Fameed Khalique brings a distinctly international collection of world-class materials together under one roof, yet undoubtedly it all started with leather. After working as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Alma Leather, leather was the natural starting point for Fameed when he launched his eponymous brand in 2008. In the five years since its inception, Fameed Khalique has become one of London’s leading suppliers of exquisite finishes and remains at the forefront of constant innovations with leather, a core part of the business.
Fameed has amassed extensive experience in buying, sourcing and bringing high-end leathers to luxury interiors market. A continued interest and commitment to bringing new and innovative leathers to the interior design world has enabled Fameed to communicate new possibilities for a material that he feels is often not reaching its full potential in design.
Fameed’s unrivalled leather collections include a growing range of his own-label leathers often combining unexpected materials such lace bonded to leather, opulent hand-gilded leather panels, leather and silk hand-loomed fabrics by Be Inthavong, hair-on-hide wall and floor-coverings from Kyle Bunting and most recently ingenious waterproof leathers.
The dominance of leather on the fashion runways as a versatile and aspirational material has translated to a similar surge in interest in the luxe fabric within interiors. Fameed strives to identify and develop the most pioneering techniques for creating and using the material to result in something out of the ordinary.
When specifying leather for an interior scheme, Fameed recommends careful consideration of type and application to achieve the desired effect;
For a natural rustic look, use full grain hides that have not been sanded or buffed on the surface of the hide. Pull up leather also has a natural, worn look that will appear more ‘lived in’ with use. Woven leathers in earthy colours are a great way of adding luxury to a rustic scheme.
To create a bold statement and focal point, use corrected-grain and pigmented leather for uniform colour consistency and increased durability. Hair-on-hide leather from the Kyle Bunting collection can be used to create a strong contemporary look.
For a luxuriously textured and unique aesthetic, suede and nubuck create a soft, velvety look – both are created when the hide is split and a layer removed. Embossed, woven, ruched and mixed material leathers such as the leather and silk woven fabrics by Be Inthavong (pictured right) create an unexpected, layered effect within an otherwise simplistic space.
Innovations in leather – Fameed has recently added a remarkable range of waterproof leathers to his stable of unique collections. Perfect for outdoor, yacht, residential and contract use, using specialist technology the leather resists liquid, oil, UV-rays, flame, mould/mildew and is highly stretch and tear resistant even at freezing temperatures.
Fameed comments, “It is no longer enough to specify a general leather and expect to create the exceptional effect that the consumer is looking for. At Fameed Khalique, we are at the forefront of dreaming up and providing entirely unique leathers for use in the home, whether it be a leather woven with water hyacinth or providing the solution for beautiful and indestructible outdoor leather cushions to be used all year round”.
