Billie van Katwijk

Department: Man and Leisure
Website: www.billievankatwijk.com

Ventri

In the meat industry, cow stomachs are a waste product; unfit for anything but dog food. For Billie van Katwijk, the rich, organic textures make these animal innards a fascinating material. Each of the cow’s four stomachs has different properties, shaped by their function. Some are like winding landscapes, others are almost reptilian. In a labour-intensive tanning process, she was able to transform their raw, natural aesthetic in a unique range of leathers with their own look and feel. Made into handbags, ‘Ventri’ reveals how slaughterhouse remnants can become luxurious design.