Dinosaur-sized deep pockets will be needed to buy the bag which has a hefty starting price at the planned auction
19:23, 27 May 2026
The bag has been made using leather created through reconstructed dinosaur collagen.(Image: Lab-Grown Leather)
Fashionistas will soon be embroiled in a bidding war for the ultimate luxury accessory – the world’s first handbag crafted from T-Rex Leather. T-Rex Leather made its public debut last month, when the one-of-a-kind handbag – designed by Berlin based techwear designers Enfin Leve – was unveiled at the Art Zoo in Amsterdam.
It has been engineered using reconstructed dinosaur collagen and brought to life without harming a single animal. And it’s all down to scientists from Newcastle business Lab-Grown Leather Ltd, who have carried off the Jurassic Park procedure, which they say demonstrates a new, sustainable future for leather goods.
It shows that we could be just steps away from bringing leather purses, bags, belts and all manner of other T-Rex goods to the market – but this very first bag is expected to draw a lot of attention. And you can expect to shell out a Stegosaurus-sized sum for the one-off fashion accessory – the starting bid is £500,000.
Lab-Grown Leather Limited, part of Newcastle Helix based and stock exchange listed BSF Enterprise PLC, has appointed high profile Paris-based auction house Giquello SAS to facilitate the sale of the handbag. It will be a centrepiece of Giquello’s renowned Tentation°4 sale on June 11 at the historic Drouot headquarters in Paris.
BSF Enterprise bosses said Giquello SAS was specifically selected for its unrivalled expertise in natural history and high-value curiosity sales, “providing the perfect bridge between prehistoric legacy and futuristic innovation”.
The firm said: “VML Paris, a key partner in the creation of T-Rex Leather and a driver of its initial media success, will lead the promotion of the auction, ensuring this historic milestone resonates with audiences worldwide. BSF views this auction as a transformative opportunity to showcase the company’s innovation to the global market.”
Directors said the auction serves as a powerful proof of concept for BSF’s ability to commercialise high-performance, ethical alternatives to conventional materials, adding: “As the world watches the hammer fall in Paris, BSF is solidified as a leader in the multi-billion dollar market for sustainable luxury”.
As we previously reported, the Tyneside team joined forces with genomic engineering firm The Organoid Company, along with the avant garde fashion brand Enfin Levé and creative agency VML to make the bag a reality. High-tech computational biology and AI modelling was used to reconstruct the genetic information needed for a complete “collagen blueprint” from the extinct dinosaur.
The DNA was then put into billions of engineered cells that were cultivated using a tissue engineering process that Lab-Grown Leather’s team have developed, resulting in the end material is said to be structurally identical to traditional leather – but crafted without any animals slaughtered, without deforestation and without polluting tanning processes.
Lab-Grown Leather Limited said it is set to seek independent spin-out funding to scale production capacity.
Dr Che Connon, CEO of BSF, said: “The auction of the world’s first T-Rex Leather product in Paris is a watershed moment for our company and our shareholders. By partnering with Giquello-a titan in the world of rare collectables-we are showcasing the immense value of our cultivated materials on a global stage.
“With the strategic support of VML Paris, we are not just selling a product; we are introducing a new asset class to the luxury market. This represents the pinnacle of what our biotechnology can achieve, merging the majesty of natural history with the ethics of tomorrow.
“This is an exciting moment for T-Rex Leather™ and for the wider potential of cultivated materials in luxury, fashion and design.”
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