“It’s gone well, we’ve seen our clients and met some new people. Many of them Asian, from Japan, China and South Korea”. David Bilanceri of the Ausonia tannery talks about the second day of Lineapelle at Fieramilano Rho, which will draw to a close at 5 pm today. In agreement is Teresa Sari of the Martucci tannery, who also saw new visitors from “Northern Europe – Norway and Sweden, from the clothing and mid to high-end shoe industries”. In a period of general stagnation of the fashion industry and a slowdown in major fashion trade fairs, Lineapelle has bucked the trend and taken a leap forward: for an edition that has already seen a record number of exhibitors and visitors, a strong increase in foreign attendance has further reinforced the event’s international profile. “This is the second time we’ve taken part”, say Lombard firm Solter, producers of receptive coagulate for moulding – “by the end of the year we expect to grow by 30% thanks to exports, and the fair seems the best springboard to establish ourselves on the market”. Today we’re expecting a “physiologically” more reflective day: “The third day” – Bilanceri concludes – “usually passes at a gentler pace”. (rp)
