainability

My work transforms the under-utilised by-product: fish skin, into durable leather for creative fashion. All fabrics to accompany my fish leather are second hand, repurposed items.

Diversity

My garments are designed to be worn by everyone, of all shapes, sizes, races, religions, genders, abilities and everything in between. Please get in contact with me for any requirements and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.

Individuality

As an identical twin, my relationship with individuality has been a thought-provoking one. In my early teenage years I started to realise the power of fashion to express individuality; so I began experimenting with clothes to embrace what made me, me. My garments for Skinned Potential are all totally unique, and formed from creative stories as emotional pieces. I want your individuality to be celebrated and you deserve to stand out for it.

The Skinned Potential Values.

About me, Isab!

Nice to meet you! I'm Isab, a fashion designer who founded Skinned Potential to realise my vision of creating highly creative, yet sustainable fashion pieces to make better use of discarded fish skins. I hold a first class degree at Edinburgh University along with the John.L.Paterson award for my efforts in innovation through fish leather. I gained pattern cutting experience at fashion house, Christopher Kane, and developed tailoring skills at Savile Row Academy, as well as leather craftsmanship skills learned from experts in the field. I have over a year's experience working in the fish leather industry at INVERSA Leathers as the Branding and Design Associate. Now I am paving my own path to create a space in fashion where I feel proud to be in, and can't wait to find my community of people who want to be in that space with me.
Hobbies: Running, painting, nature, dance, coffee, poetry, film, music and sketching...but most of all, fashion!