About James
For more than four decades, I have worked across the global leather industry, developing relationships with leading tanneries and helping brands, manufacturers, and designers source and develop leather for products where quality, craftsmanship, and authenticity matter.
My experience spans interiors and hospitality, home furnishings, apparel, and leather goods, with projects ranging from material sourcing and development to finished-product production. Throughout my career, I have worked with tanneries across Europe, Asia, Mexico, and South America, building the judgment and industry relationships needed to solve complex sourcing and production challenges.
Today, through Renata Leather Consulting, I bring that experience directly to clients looking for the right leather, the right tannery, and the right path from concept to production.
Where It Began
Leather was part of my world long before it became my career. My father, Aron Vaisman, came to the United States in 1964 and worked as a leather cutter before eventually building a business of his own. By the mid-1970s, he and a partner were producing women’s leather apparel under the Carla Leather label, with a strong emphasis on fashion, innovation, and craftsmanship.
As a teenager, I spent time working in leather apparel factories during those years. I was exposed early to the rhythm of production, the feel and behavior of different leathers, and the relationship between material, construction, and design. Those experiences left a lasting impression and became the foundation for the career that followed.
A Career Built Through Experience
More than four decades in leather have taught me that expertise comes from experience — from understanding the material, the tannery, the product, and the decisions that connect them.
Later, an important chapter in that continuing education was my 18 years at Libra Leather.. During that time, I refined much of the practical leather knowledge and judgment I rely on today, working across sourcing, development, production, and finished-product applications. Mitchell Alfus, Libra Leather’s owner, became an important mentor and helped shape the way I understand leather, solve problems, and evaluate what makes one material the right choice over another.
Those years, combined with decades of relationships with tanneries and manufacturers around the world, became the foundation for the perspective I now bring to Renata Leather Consulting.