“Lineapelle is our window on the world; we owe our growth to the trade fair”, comments Enrica Miramonti, Style Director at Conceria Gaiera. “It is the appointment that allows us to present our products and meet new contacts. We continue to work on the very essence of leather”. The 107th edition of the international exhibition of leathers and materials for fashion and design opens at Fiera Milano Rho (11–13 February) under the banner of research. Of disintermediation.
Of observation — or rather, of stimulating a market that is shaping up to be complex yet still offers glimpses of opportunity. The fair remains the place where things happen and where possibilities take shape. “This is the first time we have visited Lineapelle”, say the two designers from Polish handbag brand Kalina, in search of materials and inspiration. “We usually buy vegetable-tanned leather from distributors in Poland, but this time we came straight to the source”.
“A window on the world”
“The fair remains an important moment, a hub within a process of contact and relationships built up over time”, comments Michele Vietridi of NCL. “The expectation for this edition is to reap results, even over the longer term. I see positive signals from apparel, where volumes are not being made but there is room for research”. “Of course, this edition is marked by a particular context, given the overlap with the Olympic Games”, adds Luigi Rizzo, second generation of the family at the helm of Conceria Ripell.
“The market is increasingly competitive, so our response is to focus on a niche. Small articles, mainly goat but also sheepskin, worked to achieve surprising effects. In other words, diversification, but also a strong push on product development” (Alessandro Rizzo, his son and founder of the brand Demiurgo, is about to launch a distressed-leather ballet flat, ed.). “We hope to be pleasantly surprised by attendance”, confide Sabrina and Sandra Giardi of MPG Industria Conciaria. “The market situation is still subdued. We are trying to reactivate and promote channels with overseas clients. There is a return to craftsmanship, to the imperfect yet unique — qualities that vegetable tanning has always conveyed”.
A demand to be reactivated
“Markets are difficult because there is a lot of confusion”, remark David Bilanceri and Matteo Saladino of Ausonia. “The agreement between India and the EU should help, but the biggest unknown is still Trump and the United States. It is increasingly difficult to make plans and forecasts”. The real battleground is the desire of the end consumer. “2026 will only be positive in the final quarter, provided that the luxury brands manage to rekindle the appeal of luxury products, which has been dulled by scandals”, comments Pietro Lanzara of DL Leather. “Here we hope to meet design departments to gain new perspectives, to incubate ideas.
If challenges arise, we are ready to take them on. Even small brands are valuable, because they too contribute to the vitality of the movement”. Winning the customer’s heart is also the priority for Eugenio Del Vacchio of Del Vacchio Leather Diffusion: “The fact that Kering group closed a quarter above expectations could be a signal. The system has to respond together — large and small brands, all product categories. That would mean customer desire has been reactivated. As companies, we will be ready, investing in sustainability”.
Outlook
Meticulous attention to customer requirements is essential to avoid the volatility typical of this period. In this respect, the head of Prealpina, Giuseppe Baldisserotto, is categorical: “If you don’t invest, you stand still”. The sector needs renewal, according to Gabriele Boschetti of Conceria Laba, attending Lineapelle as a visitor, while Luigi Dalla Benetta of the Chiampo-based company bearing his name smiles. After two years of mixed conditions, 2026 is seeing plentiful orders and looks decidedly promising.
“Thanks to Lineapelle in previous years”, recalls Martina Baldisserotto from the sales team at Conceria Quadrifoglio, “we, who started out only in footwear, had the opportunity to connect with mid- to high-end brands in leather goods as well”. Tiziano Bonistalli, leather technician and one of the owners of Onda Verde (present at Lineapelle since 1986), returns to the importance of context: “What we need is peace — real peace — to restore balance and give everyone breathing space. It is stability that can help us all”.
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