Fashion and fishing don't seem the most likely partners, especially when it comes to eco-friendly initiatives. But that's exactly what happened when Laura Chicurel came up with a novel approach to addressing the problem of waste fish skins, by turning them into luxurious leather.

Laura was raised in Chile, which is the world's second largest exporter of salmon. The fish is sheared before it goes to market, leaving tens of thousands of skins to be discarded each year. A few local artisans make leather goods with the fish skin, but broad exposure to the world market has eluded them.

Chicurela, which Laura founded in 2006 with her partner Patrick Mork, has branded its own high-end line of salmon skin leather products for distribution in Europe and beyond. "We really wanted to create a brand that conveys the mysterious, other-worldly landscapes of Chile," says Laura. "But most of all, we wanted to make an excellent eco-friendly product for a wider audience."

Green is the new black

Natural, elegant and durable, leather is one of the world's most versatile materials, used for everything from footwear to furniture. However, the leather manufacturing process sometimes uses harmful chemicals that pollute groundwater and expose employees to unsafe conditions.

Salmon skin leather is environmentally friendly for several reasons. Firstly, as Laura explains, it's made from a by-product that would otherwise be wasted. Secondly, Chicurela's tannery in Santiago uses an innovative water recycling process which vastly reduces water consumption. "What's more, salmon skin, like the skins of snakes, alligators and crocodiles - also used to make high-end leather products - is hairless. Far fewer chemicals are needed to treat the skin during the tanning process. As a result, there's no polluting residue left in the water once leather manufacturing is complete."

"Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of our time," says Laura, "Responsible companies need to prioritize the environment in their strategy and day-to-day activities. Through Chicurela, I want to raise awareness of the harmful effects of unsustainable manufacturing processes and demonstrate that it's possible to be economically successful and environmentally friendly."

Fishing for fashion

Laura is planning to sell salmon skin leather in its raw form to manufacturers of goods ranging from cars to aircraft and shoes. In 2007, her company designed a salmon skin leather interior for Toyota's IQ concept car, which was displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. Other businesses have commissioned Chicurela to make eco-friendly corporate gifts such as key chains, portfolios and cardholders. To meet increased production demands and gain greater control over the supply chain, Laura is considering purchasing 50% of the tannery in Chile.

Although it can be challenging to build a business at the same time as raising a family, Laura is confident that she can reconcile the demands of personal and professional life. She's excited about the future of her business and thrilled to have been selected as a Laureate for the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards. It gives me the confidence to say, "We're doing something right here. Let's keep it up!"

Initially a producer of fashion accessories made of salmon skin, Chicurela has successfully launched a new product line since receiving the Award in October last year. In addition to the finished goods, the company now supplies eco-friendly leather for different industries and offers a new type of salmon skin leather that is 100% vegetable-tanned. Laura was selected as one of the top 100 young lead­ers of Chili by the newspaper El Mercurio and was awarded the Entrepreneurship Spirit Award by the Universidad Diego Portales. Since winning, Chicurela has also registered a 150% increase of its sales. To finance the firm’s expan­sion, Laura has incorporated a new investor in the company. This year, she also hopes to expand her sales team in Europe.