Spanish fashion showcases its strength at Milanese trade show

Madrid – Invited by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the public Italian agency responsible for promoting the internationalisation of Italian companies and their exports, the FashionUnited Spain team had the opportunity to explore the various halls of the latest September edition of Lineapelle Milan. This international trade fair specialises in sourcing goods and services for sectors linked to fashion, luxury and design. We took the pulse of the 61 Spanish exhibiting companies that participated in the event.

Held at the Milano Rho exhibition centre from September 15 to 17, the fair presented new proposals and collections from participating brands for the upcoming autumn/winter 2027/2028 season. Less than 24 hours after the show closed its doors, its management announced the main figures from this edition of Lineapelle Milan. Completing the data available at the start of the event, a total of 1,029 exhibiting companies and 22,800 visitors participated. Forty-three percent of visitors were international, coming from 114 countries. The attendance included over 17,000 buyers, a 10 percent increase compared to the September 2025 edition, while the number of exhibitors was down by 10.52 percent.

Despite these mixed trends, the Milanese trade show's management reported a clearly positive and “remarkably strong” outcome for this edition. The previous February event was particularly affected by its overlap with the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. This led to some events being held at the same Milano Rho exhibition centre, complicating the fair's proceedings. In contrast, this September edition saw growth in both exhibitors (plus 21 percent) and attendance (plus 35 percent), signalling a revival of the show as a key international event for professionals in the leather, materials, accessories and components industries.

The event's results “reinforce an undeniable fact,” that “Lineapelle is the trade fair that the supply chain needs and cannot do without,” the organisers stated. “This is not only because it brings a unique and comprehensive international offering to Milan, but because it represents an indispensable platform for networking, dialogue and project development, especially in such a complex and uncertain time.” They analysed that “this is a landscape that continues to evolve rapidly.” However, “Lineapelle confirms its role” as “the place where the supply chain meets, reinterprets the present and creates the conditions for renewed growth.”

Inditex buyers and a 'positive' start to the show

This acknowledgement of the complexities currently affecting the various sectors represented at the sourcing show was not hidden during the opening ceremony. The event was attended by an institutional delegation including Agostino Apolito, general director of Assomac and CEO of Simac Tanning Tech; Mauro Bergozza, president of Assomac; Fulvia Bacchi, general director of Unic and CEO of Lineapelle; Roberto Luongo, advisor to the minister of enterprise and Made in Italy; Matteo Masini, director of the Consumer Goods Office at the ITA; Ahmed Maghawry, representative of the Egyptian minister of industry; Daniel Risafi, general coordinator of the Association of Footwear Chambers of Latin America (ACCAL); and Sanjay Gupta, president of the Indian Footwear Components and Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA), highlighting the event's strong international character.

Following the inaugural event, the three-day trade fair officially began. During this time, FashionUnited visited each of the 61 exhibition spaces representing Spain at this edition of Lineapelle. The country was the third most represented, alongside Turkey, behind only Italy and China. We were able to see first-hand the latest proposals and innovations from these 61 Spanish companies. They were located in halls 9, 11 and 13, reserved for tanneries and leather suppliers; hall 15, dedicated to synthetic fibres; and halls 22 and 24, which housed exhibitors of accessories and components.

Starting with this spatial layout, our tour focusing on Spanish exhibitors began in Hall 9. A total of four Spanish tanneries presented their latest proposals here: Colomer 1792, Inclusa, Inpelsa and Padronesa Industrial de Curtidos (Picusa). At these stands, we encountered groups of Spanish buyers from companies like Inditex. Visitor traffic began to increase from the early morning of the first day. The activity at the Colomer 1792 space, part of the Chinese group Henan Prosper since 2019, was particularly noteworthy. Other Spanish exhibitors noted that this was in line with expectations for a show that does not fully get going until midday, especially since it started on the final day of the Micam trade fair.

A representative from Valencia-based Inpelsa told us, “The fair starts to pick up around midday, but we've already had people in the morning, so we're happy and have good prospects, considering we have quite a few meetings and appointments scheduled with different clients.” The company specialises in producing lamb and cow leather for the luxury fashion industry, mainly for footwear and leather goods, and has been participating in the fair for nearly three decades. “There are all kinds of visitors, from luxury brands to small firms and people just starting in the fashion world,” they pointed out. This audience is of potential interest to a company like Inpelsa, which currently exports about 70 percent of its production outside Spain, primarily to Europe, the US and Asia. Despite its success, the company calls for more support for businesses in the sector, mainly to enhance their competitiveness against French and Italian groups. “It's a shame, because they receive support here, as do the French tanneries, which are more cohesive and present a much more corporate image. In the long run, all of that helps, because participating in a fair generates considerable expenses.”

Among suppliers to Prada, Isabel Marant, Jacquemus and Castañer

Remaining in the world of leather, we moved into Hall 11, where a total of eight Spanish exhibitors showcased their proposals: Combalia, Curtidos Badia, Curtits Aqualata, Despell, La Doma de Curtidos, Miguel Farres Rojas, Miret and San Martin. Among this group, we saw first-hand the high quality of the leathers from Curtidos Badia, where they confessed the first day was busier than expected. We also noted the original offerings from the Catalan La Doma de Curtidos and Alicante-based San Martin; the versatility of the leather from the historic tannery Miguel Farres Rojas and its commercial brand Splenda; and how Miret has launched a new 'upcycled' leather business line to sell its surplus stock, while also enabling small firms and companies to access small quantities of products for testing or limited production runs.

Completing the list of tanneries and leather specialists, another six Spanish exhibitors presented their latest proposals in Hall 13: Curtidos J. Vázquez, whose stand was noticeably busy; Curtidos Lajara, whose quality leathers were also attracting visitor interest; Alicante-based Eustaquio Cantó Cano, which noted—for better or worse—the significant presence of both Asian exhibitors and visitors, mainly from China; the also Alicante-based Grupo Futurapiel, whose leather quality is also noteworthy; Palomares Piel, present at this edition with a discreet exhibition stand; and Hijos de Óscar Botella Sempere (Hosbo). The Alicante-based company participated as part of the Spanish delegation promoted by the Spanish Association of Component and Machinery Companies for Footwear and Leather Goods (AEC). Despite the high footfall at its space, they were very clear in pointing out the path to irrelevance that major European sourcing shows are on, as production continues to be offshored outside of Europe. These dynamics, in line with what other Spanish exhibitors stated, are said to be continuing, regardless of public announcements and reports pointing to a growing trend of “nearshoring” by European companies operating within the EU market.

Changing pace, we now focus on Hall 15, where we examined the latest exhibition proposals from a total of 15 Spanish exhibitors. These included Ag Textil, an Elche-based company specialising in wool, cotton and 100 percent recycled synthetic fabrics, which introduced a new recycled leather made from 80 percent recycled polyester and 20 percent natural leather scraps. American Supply Corporation, specialists in footwear fabrics; Castex Fashion, an Alicante-based company sharing a stand with the Italian Tessiltoschi; Gabriel Poveda (Poveda Textil), an Alicante-based certified “B Corp” company specialising in ecological fabrics; José Fernández Andrés, a Spanish company specialising in fabrics for house slippers; Juan Poveda, a supplier to firms like Munich, Castañer and Paloma Barceló, whose stand was particularly frenetic; Mipe Textil, an Elda-based company specialising in footwear fabrics; Moron Group, a company specialising in high-resistance technical fabrics, with its microfibre fabric made from recycled materials and corn standing out; Roca, a Murcia-based company specialising in fabrics for linings and footwear exteriors; and Tejiplast, an Alicante-based company specialising in the commercialisation of high-quality natural and synthetic fabrics.

Completing the group of exhibitors in Hall 15, we also visited the exhibition spaces of Nordium, a Spanish company that acts as an intermediary for the trade of textiles, clothing, accessories and footwear from Asia; Texless Ecofabrics, specialising in fibres for footwear, bags and accessories, which presented 70 new product references at this latest edition of the fair, featuring trends in velvet, shearling, faux fur and tweed; Texpiel Textiles, specialising in footwear fabrics; Textigor, specialising in linings and fabrics, especially for footwear, with recycled fibres made from bamboo and soy being a highlight; and Artesa Manufacturas. This historic Alicante company, with origins dating back to 1959, had a very active stand, despite its offering of hand-braided items, raffia and summer fabrics being more suited to shows dedicated to the spring/summer seasons. This was not surprising, given the high quality of its range, which attracts clients such as Golden Goose, DeMellier, Zara, Unisa and Prada.

Trekking laces, insoles and buckles

Completing our tour of the show, we entered Hall 22, dedicated to trimmings and components, where a total of 11 Spanish exhibitors presented their proposals. These included Adetex, specialising in the manufacture of latex foams and other materials; Antisa Componentes, in buckles, eyelets and trimmings; Cordonfil, a Zaragoza-based company specialising in the production of high-quality threads and laces; Etimeted Etiquetas, in labels they have produced for firms like Sfera, Mango and Zara; Pems Cambrillones, an Alicante-based company specialising in footwear reinforcements; Plaginsa, specialising in soles; Rubi Zippers, a zip company making its debut at this edition of the fair, aiming to further boost its commercial relationships with new luxury sector firms; Sanitipies, an Almansa-based company specialising in insoles, toe puffs and counters; Spumatex, an Alicante-based company specialising in fabrics and insoles; Tecno Adornos del Sureste, which has manufactured decorative elements for houses and firms like Jacquemus, Jimmy Choo, Boss, Burberry and Kenzo; and Unichem and Quinorgam, the two commercial brands of the Unichem Ibérica group, specialising in insoles and soles, and toe puffs and counters, respectively.

Closing the tour, we found the six Spanish exhibiting companies that presented their new products in Hall 24 at this edition of Lineapelle. The group consisted of Adornos Clement, specialising in laces, trimmings, metal applications and personalised ribbons; Arneplant, an Arnedo-based company specialising in insoles made from ecological and recycled materials; Castell, a company for ribbons and trimmings; Caster, a company specialising in soles and rubber; Grupo Milan (Fabrica Exportadora Metálica), a company dedicated to manufacturing buckles and trimmings; and Insoletec, a company dedicated to manufacturing insoles.

With the founders of Carnevale and Mimique

Among the multitude of visitors at this latest edition of Lineapelle, which included purchasing managers and representatives from Spanish companies and firms, we had the opportunity to speak informally with Laura Carnevale, founder of the Madrid-based bag and accessories brand Carnevale, and with sisters María and Yolanda Castellano, founders and heads of the bag and accessories brand Mimique. This group of entrepreneurs did not hesitate to share with FashionUnited their expectations for this latest Lineapelle event and how these were met during their visit to the Milanese trade show specialising in leather, fabrics, accessories and components for the fashion, luxury and design industries.

Laura Carnevale told us, “From Carnevale, we came to Lineapelle with the goal of finding new proposals for premium leathers and components for our upcoming collections.” With that objective, “the fair has met and even exceeded our expectations, especially because we were able to meet several Spanish suppliers we hadn't previously located who we found very interesting and competitive.” Summarising her visit to this edition of the fair, she added, “Our impression has been very positive, both in terms of the level of the exhibitors and the quality and variety of the proposals.” She also highlighted how “it has been a very good opportunity to discover new partners and continue expanding our network of suppliers both nationally and internationally.”

“Last year we came to Lineapelle with very specific objectives,” said María Castellano, co-founder of Mimique and responsible for purchasing and supplier relations. “We were looking for alternatives to our heat-embossed logos and focused on meeting suppliers of metal logos, visiting mainly Asian stands.” She continued, “This year, however, we came with a much more open mind.” From this perspective, “we wanted to broaden our horizons, explore international suppliers and, above all, discover new materials, finishes and innovations to inspire future Mimique collections.” Beyond this “exploration,” she added, “we were also interested in reconnecting with two suppliers we met at the previous edition. One is Italian, with whom we have already started working and plan to continue collaborating, and who presented their new products to us. The other is an Asian supplier, with whom we had already exchanged samples but had not yet reached an agreement. Although we have never worked with suppliers from Asia, we are keen to explore that possibility.” In summary, it is a visit from which “you always benefit, both from what you discover inside the show and from everything that inspires you outside of it.”

“During our time at the trade show for this 108th edition of Lineapelle, we were particularly struck by materials we don't yet work with, such as corduroy-effect leathers, crocodile or eel embossings, as well as new proposals in braids, hardware and other finishes,” noted Yolanda Castellano, the other half of Mimique, co-director of the design area, and responsible for the firm's communication and institutional relations. “One of the things we value most about this type of fair is that you can not only discover new materials but also see how they work when applied to a finished product.” She explained, “Sometimes you find a leather with a novel finish that you love, but it's hard to imagine how it would look on a bag.” However, “at Lineapelle, many exhibitors show pieces and products made with different types of leather, and that helps us a lot to visualise their possibilities, discover applications we might not have considered and get inspired for future designs.” She added, “It has also been very interesting to learn about new techniques and advances in machinery that, although not directly part of our work as designers, allow us to better understand the manufacturing processes and continue learning about the sector.” She concluded, “For us, Lineapelle is an opportunity to touch the materials, experiment, exchange ideas with suppliers and discover possibilities that are not always within our reach.” She added, “We are returning with new contacts, many ideas and a very positive impression of these two and a half days in Milan, where we were also fortunate to attend as guests of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), which provided us with exceptional service.”