Leather news and archive

Sought by luxury labels, Nigerian leather reclaims home market

Most Nigerian leather, often semi-finished, is exported to Europe and Asia and turned into luxury items bearing international brand labels, with zero trace of its origins. But with her homegrown brand, Isi Omiyi creates high-end pieces to try to reclaim Nigeria's leather identity. In her apartment in the Lagos metropolis, she has created a...

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Business

Italian leather industry closes 2024 with 30 billion euro turnover, down 8.6 percent

Milan - With approximately 10,000 active businesses, the Italian leather industry closed 2024 with a total turnover of 30 billion euros. This represents an 8.6 percent decrease compared to the previous year. The negative trend was also confirmed in the first six months of 2025, with a further 5.3 percent decline compared to the same period in...

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Stow London names TikTok’s Tanner Leatherstein as director of craftsmanship

Viral TikTok star Tanner Leatherstein, whose real name is Volkan Yilmaz, has been appointed as director of craftsmanship by British heritage brand Stow London. Tanner Leatherstein, who has more than two million social media followers, has become known for his videos on deconstructing leather bags to give honest reviews and insights into whether...

Fashion|In Pictures

Montblanc debuts first-ever fashion collection at MFW

Hamburg-based Montblanc, known for its craftsmanship across pens, watches, and leather goods, debuted its first-ever fashion capsule during Milan Men’s Fashion Week. The leather fashion collection was unveiled at Montblanc’s first-ever fashion presentation in Milan, alongside the brand’s second campaign with American filmmaker Wes Anderson,...

Fashion

Asics pledges to stop sourcing and using kangaroo skins in footwear

Japanese sportswear brand Asics has announced that it has stopped sourcing kangaroo skins for its athletic footwear. The news comes days after German brand Adidas revealed that it had halted the use of the marsupial skin for its soccer cleats. Asics confirmed its decision to step away from using kangaroo leather to the Animal Wellness and the...

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Business|Interview

Portuguese footwear industry to invest 600 million euros

The Portuguese footwear, components, leather goods manufacturers association (APICCAPS), which represents the footwear industry in the country, is looking to invest 600 million euros in the industry by 2030 with a focus on innovation, sustainability, worker skills and international growth. “This is our largest investment ever. We believe that we...

Fashion

Holiday ‘25 trend: Leather takes on fresh colours and dimensions

Leather leads the way as a key material for Holiday 2025. Black leather has long been the gold standard for October/November in-store drops. However, this season, designers have chosen colours ranging from brown to olive shades of green. For Holiday ‘25 the season’s major silhouette will offer proportion play, including broad shoulders. Saint...

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Fashion

Kering bets on water positivity in sustainability pivot

In an era where the fashion industry’s sustainability rhetoric often outpaces its results, Kering, the luxury conglomerate behind Gucci, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta, has unveiled what it calls a “Water-Positive Strategy.” The initiative marks the latest chapter in the group’s climate response, this time addressing water scarcity and...

Fashion

Leather UK teams up with Mary’s Living and Giving to breathe new life into leather pieces

Trade association Leather UK has announced a repair and restore collaboration with Mary’s Living and Giving Shops for Save the Children, aimed at breathing new life into leather pieces found in its charity shops. In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Leather UK members have expertly restored a range of leather bags found in the charity shops to...

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Business

Leather supply chain: turnover down 8.6% in 2024

The preliminary turnover of the leather supply chain for 2024 records a decrease of 8.6% compared to 2023, with a drop in both exports and imports, also influenced by the uncertain economic and geopolitical context. The leather supply chain of Confindustria Accessori Moda includes approximately 10 thousand companies Italian leather supply chain...

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Gucci Logistica increases stake in Colonna Group tannery to 100 percent

Kering subsidiary Gucci Logistica is increasing its stake in Colonna Group to strengthen its investment in the leather industry. Gucci Logistica, which is active in the design, development, engineering, production, purchasing, sales, import and export of Gucci branded products, already held a 51 percent stake in the tannery since 2019, but is...

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Lab-grown leather producer Faircraft secures 15.8 million dollar funding

Faircraft, a Paris-based lab-grown leather pioneer, has closed a 15.8 million dollar fundraising round, with the secured funds to go towards a team expansion and efforts to scale operations. The round was backed by a number of international investment funds, including the UK’s Entrepreneur First, US-based Kindred Ventures and Heirloom and French...