About Piel y Arte | Native
About us
We are a Nicaraguan company that designs and manufactures products from 100% cowhide and other materials. We have become known for our design and quality standards, starting with the ideals of fair trade.
Photo: The Piel y Arte team in our workshop
Our belts, wallets, accessories, and leather bags are designed for men and women who appreciate leather items for their durability, elegance and, above all, have an appreciation for ethical fashion, Nicaraguan artisans, and the art of pairing together the right materials.
Piel y Arte started in 1996 and was founded as a corporation in 1998 by Piedad Aguilar y Alejandro Argüello, based on more than 70 years of family expertise accrued in the leather industry. We are heirs to Tenería Bataan, a venture started in León, Nicaragua, by the Aguilar Cassar family in 1940. The family subsequently founded the first industrial leather goods in the same city in 1974, producing leather bags and accessories for export to the international market.
Today we have a boutique in the downtown area of Managua. Our workshop is based in León, where this tradition originated.
Photo: Piedad Aguilar
What sets us apart
- Our leather bags and accessories combine classic and modern designs with a handmade touch.
- Our vision of the future is in harmony with the millenary and unique traditions of leatherwork.
- Our raw materials are the best quality leather and textiles available in Nicaragua, with European hardware.
- We spent our first 20 years as an incorporated company, achieving the dream with which we founded Piel y Arte; to position ourselves as a leading company and reference in the Nicaraguan market.
- We export to Central America, Japan, Europe, and the United States.
- We have received awards from private and governmental organizations such as Inpyme, Pro-Nicaragua, and the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN), for our work and leadership.
Our team
Our team is made up of designers who are graduates in architecture and international fashion design, as well as artisan collaborators with significant experience in the leather goods field, having been trained by German experts.
From the very beginning, our artisanal workforce has been mostly made up of female talent. Today 75% are women, many of which are single mothers.
We are constantly improving the working conditions of our employees, and received a high grade from the authorities in charge of supervising hygiene and safety.
Photo: The Piel y Arte team in our workshop
Commitment to the environment
We have first world aspirations in an environment full of challenges.
We took on the responsibility of reducing our environmental impact, so we only use skins collected and tanned with the responsible use and application of chemicals by tanneries or industrial plants that care about:
✓ water sources
✓ careful management of the use of chromium in the tanning process
✓ the emission of gases
✓ their carbon footprint
✓ rigorous supervision of their production processes
We track the impact of our production on the environment and aspire to obtain a carbon neutral footprint.
We also have alliances with other workshops to reuse and recycle materials, which allows us to diversify our product line and work with different artists.
Our mission
To create leather goods that inspire our associates, collaborators, customers and also our competition, through quality leather bags and accessories which follow the ideals of fair trade.
To develop an artistic and collaborative community, forming part of a universal consciousness that contributes to raising community welfare, where our internal and external circle of influence may lead to endlless spiritual benefits.
Company data
Workshop: Public Trail 1 ½ east, León - Nicaragua
Boutique: Plaza el sol 450 vrs. to the south. Los Robles, Managua, Nicaragua.
Email: ventas@pielyarte.com