Known for his leather-focused apparel, shoes and art, Leo Prothmann showcased his autumn and winter 2026 ‘CABAÑA’ collection at the capital’s The Mandrake Hotel on Jurema Terrace on the final day of LFW. And guess who had a part to play in his A/W range? Us!
Working closely with the Nene Valley Leather team, Leo’s designed a range that is both great to look at and extremely versatile.
‘CABAÑA’ was born, says Leo, ‘from a week spent secluded in San José del Pacífico, Mexico, surrounded by mist, earth, and colours I had never fully understood until I lived within them.’
For a collection containing parkas – arguably made famous during the Britpop era and typically crafted from synthetic, water-resistant materials – it was leather that took centre stage. And not just any leather…Nene Valley Leather offcuts.
Patience and Precision
‘Constructed from offcut leather strips and reinforced internally with boning, these pieces maintain their architecture before yielding gently to movement.’ writes Leo. ‘I refer to them as cages,’ he adds, ‘…as each line is placed equidistantly and applied by hand, every strip requiring patience and precision.’
He goes on to say they are among ‘the most technically demanding garments we have made, yet they are worn with ease.’
I mean, who doesn’t love a parka – stylish yet practical. A leather one? Even better. A leather parka sustainably made from offcuts that might (in some workshops at least) have otherwise been relegated to the waste pile? Absolutely brilliant.
‘Curved shoulders remain central to the silhouette’ of the parkas, explains Leo, of his collection. The coats, he says, have been ‘engineered to hold shape before falling softly at the cuff, allowing structure and fluidity to exist together.’
Parkas with a Sense of Permanence
‘Using fully-by-product leather, firm yet supple, we focused on longevity’, says Leo, who adds that he often thinks about furniture when designing such collections. He often thinks about: ‘pieces made to live quietly in a space for decades’, adding that he hopes the garments ‘carry that same sense of permanence’.
Well, the humble parka certainly hasn’t gone out of style just yet. Leo’s parkas? We reckon they’ll live on and on. Literally and figuratively. At Nene Valley Leather, we couldn’t be prouder that our upholstery leather offcuts have been given a new lease of life, too – watch this space for the A/W collection!
Are you a fan of a parka coat – and did you catch Leo’s CABAÑA collection at London Fashion Week? Let us know by commenting on this blog post, below. You can also find Leo and his work on Instagram.
Until next time…
