Why do handbag brands choose ISA Next-Gen Materials as their leather supplier?
Handbag brands choose ISA Next-Gen Materials for four reasons, according to Ronda de Bie, Chief Sales Officer, in this ISA Voice episode: water and energy data for every leather article through the LITE Index, LWG Gold-rated tanneries in China, Vietnam and the US close to manufacturing hubs, traceability to the birth farm through the Greener Pastures™ programs, and the option to buy plant-based and recycled materials from the same supplier.
Last updated: October 2026
What the episode covers
ISA Next-Gen Materials is best known as a leather supplier to the work, outdoor and athletic footwear industries. Over the past few years it has extended the same LITE™ (Low Impact To the Environment) manufacturing system to luxury leather goods and handbags, through ISA Luxury Leather.
Ronda de Bie covers four reasons handbag brands choose ISA Next-Gen Materials:
- Water and energy data. LITE has recorded water and energy use per tannage since 2003, and EY has audited the LITE Index calculation methodology. The sales team shares the resulting LITE Index with customers, savings are benchmarked against the LWG protocol, and brands can calculate them on the website.
- A global setup. LWG Gold-rated tanneries in China, Vietnam (two) and the US, close to many manufacturing hubs.
- Traceability. Greener Pastures™ programs for hides from the US and South America, including Brazil, offer traceability to the birth farm and deforestation-free sourcing.
- Materials beyond leather. Handbag brands can also buy plant-based and recycled materials, including HyphaLite™, and ISA Core | powered by INNOVERA™, produced in partnership with Modern Meadow.
Chapters
- 0:12 Introduction
- 0:54 Luxury leather goods and handbags
- 1:13 LITE water and energy data
- 2:14 Global LWG Gold-rated tanneries
- 2:31 LCA, Higg MSI and traceability
- 3:01 Greener Pastures and regenerative agriculture
- 3:52 Plant-based and recycled materials
- 4:27 Closing
Full transcript
Transcript of the ISA Voice episode as recorded, with minor corrections to spelling and punctuation. Where the recording differs from current approved wording, the approved wording is used, and the email address read out at the end is left out; use the sales contact below.
0:12 · Introduction
Hello. My name is Ronda de Bie, Chief Sales Officer with ISA Next-Gen Materials. At ISA, we are many things. We have two business units covering sustainable leather and plant-based alternatives to plastics. Many people know ISA is a key supplier of leather for the work and outdoor industries. Most of our biggest customers do fall into these categories. But ISA has expanded its reach with the incredible work being done by our experienced technicians. As an example, besides our work and outdoor customers, we have also expanded into athletic leathers. We do have a podcast dedicated to this segment for anyone interested in these offerings.
0:54 · Luxury leather goods and handbags
Today, however, I want to speak about yet another segment where ISA has been making progress over the past couple of years: the luxury leather goods and handbag categories. The exciting aspect for you, our customers, when ISA expands into another category, is the extension of our LITE™ manufacturing story for a whole new group of brands.
1:13 · LITE water and energy data
LITE™, or Low Impact To the Environment, is a trademarked and third-party audited manufacturing system that collects water and energy usage per tannage. We have been calculating this information in a database since 2003. What this allows us to share with customers is how much water and energy is consumed, or saved, depending on how you look at it, by buying leather from ISA compared to other leather suppliers. The ISA sales team shares this LITE™ index with customers, and it's also available to calculate on our website. Water and energy savings are benchmarked against the LWG protocol and are a key component to reach UN climate goals. By choosing ISA handbag leather, brands have the information at their fingertips.
2:14 · Global LWG Gold-rated tanneries
Another benefit for handbag brands buying leather from ISA is our global setup. We have LWG Gold-rated, state-of-the-art tanneries located in China, two in Vietnam, and the US.
2:31 · LCA, Higg MSI and traceability
We are close to many manufacturing hubs. ISA also has a confirmed LCA and Higg MSI scores, which also cover our handbag leathers. Being an industry-leading supplier of leather, ISA also has many hide traceability programs. Traceability is a key pillar for brands to meet their sustainability initiatives. Without traceability, it is not possible to calculate greenhouse gas emissions.
3:01 · Greener Pastures and regenerative agriculture
ISA has developed Greener Pastures™ programs from both the US and South America, including Brazil, offering full traceability to birth farm, guaranteeing verified deforestation-free sourcing while driving shared goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard biodiversity, and address the impacts of deforestation through responsible land management. We don't stop there. ISA also has an exclusive partnership with OHP, promoting regenerative agriculture. Our science-backed GRASS protocol identifies indicators to substantiate regenerative raised product claims in the marketplace. ISA takes the guesswork out of leather sourcing. We are also with both TrustTrace and Whole Chain platforms.
3:52 · Plant-based and recycled materials
Because we are not only a leather supplier, handbag customers also have the opportunity to buy plant-based and recycled materials from ISA. Our HyphaLite™ material is a great option for bags and other small leather goods. HyphaLite™ is 100% bio-based, made from viscose, lyocell, natural latex, and mushroom powder. We have also partnered with Modern Meadow to produce ISA Core | powered by INNOVERA™.
4:27 · Closing
The options from ISA are endless for the handbag category. I'm happy to have had the chance to tell our listeners about our luxury leather and handbag collections. For those of you who clicked the link to also view the video production, you're seeing some amazing products that have been made from ISA's beautiful luxury leather collections on your screens. Thank you for listening.