The new normality is presented at Lineapelle, which today, Thursday 24 February, closes the doors of its 99th edition.. Two years of pandemic, say the exhibitors, are bringing order to the markets, which are transversally aligning the demand towards more natural products. The context, therefore, seems favourable to leather, which is riding on the desire of consumers for a “return to freedom”, but also a rediscovery of nature, beauty, quality and durability of the goods purchased. Lineapelle 99 is thus offering a cross-section of this “new world”, in which fashion and style are taking the stage again.
Lineapelle designs a new normality
“We are confident that we can return to the attendance levels of the past, or even more,” explains Leonardo Traversi of the La Patrie tannery, after the first hours of the fair. “The markets are swinging, as they have been since 2020. Moments of frenetic peak alternate with absolute calm. If we draw a line, the trend is one of exponential growth,” he continues. “We can also see the demand coming from new projects, since the stocks accumulated in 2020 are running out. We cannot talk about a rebound, but of resumption”.
The “return to the past” is also what Paolo Nardini of Primorpelli sees: “We have returned to the levels of 2017-2018,” he says. “We are not the only ones, but unfortunately it is not a situation common to all. We were saved by luxury brands in 2020, and now the United States, which has restarted at pre-Covid levels. America has never stopped, in the worst period of the pandemic our American customers kept their orders by buying products already tested, but in different colour palettes. Now, especially after Lineapelle New York, major orders for new products have resumed. This translates into a strong increase in turnover, thanks to leather goods and the interiors of bags and linings for luxury sneakers”.
Good and generalised
“The recovery is good and generalised,” explains Lara Toscano of Gruppo Mastrotto. “Leather goods and footwear, and therefore the fashion sector, are showing the most interesting signs after some time when it was furniture that supported tanneries’ business the most. Many brands are evolving and are also looking for a new market positioning, which is an incentive for us to look for innovative solutions”. Giancarlo Dani, CEO of the Dani Group, also confirms a general recovery. “All sectors are improving, especially the automotive sector,” he emphasises. “What I see is growth in the search for a natural product in general.
Then, the healthiness that leather can offer, as an environmentally friendly raw material, is unparalleled”. “For the world of sports footwear, the last two years have been very positive and the outlook that customers report to us is of a trend that will continue at least until the end of this year,” explains Graziano Marana, Emmedue general manager. “The trend is global – he continues -, but perhaps the newest market is the Asian one, where the marriage of practicality and style is rewarding our customers in that area”.
