On January 31, and February 1 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, Lineapelle New York presented over one hundred booths filled with lavish materials and hardware from around the world.  Aside from the individual producers, there was the Trend Selection Area that displayed innovative samples from the exhibitors, as well as an educational Know your Leather Seminar.

An International Affair

Lineapelle [2] was started in 1981 in Italy, and is hosted twice a year in Milan, London, and New York City to showcase summer and winter sample collections.  This international leather fair presents only the highest quality leather, and textile producers who are also sustainably responsible.  Eager designers and producers attend the event to have a sneak peek at the cutting-edge materials.

Over 11 countries [3] were represented at Lineapelle New York, but the majority of the vendors hail from Italy.  Although this is one of the biggest leather events, there were also, textiles, synthetic fabrics, and accessories like zippers on display for the upcoming summer season. 

The Importance of Sustainability

Sustainability is a major part of the exhibition’s mission, so it is essential for the manufacturers selling animal products to be accountable for the goods that they produce.  Most of the exhibitors are certified according to international standards in the areas of quality, environment, health and safety, social accountability, product, origin, and traceability.

UNIC-Unione Nazionale Industria Conciaria [4], or the Italian Tanners’ Association, joins Lineapelle promoting its mission for sustainable leather in Italy.  UNIC emphasizes that Italian leather is emotional, natural, clean, safe, valuable, ethical, and innovative.  The association explains that Italian leather “is a living quality material that, through its versatility and reliability, determines and interprets the style trends, moving them up,” while also being an “authentic and virtuous example of circular economy.”

Aperitivo Time

As an added bonus, Lineapelle hosted two Italian Aperitivo Times each day of the exhibition.  This aperitivo offered Italian food and wine for the guests to enjoy.  Some of the samples provided were from Urbani Truffles, Il Chinotto nella rete, and Gioiella.  The delicious food complimented the upscale, yet environmentally conscious fashion-forward event!

The next Lineapelle events will be held February 20-22 in Milan, and will come back to New York City July 17-18 to present the winter sample collection! 

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