“Our 2025 was positive, but 2026 got off to a slow start”, confides Raffaele Osci of Osci Pellami. “I’m leaving this edition of Lineapelle feeling happy: we met our customers, made new contacts, and saw seriousness and interest”. The 107th edition of the fashion and design materials fair (Fieramilano Rho, February 11-13) saw the supply chain react to market challenges. The market remains challenging, but there are encouraging signs. “2026”, says Manuel Ríos, owner of Inpelsa and president of Cotance, “shows signs of being better than previous years”.
Market challenges
Nothing can be taken for granted, which is why we must always be vigilant. “Our motto is ‘stay tuned,'” explains Antonio De Michele of the DEAN tannery. “Because the context changes quickly and we must always be ready”. “Clearly, we are in a delicate period for the market, undoubtedly due to the volatility of travel and also competition from China”, comments Arrigo Calorini of Antiba and SK!N (Unica group).
“However, the outcome of our participation in the fair is positive”. Conceria SanPietro has just opened its doors, and to introduce itself it chose to focus on two colors: leather and black. “A classic choice to get the best out of our products. As this is our first time at Lineapelle, we wanted to make a strong statement with our choices”, say Matteo and Giacomo Montanelli. “There was a lot of curiosity around us and also interest in the work we have done on the material: we are very happy”.
The commitment of the supply chain
Innovation is key to the near future for the entire supply chain, including companies in the footwear industry. “At the trade fair, we met our customers and also those interested in the 3D service, which is useful for design and therefore multifunctional”, recalls Ludovica Testa, ESG manager at DA.MI., a company specializing in the production of footbeds and soles for footwear. What we expect for 2026 is a positive rebound, driven by our investments in machinery, 3D, and DLFOAM, a high-performance TPU that makes us one of only four manufacturers in Europe”.
“We had visitors who were very concrete and targeted their requests”, conclude Tacchificio Villa Cortese, “we were spared the curious ones. We already know many of the customers who stopped by, but there are no opportunities like the fair to explain the certifications, the innovative materials we offer, and the research behind them. It’s a great opportunity for discussion”.
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