After 45 years, an Italian will once again become president of IULTCS—the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies: Giancarlo Lovato (in photo), currently Director of the Research Division at Corichem. From January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, Lovato will serve as IULTCS Vice President, which means that he will automatically become President...
Henkel wants to acquire Stahl. The German giant based in Düsseldorf has confirmed that it is in talks with Wendel, the French majority shareholder of Stahl, for a deal with an indicative value of up to €2 billion. However, Wendel told Bloomberg that it isn’t negotiating the sale exclusively with Henkel. It’s still unclear whether […]
France, Spain, and Paraguay: the leather sector isn’t smiling (with a few exceptions). The difficulties of international trade are inevitably reflected along the supply chains, as they struggle to find commercial outlets. The three countries have close ties with Italy. Here are the latest figures, compared with the same periods in 2024. FRANCE Starting with...
Smiles and satisfaction. Expected up to a point, but above all hoped for. Yesterday, Lineapelle London woke up the City, underlining — despite its niche scale — that something is moving. In other words, 2026 is off to a good start: with no triumphalism, of course, but with the awareness that buyer interest is there. […]
There is a new tannery in Tuscany called Conceria SanPietro. It was founded on the basis of a “modern tannery concept“. It’s run by two brothers, Giacomo and Matteo Montanelli, age 37 and 32 respectively. “We are starting from scratch, after 15 years in the same family tanning group”, explain the two entrepreneurs, third generation...
At a time when the global debate on the crisis facing the tanning sector is in full swing, signs of life are emerging: territories that are investing, opening new tanneries and relaunching leather processing as an industrial lever. From Mexico to Indonesia, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of new production capacity and...
From threats of 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne to LVMH’s stock-market tumble. Like any war, a trade war takes no prisoners and spares no civilian victims. What is striking is that the luxury group controlled by Bernard Arnault has ended up paying one of the highest prices for the tensions between the Élysée...
To tell the life of Valentino Garavani would take at least three books, one for each metamorphosis. Because yes, the story of the couturier who passed away on Monday at the age of 93 is one of dense interweavings, deep bonds and an obsessive pursuit of the ultimate form, the highest expression of beauty. Few […]
The geopolitics of tariffs never rest, and the news brings us two developments. The first is positive: the ratification of the free trade agreement with Mercosur opens up South America to more prolific relations with the European Union. Cotance, the association representing national tanning associations in Brussels, rejoices. But tensions surrounding Greenland are prompting US […]
The Manas footwear brand becomes Mexican, as it’s been acquired by Grupo Elemento, based in Leon. Founded in 1956 in the Marche region, Manas first merged with the Alma group and, after the 2018 agreement, was relaunched by Alba Moda. A year ago, it was managed by the Veneto-based Othree group, also under license. Grupo...
Thomas “Tom” Schneider, aged 70, has passed away. Following complications caused by a road accident in which he had been involved, the founder and CEO of the ISA TanTec Group died on 18 January. The company announced the news, specifying that he passed away in his home country, Germany. Farewell to Tom Schneider The leather […]
Three strategic appointments to open 2026. Three trade shows that it would be reductive to call simply “fairs”, as they “position themselves as advanced laboratories for analysing the present and defining the future of the supply chain”. Lineapelle London (20 January), Lineapelle New York (28–29 January) and Lineapelle Milano (11–13 February) “confirm themselves”, reads a […]
A new collection, two collaborations and, let’s be clear, a statement of intent. Pierpaolo Piccioli’s second chapter at Balenciaga opens with a question, or perhaps a reflection: how does a body that lives fully in the present dress, suspended between friction and movement? Piccioli works on the body and, starting from this premise, places it...
Contemporary fashion lives with a tension: on the one hand, the search for pure form; on the other, the need to give voice to the present. Two of today’s most influential creatives, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Alessandro Michele, embody this polarity without ever turning it into opposition. Their visions, though distant, touch at a shared awareness...
Does jewelry beat handbags? Richemont’s data say yes, along with the fact that China is rebounding and that Gianvito Rossi is in good shape. But Mulberry’s quarterly results send a message: leather goods are alive if they can offer a new product at the right price, as CEO Andrea Baldo also emphasized. Richemont Richemont closed...
There is a reshuffle at the top of the fashion industry. This time, the brands announcing new appointments are Diesel (OTB Group), Armani, Alo, Fast Retailing–Uniqlo and leather goods specialist Picard. Here are their latest moves. Changes at the top Diesel, the brand controlled by the OTB Group, has appointed Andrea Rigogliosi (pictured left) as...
The fact that company wasn’t going through a happy period was clear from the news of 150 layoffs at the end of November. Now Wollsdorf Leder has filed for bankruptcy, highlighting just how serious the situation is for the Austrian tanning group, specialized in automotive leather. According to the local press, the slowdown in the […]
A real treasure emerged out of nowhere, and was found in excellent condition. After removing “centuries‑old accumulations”, the medieval tannery was found along the nativity-scene street of Porta Pesa in Perugia. It may well be, the curators speculate, the very one where Giovanni da Masuccio, a distinguished Perugian of the 15th century, used to work. […]
A new industrial facility, a long-term strategy to internalise a significant share of production, and greater direct control over manufacturing. These are the reasons behind Balenciaga’s decision to open The Plant, its new leather goods factory in Cerreto Guidi (Florence), marking the start of a new chapter in the maison’s industrial history. CEO Gianfranco Gianangeli […]
Polène’s rise has been meteoric: just 10 years in business and a valuation approaching EUR 1 billion — helped in no small part by the Italian leather used for its highly coveted “accessible luxury” handbags. Backed by L Catterton, Polène has capitalised on the space left by luxury brands that have pushed prices too far. […]
