Fish skin is a new word in the fashion world

The peoples inhabiting the banks of the Amur - Nanais, Orochi, Nivkhi and Ulchi - have been engaged in fishing from ancient times. They created a non-waste production: fish meat went into food, fish oil - for the skin, fish scales - for tailoring clothes, shoes, various household trivia. Priamurtsy mastered the mastery of making and using fish skin. Surprisingly beautiful clothes, sewn from this material, became a vivid example of the culture of the Amur peoples, which even got the name of "fish-skinned people".

The fish skin was handled manually. First the fish were scaled, then carefully cleaned from both sides and washed several times in water, laid out on a smooth surface and left to dry for a day or two. Dry fish skin became very stiff to sew something from it, skins had to be kneaded for a few hours on a special machine with bone knives to treat the skin. The process was laborious and time consuming, as a result of this artisanal preparation, the fish skin lost many valuable properties. Therefore, when such fabrics as satin, chintz, linen and silk became available, northern masters stopped sewing clothes from this material.

But today we see how the production of skin from fish scales is experiencing a new round of popularity, and at a qualitatively different level. Fish skin has become as exclusive as the skin of a crocodile or snake. This world of famous designers drew attention to this amazing material. So, for example, Christian Dior began to produce from the skin of salmon, which has an original pink color, shoes. The salmon is one of the most durable and durable among all kinds of fish skin. Designers of the Argentine company Unisol, specializing in the production of footwear, have developed and produced unique sneakers. The main material for this sport shoes is the fish skin of a representative of the family of herring American shad. But this material is produced not only shoes. Scottish company "Skin" has released a collection of swimwear from the skin of salmon.

In general, the size of fish skin is small, but this defect is compensated by a unique pattern on its surface and a rich color palette. Therefore, most often the material is used for the production of small but fashion products: shoes, handbags, purses, gloves, belts, cases for mobile phones and various ornaments.

But from the skin of sharks and sea rays, diving suits and even use it to produce furniture. The skin of these large fish is surprisingly strong. In general, fish skin is more wear-resistant and durable than the skin of any animals. This is due to the fact that the fibers in the fish skin are very close to each other. In addition, only fish skin is waterproof.

Another undoubted plus of fish skin is its ecological compatibility. To date, scientists have not detected a single virus that would be transmitted from fish to humans. So it's impossible to get any disease from the fish skin, unlike the skin of pigs and cows.