2 News map News highlights from around the global leather industry.
4 Industry & Innovation New technology, new ideas from leather industry suppliers and service providers.
7 Leatherscene People from around the industry and famous lovers of leather who have made the headlines in recent weeks.
8 Backtrack Headlines from www.leatherbiz.com, the industry’s best and most complete news website. Leatherbiz is now in its 25th year. You can read about almost everything that has happened in the global leather industry this century on leatherbiz. No other news archive comes close.
Leather Leaders
12 Questions about copies The chief executive of research body FILK, Professor Michael Meyer, shares his views on comparisons between leather and synthetic alternatives, and points out the importance of carrying out ‘complete’ lifecycle analyses.
Technology
16 A firmer grip The 2025 conference of the UK’s Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists (SLTC) hears that if leather is to remain the best use of hides, it must meet changing demands and keep “a firmer grip” on its own story.
20 Discussion days The 2025 edition of Freiberg Leather Days, the thirteenth in the event’s history, brought together 180 delegates to discuss innovation, sustainability and collaboration in the international leather sector.
24 Yellow mellowed Demand for bio-based fatliquors is increasing; TFL believes it can meet customers’ needs while also addressing the challenge of autoxidation.
28 Surface condition Recent changes to its Leathertronic system make technology provider Selin confident it can offer improvements in measuring hide surfaces, wet or dry, and calculating yields.
30 AI for grading New Zealand-based technology provider Mindhive Global says an artificial intelligence-based system that it has developed can grade wet blue hides quickly and with a high level of accuracy.
Leather and the Circular Economy
33 Thought Leadership: Perfect fit The leather industry took part in the EU’s Green Week events in June. It shone a spotlight on leather’s claims for recognition as an integral component of the circular economy.
36 Thought Leadership: Data tools Following success in helping the seafood sector, an initiative called Better Food Future is now preparing a set of data tools to improve traceability in the leather industry.
38 Circular Stories: Brave decisions A commitment to preserving generations of smallskins expertise led leather manufacturer Curtidos Codina to set up an operation in Brazil that has now been running for 40 years.
42 Circular Stories: Help at hand The precision with which gloving leather producers go about their work lets golfers feel the difference.
44 Circular Stories: A decade of truth-telling It is just over ten years since World Leather began publishing the fact-based, open-source, myth-busting essays that make up the Nothing To Hide series.
Beast to Beauty
46 Ecco vows to battle back A fire in May destroyed Ecco Leather’s beamhouse in the Netherlands. The company is committed to resuming operations as soon as it can, but the impact on its vertically integrated business model will be severe.
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Cover image: London-based leathergoods brand Swaine has begun offering a curated edit of its signature products at a shop-in-shop in the city’s famous Harrods store.
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The World of News
UK The British Footwear Association (BFA) has celebrated the appointment of several of its members to the Royal Warrant list by King Charles III, in particular Gaziano & Girling, which manufactures its shoes in Kettering and which has received its first warrant. Alongside it, longstanding BFA members Tricker’s, Crockett & Jones, John Lobb, Loake and Barbour have either retained or renewed their Royal Warrants. The warrants permit a company to use the royal arms in presenting its business to customers.
FRANCE Alliance France Cuir has shared figures for the performance of the French leather sector in the first four months of 2025. The value of the country’s JanuaryApril exports of raw hides and skins had a value of €69 million, a decline of 1% year on year. Shipments of bovine hides contributed €44.4 million towards the total, also down by 1%. For calfskins, the value of exports was €14.1 million, a fall of 11% compared to the same months in 2024. There was also a fall in the value of exports of exotic skins, down by 16% to €4.2 million. But sheepskin shipments shot up in value, reaching €5.4 million, a rise of 42%.
BOLIVIA Bolivia has signed an agreement that will allow it to begin shipping raw cattle hides to China. The ministry for foreign relations recently hosted a delegation from China at meetings in La Paz. Afterwards, it said shipments of hides would begin. The Bolivian governments puts the current volume of hides shipped from the country at 22,000 tonnes per year. It said China’s demand for raw material for leather production is as high as 1.8 million tonnes of hides, making the new agreement an opportunity for “significant growth”.
GERMANY The 2025 FILK leatherdays concluded on May 22. With more than 20 presentations, the programme covered a wide range of industry-related topics. These included the use of livestock to enhance biodiversity, the role of artificial intelligence and advances in tanning technologies. The organisers announced that the next edition of the annual event, held in Freiberg in alternate years, will take place in the German city of Münster on July 1 and 2, 2026. The exact venue will be confirmed at a later date.
SPAIN The leathergoods sector played an active part in a Spain-Turkey business summit that took place in Madrid at the end of May. The director of ASEFMA, Spain’s leathergoods manufacturers’ association, Noemí Moreno, said the event had been a great opportunity to establish new commercial links with companies in Turkey. She said business representatives from both countries had been able share their visions, market experience and discuss future possibilities for joint working “in a participative and agile format”.
ETHIOPIA A closing ceremony for UNIDO’s seven-year project to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of Ethiopia’s leather sector took place on June 17. The director-general of Ethiopia’s Manufacturing Industry Development Institute, Milkesa Jagema, said the project had supported job creation, community development, and better raw hide quality. It also led to improved working practices at abattoirs, tanneries and finished product factories, and a new satellite laboratory to improve testing
BRAZIL Brazilian footwear exports grew in volume and value in the first five months of 2025, according to figures from Abicalçados. Between January and May, 45.8 million pairs were shipped abroad, up by 6.8% compared to the same period last year. Export revenue rose by 1.7% to reach $427.2 million. Rio Grande do Sul remained the leading exporting state, ahead of Ceará and São Paulo.
KENYA Italian industry organisations have committed to supporting the revival of Kenya’s leather and tanning sector and set up a partnership with Nairobi-based financial services provider Equity Group to carry this out. Kenya’s ministries of agriculture and industry welcomed the partnership. The new initiative builds on a recent agreement between Equity and Kenya’s main inward investment body, aimed at positioning the country as a regional leather hub.
CHINA Chinese tanners imported 358,000 tonnes of raw hides and skins in the first quarter of 2025. They invested a total of $310 million in this raw material. The figures indicate a fall of 1.2% in volume and of 10.5% in value. Imports of semi-finished leather increased. A total of 168,000 tonnes of wet blue and crust came into China in the first three months of the year, with a value of $240 million. The increases were of 25% in volume and of 1.3% in value. Finished leather imported into China during the quarter reached 9,000 tonnes in volume and $130 million. These too were down, by 2.7% in volume and by 15.1% in value.
VIETNAM Food and tannery group JBS is to invest $100 million building two factories in Vietnam, producing beef, pork and poultry, primarily using raw materials imported from Brazil. The project will create 500 jobs. Renato Costa, president of JBS-owned beef packer Friboi, said: “This move not only strengthens our ability to serve the local market but also expands our global presence, creating a robust and sustainable supply chain that positions us even more competitively in the international market.”
The World of News
TAIWAN The Leather & Hide Council of America has confirmed that Taipei will host the fifth Real Leather, Stay Different (RLSD) international student design competition final, taking place on October 27–28. Held previously in London and Milan, the competition promotes leather as a sustainable material in fashion. The 2025 final will be staged at Ambi Space One in Taipei 101, the world’s tallest green building, underlining the event’s focus on sustainability and innovation.
INDIA The team at Tata International’s finished leather manufacturing facility in Dewas recently completed an on-site exercise to provide people in the surrounding community with eyecare. People in the local community were able to attend free eyecare clinics at the Dewas tannery, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and the professional optometrists who ran the clinics distributed free glasses to people who needed them. In total, more than 400 people attended the clinics.
• The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) is developing the state’s first dedicated footwear park in Ramaipur, Kanpur. In the first phase, 75 industrial plots are planned. UPSIDA CEO, Mayur Maheshwari, said the park would drive industrial growth and create thousands of jobs. The park will offer ready-to-use plots with essential utilities to reduce setup time.
BANGLADESH The government of Bangladesh is considering reducing customs duties on seven key tanning chemicals in the upcoming budget to support the country’s leather sector. Currently, only 27 tanneries benefit from bond facilities allowing duty-free imports, while around 100 others face higher and inconsistent duties. Industry leaders say this creates an uneven playing field and hurts competitiveness. The proposed changes include cutting duties on six chemicals from 5% to 1%, and reducing the duty on chromium sulphate from 10% to 5%.
• Leather manufacturing group ISA Next-Gen Materials has successfully produced its LITE leather in Bangladesh through a partnership with Apex Footwear. The first production order was successfully completed in Q4 2024 at the Leather Working Group Gold-rated partner tannery, upholding the standards that ISA has always maintained, it said. LITE stands for Low Impact On The Environment and was launched as a brand in 2003.
AUSTRALIA The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) has welcomed the European Commission’s designation of Australia as ‘low risk’ under the upcoming European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Patrick Hutchinson, chair of the ABSF Steering Group, said the recognition reflects the industry’s strong sustainability efforts, particularly in vegetation management. “The ABSF will continue to objectively measure forests, woodlands, and grasslands managed within our industry,” he added.
Industry & Innovation
New crosslinker technology
Manufacturer of speciality coatings for flexible materials Stahl has introduced Syncros, a new carbodiimide-based crosslinker designed to offer an alternative to conventional products such as aziridines and isocyanates in leather finishing.
According to the company, the new technology eliminates some of the health and environmental risks associated with older crosslinker systems while maintaining durability, flexibility, and resistance to abrasion and chemicals.
The patented Syncros XR-55-400 is designed for use in aqueous topcoats and basecoats. It is free from substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic (CMR) and offers a pot-life of up to six hours. Other properties include nonyellowing performance and strong adhesion to coated surfaces.
Stahl said the development is part of a broader shift in the industry towards safer and more sustainable chemical solutions, driven by regulatory pressure and customer demand for lower-impact products.
Italy to launch leather-specific IT platform for EUDR
Italian tanning industry association UNIC is working with an IT provider to prepare a platform to help member companies meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
It is planning to unveil and demonstrate the new platform at the Lineapelle exhibition in Milan in September. After this, there will be a pilot phase of use, with modifications still possible. UNIC insisted the platform would be ready for use by the end of 2025, when EUDR comes into effect for larger operators.
Vice-director of the association, Luca Boltri, acknowledged that there are already several platforms available for managing EUDR, but said UNIC had decided to create its own platform to have something designed for, and tailored to, the bovine hide supply chain.
“Our supply chain is one of the most difficult for achieving traceability and geolocalistation [of raw material],” Mr Boltri said. “It has a complexity that must be taken into account.”
He explained that the Italian leather sector was working closely on this with the country’s wood industry, which has been tackling questions around deforestation for a number of years now.
LIFE project explores modified natural tannins
A European research project focused on improving the environmental footprint of vegetable leather tanning has
EU institutions hear leather’s EUDR argument
Leather industry bodies COTANCE and UNIC have made the case for excluding leather from the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in a workshop at the European Parliament in Brussels on June 3.
Hosted by Italian member of the European Parliament Salvatore De Meo, UNIC and COTANCE used the workshop to present a clear, science-supported message that leather is not a driver of deforestation and deserves to be among the products that are exempt from the requirements of EUDR. The regulation will begin to come into effect at the end of this year.
More than 50 people attended the event, with representatives of the US, Argentina, Turkey and Australia taking part alongside officials from EU member states, the European Commission, members of the European Parliament, international organisations, industry experts and representatives from the leather industry.
COTANCE and UNIC said afterwards that the event marked “a major milestone in the industry’s advocacy efforts, and reinforced the importance of evidence-based policymaking in the revision of EUDR”.
Following the workshop, UNIC vice-director, Luca Boltri, said: “We are grateful to Salvatore De Meo, who listened to our concerns and gave us this opportunity to bring to the European institutions the facts of the impact of a piece of EU legislation which is totally disconnected from the realities of the leather industry.”
For his part, Mr De Meo said he was happy “to stand up for an industry that is the pride of Italian fashion and is unfairly stigmatised by EUDR”. He pointed out that everyone wants to curb deforestation, but that it is no help to “the credibility of EU legislation” if measures have no real effect on the environment and at the same time “stifle the competitiveness of EU industry”.
concluded with positive technical and sustainability results.
Known as LIFE I’M TAN, the project received EU LIFE programme funding and was coordinated by Italian group Silvateam with support from Crossing, CRCF, Conceria Incas and the Aquarno Consortium.
The initiative aimed to develop a new generation of natural tannins, chemically modified to enhance performance in tanning and retanning processes while reducing water use, chemical inputs and wastewater emissions. Trial results show that the modified extracts reduced water consumption by up to 25%, organic matter in the tanning bath by up to 40%, and hazardous substances such as phenols and formaldehyde by more than 80%.
Application testing at Conceria Incas confirmed that the new tannins could deliver soft leathers with a wide colour range, including light and pastel shades not easily achievable with conventional vegetable tannins.
By-product recovery for use in animal nutrition, resins and fertilisers was also explored, supporting a broader circular economy approach. The partners now plan further industrial feasibility work to assess scaling potential.
Playing ‘to a system’ will be the key for Assomac
to come back
Italy’s industry body for manufacturers of machinery for leather and footwear, Assomac, has reported revenues for the sector of €575 million in 2024. This figure, which is still preliminary, represents a fall of 12% compared to the previous year.
Assomac described this as a significant contraction. It said the domestic market had suffered because of “a slowdown in investments in the fashion supply chain”.
In parallel, revenues from outside Italy suffered because of what Assomac called “a global context characterised by geopolitical instability, inflation, shrinking consumption and tightening trade barriers”.
The president of Assomac, Mauro Bergozza, acknowledged that the tanning and footwear machinery sector was going through “a phase of deep suffering”, but he insisted it was not irreversible.
He said the quality of the technology that Assomac members produce, with Italian know-how and what he called “a distinctive push for innovation”, must become again a driver of competitiveness.
“To achieve this, we need investment in digitalisation, automation, sustainability
and, above all, a vision that companies, institutions, and education and research providers can all share,” he continued. “We must be ready to play to a system, otherwise we will remain on the margins of the global market.”
He explained that playing to a system meant building a set-up in which companies receive support, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of infrastructure, industrial policies and international relations. He said cohesion, investment and a long-term vision were essential.
“Joining forces to be more competitive is no longer an option,” Mr Bergozza concluded, “but a necessity.”
Prada acquires minority stake in Rino Mastrotto Group
Luxury group Prada has announced a strategic investment in the leather manufacturer Rino Mastrotto Group, further strengthening an existing partnership.
The deal is complex. It includes transferring Prada’s equity in Tuscany-based leather manufacturer Conceria Superior and in French supplier Tannerie Limoges to Milan-based private equity firm NB Renaissance Partners. Renaissance Partners is the majority owner of Rino Mastrotto Group.
A cash investment from Prada in Rino Mastrotto Group is also part of the new deal, and in total, Prada will hold a 10% stake in the leather manufacturing group.
The transaction is expected to close in the summer or autumn of this year, subject to customary conditions.
Progress toward full water recycling at PrimeAsia
Leather manufacturing group PrimeAsia has reiterated its goal of using 100% recycled water in its tanneries by 2040. Currently, the company recycles 58% of the water used in its production processes.
At its facility in China, water treated in the on-site wastewater plant is clean enough to support koi fish in a pond outside the building. The water is recycled from leather manufacturing activities.
To achieve its recycling targets, PrimeAsia has invested in automation and new treatment technologies. In China, automation of the wastewater treatment plant has helped reduce chemical use and improve water quality.
In Vietnam, the company has trialled a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system combined with ozone treatment. This process improves water quality and colour while reducing sludge output. The MBR system is expected to become fully operational in Vietnam later this year, with trials due to begin in China.
PrimeAsia has said it will continue to seek further technological improvements to support its environmental targets.
New liquid dye range
Italian leather chemicals manufacturer GSC Group has released a new liquid dye range for leather finishing under the name Prismalux.
The company says Prismalux is the result of targeted research and development and offers high colour-yield, technical consistency, and supply reliability.
GSC Group has also highlighted the operational benefits of Prismalux, stating that most shades in the range are classified as being transportable by road. This reduces complexity in storage and transport, contributing to lower logistics costs.
According to the company, the majority of products in the new range are certified under the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) programme.
Industry & Innovation
QUAKER COLOR A STEP AHEAD IN AUTOMOTIVE FINISHING
Supplying innovative finishes to the automotive industry for over six decades
Quaker Color is a division of McAdoo & Allen, with roots in the leather industry for over a century
Panos Mytaros announces his next move
Former chief executive of footwear group
Ecco Panos Mytaros is to join another footwear group, Bata.
Mr Mytaros stepped down from his role at Ecco in December. He had been with the group for 30 years, serving first as director of its tannery in Indonesia, then as managing director of Ecco Leather. In 2021, he moved to Ecco headquarters in Denmark to become group chief executive.
He will take up the same role at Bata in September, replacing Sandeep Kataria
“Bata is one of the most iconic and underrated brands in the world,” Mr Mytaros said, “selling 140 million pairs of shoes per year. It has more than 130 years of history, rooted in making good shoes for everyday life.”
Creative director to take up Balenciaga role in July
Luxury group Kering has announced that Pierpaolo Piccioli will become the new creative director of Balenciaga on July 10. Mr Piccioli will take up the role from Demna Gvasalia, who will leave Balenciaga in July to become the artistic director of Kering’s biggest brand, Gucci.
In March 2024, Pierpaolo Piccioli left Valentino after 25 years at the label. His departure came a year after Kering had acquired a 30% stake in Valentino, with the option to purchase full ownership of the brand by 2028.
On making this new announcement, Kering described Mr Piccioli as “an accomplished and respected designer, and a master of haute couture”. He will unveil his first collection for Balenciaga in October.
It said it was confident the new creative director would be able to build on the success Demna Gvasalia has achieved in the last 10 years, “in continuity with” the legacy of the brand’s founder, Basque designer Cristóbal Balenciaga Deputy chief executive of Kering, Francesca Bellettini, said: “I couldn’t be happier to welcome Pierpaolo to the group. His creative voice and his passion for savoir-faire make him the ideal choice for the house.”
Chinese designer wins Louis Vuitton competition
Leathergoods brand Louis Vuitton has announced the winner of its Accessories Design Graduates Initiative (ADGI).
In this, the second year of the competition that aims to celebrate innovation, creativity and talent among fashion, art and design students, the winner is Kexin Zhang Ms Zhang trained at the Tianjin Academy
Kering announces change of CEO
Luxury group Kering has announced Luca de Meo as its new chief executive officer in place of FrançoisHenri Pinault. Mr Pinault will stay on as chairman. Until now, he held both roles.
The group said Mr Pinault had initiated the change and that it marked a decisive step in strengthening the group’s leadership as it enters “a new phase of its development”.
These changes will take effect in September, subject to shareholder approval.
Mr de Meo has spent 30 years in the automotive industry. He has been the chief executive of the Renault Group for the last five years. He said he would approach this new professional challenge “with enthusiasm, eagerness and confidence”.
For his part, Mr Pinault said that, after spending 20 years “transforming Kering into a major global luxury player”, he thought the group was ready for a new stage in its development. He added that Luca de Meo’s experience at the helm of an international, listed group and his understanding of brands would “bring a new vision”.
of Fine Arts before moving to Belgium to pursue her studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Her specialism is in jewellery design.
Louis Vuitton said that the projects Kexin Zhang submitted for the competition showcased her ability “to translate her precision and creative flair from jewellery into leathergoods design”.
Leather scene
It said the winning designer’s ideas had brought a fresh and original approach to the Louis Vuitton legacy. She will now join the Louis Vuitton leathergoods and accessories teams and will contribute to “creative dialogue and design innovation” inside the company.
Assomac mourns Mario Pucci Italian leather and footwear machinery manufacturers’ association Assomac has announced the death of Mario Pucci, the organisation’s head of communications and international activities. His funeral took place in Florence on June 4.
In a statement, Assomac offered its condolences to Mr Pucci’s wife, Antonella, their daughter, Chiara, and their grandson, Andrea
Mario Pucci settled in Vigevano in the 1970s and worked on a local paper before bringing his communications professionalism to Assomac in the 1980s, soon after the association’s launch.
He travelled widely and said India, in particular, always held a special place in his heart.
Current Assomac president, Mauro Bergozza, said Mr Pucci had a passion for building relationships with industry contacts across the world and had approached every aspect of work with skill and seriousness.
LVMH hands Dior’s creative direction to Jonathan Anderson
Luxury group LVMH has expanded the role that Jonathan Anderson will have at Dior.
Mr Anderson stepped down as creative director of the group’s Loewe brand in March, a role he had held for 12 years. LVMH announced in April that he had taken up the role of artistic director at Dior.
Now, though, LVMH has said Jonathan Anderson will be the creative head of women’s, men’s, and haute couture collections at Dior. This will be the first time one designer has had responsibility for the creative direction of all the brand’s output since its founder, Christian Dior, died in 1957.
Award for Dr Temple Grandin
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has presented its 2025 AVMA Humane Award to Temple Grandin, professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, in recognition of her contributions to animal welfare in the livestock industry.
The award, one of three Animal Welfare and Human-Animal Bond Excellence Awards given annually by the AVMA and supported by Merck Animal Health, is presented to a
Leather scene
non-veterinarian who has advanced animal welfare through leadership, public service, education, research, product development or advocacy.
Dr Grandin has worked for more than 35 years to improve the treatment of animals raised for food, developing livestock handling systems used widely across North America and internationally. Her centre track restrainer system is now the industry standard in large beef plants in the US and Canada. (See also Nothing-tohide.org.uk, Essay Two.)
Leadership change at leather cluster
Leather Cluster Barcelona has entered a new phase with the launch of its 2025–2030 master plan and a change in leadership.
Director Jordi Vidal has stepped down after eight years in the role to pursue new opportunities. Project manager Mònica Santamans will be his successor. Ms Santamans has been part of the cluster since 2019 and has experience in both public and private sectors.
The new management team will include Mònica Santamans and project managers Jonatan Cuadrado and Carla Vélez. An internal reorganisation is planned to support this transition.
Arzignano cements leather’s ‘capital city’ claim with trademark
Leather chemicals developer GSC Group is among the companies that have earned the right to use a new registered trademark for products from the Arzignano tanning district.
In this new project, Arzignano presents itself as the leather industry’s capital city. Its credentials include being home to 900 leather-sector manufacturing units that, together, employ 12,000 people and have a combined turnover of €3 billion.
Companies in the area around Arzignano and Chiampo produce 70 million squaremetres of leather per year.
Those that comply with requirements for fiscal and legal good practice, workplace safety, recognised environmental certifications and business ethics will be able to use the new ‘Arzignano Leather Capital’ trademark.
A dedicated committee will have the task of verifying that each company fully reflects the project’s values and contributes to strengthening the image and identity of the Arzignano district at national and international levels.
Head of strategic projects for the local authorities, Enrico Marcigaglia, will be the chair of this committee. GSC Group’s chief finance officer, Dr Caterina Serafini,
said being able to use the new Arzignano Leather Capital trademark was “a source of pride”.
She added: “Operating in a territory like Arzignano, which has always been synonymous with industrial excellence, means being an active part of a value ecosystem. Sustainability, for us, is not just a strategic objective, but a guiding principle that integrates innovation, social responsibility and environmental respect.”
Founding family members sidelined
Reports from Spain suggest luxury group LVMH has asked Joan and Francesc Riba to give up their leadership roles at Catalan leather manufacturer Riba Guixà.
A specialist in entrefino lambskin leather, Riba Guixà was founded in 1932. Brothers Joan and Francesc Riba are representatives of the fourth generation of their family to run the company.
In 2015, LVMH Métiers d’Art, the grouping of specialised manufacturing facilities and skilled craftspeople that the luxury group had newly set up, acquired 20% of Riba Guixà. A year ago, the Parisbased group increased its stake in the leather manufacturer to 80%.
In October 2024, LVMH moved Andrea Bertolini from the role of head of purchasing at Berluti to become the new chief executive of Riba Guixà. New documents that Riba Guixà has filed in official business registers show that Mr Bertolini’s name has been added to those with authority to act on behalf of the company.
Others listed as people with authority include finance director, Engracia Ponce, LVMH Métiers d’Art chief executive, Matteo De Rosa, and projects director, Hugues Pichon. Joan and Francesc Riba’s names are no longer on the list.
Honour
for IMS secretary general
The secretary general of the International Meat Secretariat (IMS), Dr Phil Hadley, has been named as one of the recipients of national honours in the UK. He will receive the MBE award later in the year.
Dr Hadley’s inclusion is in recognition of his services to international trade in agriculture.
Before taking up his role at IMS, Dr Hadley was international market development director at the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
TFL re-elected to LWG Board
Leather chemical supplier TFL has been re-elected for a second term in the supplier position of the Leather Working Group’s executive committee.
Dr Volker Rabe will represent TFL in this role, succeeding Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer Dr Rabe, an experienced chemist with over a decade in the leather chemical industry, currently leads research and development initiatives at TFL, focusing on sustainable chemical solutions for leather processing.
He previously contributed to materials science at the FILK Institute. Dr Rabe is also involved in several industry organisations, including the German Tanning Association (VGCT), TEGEWA, and IULTCS, where he supports policy development and scientific exchange.
New podcast series explores leather’s future
Royal Smit & Zoon has launched a new podcast series, Leathertainment on the Go, offering listeners a wide-ranging exploration of the global leather industry.
Hosted by Florian Schrey of Royal Smit & Zoon and leather specialist Volkan Yilmaz – better known as Tanner Leatherstein – the eight-part series is now available to stream on YouTube and Spotify.
The series aims to provide insight into key themes shaping leather’s present and future, including debates around alternative materials, animal welfare, and the industry’s environmental footprint.
Harrods opportunity for leathergoods brand
London-based leathergoods brand
Swaine opened a dedicated space in the city’s Harrods department store in late June. It said this would mark a significant milestone in a retail expansion programme.
Products on offer in Harrods include the New Bond Attaché and Whitehall briefcases in Jaguar green and black ostrich. Swaine’s Kensington briefcase is available in black and cognac, and the Mayfair briefcase is available in a colour the brand calls Havana.
“Opening at Harrods is an exciting milestone for Swaine and a continuation of our strategy to re-establish the brand across globally respected luxury destinations,” said Swaine’s chief executive, Carine de Koenigswarter
Harrods’ buying manager, Yasmin Mehmet, said the department store was delighted to work with Swaine. “With its rich heritage and dedication to craftsmanship, the brand is a natural addition for our customers, who appreciate timeless style and enduring quality,” she said.
Swaine has a flagship store on London’s New Bond Street and a boutique in the nearby Burlington Arcade. The brand was acquired by French holding company Chargeurs in 2021. The parent company went on to acquire The Cambridge Satchel Company in 2022.
A symphony of NATURAL LEATHER SOLUTIONS
Since 1920, NTE Mimosa has used wattle mimosa to create a comprehensive range of sustainable, environmentally-friendly tanning products for the world’s finest leather.
Backtrack
World Leather’s publishing cycle and limitations on space make it impossible for us to run more than a carefully selected sample of news from across the industry. However, we publish hundreds more stories on leatherbiz.com. The site is updated every day with news from every continent and every part of the industry, making leatherbiz.com one of the most comprehensive archives of news anywhere on the web for the global leather industry.
We list below just a few of the headlines that have appeared on the site in recent weeks and can still be accessed.
20 June 2025
Joint winners named in 2025 Cordwainers Footwear Awards
19 June 2025
Confidence from Australian beef producers
18 June 2025
Final call for Only Natural 2025 Student Design Competition
17 June 2025
Meat-alternative brand may use meat to enhance its products’ appeal
New York listing for JBS
16 June 2025
Hermès lays foundation stone for new leathergoods workshop
13 June 2025
Tuscan tanners prove resilient
12 June 2025
Rockport to stage UK comeback
Original Hermès Birkin bag to be auctioned Brazilian shoe brands hope to capitalise on sourcing shifts
10 June 2025
French consumers still favour quality and physical stores for leathergoods
Coach challenges designers to view bags in a new way
09 June 2025
UK leather industry faces ongoing trade pressure
‘Solid start’ as Lear weighs uncertainty
06 June 2025
Renovation project complete at Hermès store in Macau
One million Audi Q3s produced with Bader seat covers
05 June 2025
EUDR: policymakers must listen to the evidence, industry says
Dr Martens targets growth after profit fall Puma enlists Gen-Z for report ‘translation’
04 June 2025
Turkish leather sector targets recovery with China focus
Spanish leather and footwear employment drops again
03 June 2025
China headaches for US beef exports
02 June 2025
Automotive slowdown affects diversifying Pasubio
30 May 2025
Automotive excluded from temporary tariff relief
29 May 2025
Federal court orders removal of most Trump tariffs
Capri details a ‘challenging’ year
28 May 2025
EU adopts country benchmarking system under EUDR
Brazilian footwear show reports record visitors
27 May 2025
Madrid prepares for Loewe Craft exhibition
All Africa Leather Fair concludes in Ethiopia
Double honours at hi-tech awards for Mindhive Global
23 May 2025
Leathergoods exports hold firm for France, despite handbag dip
Moreschi acquired following bankruptcy proceedings
New CICUR offices inaugurated in León
22 May 2025
Falls for US wet blue exports, even before tariff increases
France: Q1 raw materials exports flat, imports down in value
Shoes provide leg-up for Bangladesh’s leather exports
21 May 2025
Italian competition authorities close Dior investigation
Growth in Europe, but global sales down for Chanel
FILK leatherdays - Multifunctional land use through livestock
Pangea reports progress on emissions, waste and certifications
20 May 2025
Footwear exports from China steady in volume, but down in value
SLTC launches new website
UK’s luxury trade with Europe dips 43% since Brexit
19 May 2025
Rwandan government invests in ETP for tannery park
China: hides and leather imports down, despite wet blue increase
Double figure Q2 growth for Birkenstock
16 May 2025
Shoes and accessories increase their contribution to Richemont revenues
Adidas ends use of kangaroo leather in footwear
Brazil audit deal curbs Amazon-linked cattle buying
15 May 2025
Full steam ahead for leathergoods at Ferragamo
Ageing workforce a priority as EU upskilling project advances
South Korea warns fashion brands over false ‘eco leather’ claims
14 May 2025
US cow hides for $1
Entries open for 2025 New Furniture Maker Awards
13 May 2025
Job cuts and factory closures ahead for Nissan
ZDHC certification renewal for TFL
Tariff-wary Tandy mulls losses for 2025
12 May 2025
Record auction demonstrates ‘growing appeal’ for rare handbags
A hide supply crisis could await, COTANCE warns
Geneva talks deliver tariff breakthrough
Rino Mastrotto Group claims environmental gains with new leather
09 May 2025
Cars and beef part of new deal between the UK and the US
08 May 2025
Macau resort takes delivery of fleet of bespoke Bentleys
Audi cautious but strong Q1 for Lamborghini
Record April for Australian beef, despite Trump complaints
Leather Leaders: Professor Michael Meyer
Questions about copies
The chief executive and scientific director of research and testing body FILK Freiberg Institute flags up the importance of finding fair ways to compare leather and alternative materials.
What is the full extent of FILK’s work with the leather industry today? Please describe the different activities you engage in on behalf of the industry, in Germany and beyond.
We are, historically, a leather institute but we extended this some time ago to synthetics too. People know this. So today we work in both fields. In leather we work especially on material science and chemical principles for leather manufacturing, including tanning principles and retanning principles. Connected to this, we work on the use of byproducts from the tanning industry in, for example, cosmetics, medical or food applications. We also work on polymer treatments for the manufacture of synthetic alternatives, including materials that are plant-based and ones that some people call ‘next-generation’. In the end, they are all flexible materials composed of different layers and which are used for automotive, upholstery and fashion.
What is your professional background? How did you come to work at FILK? What are the different roles you have held at the institute?
From a professional background I am a biologist. I studied biology and process engineering at Freiberg in the south of Germany, and at Freiberg near Dresden, then I did my PhD in polymer chemistry at Dresden. After that, I did what we call a habilitation, a post-doctoral research qualification, in process engineering in Berlin. My first role at FILK was to set up a small working group focusing on the use of by-products of the tanning industry, especially in the field of medical applications. This increased greatly and in the end I was responsible for the whole field of collagen treatment, for leather as well as for medical and food applications. Today I am the CEO and responsible for all scientific fields at FILK including synthetics.
We often complain of a lack of unity and leadership in the global leather industry, but it seems possible to argue that, thanks to IULTCS, to FILK and a number of other organisations, that there is a high level of common purpose and joint working among leather chemists and technologists. If this is true, why is it true? How has your community been able to achieve this to a greater extent than other groups?
I think the levels of competition 20 or 25 years ago were very high. This is my opinion, based on what I observed and learned at that time. Today, the sector has decreased in size and companies and organisations have learned that they have to work together. They have learned this because of outside pressure. But we have also realised the need to learn from each other. Of course, chemicals manufacturers and
FILK Freiberg Institute chief executive, Professor Michael Meyer. CREDIT: FILK
even institutes like ours still have to be competitive. We, for example, carry out testing and we have to compete with other testing laboratories. But we can approach ways of finding the best use for animal hides with a common mindset; there is a common purpose and we can work together. We have to do this more intensively, but it is becoming better.
How would you sum up the main findings of FILK’s 2021 paper comparing the technical performance of leather with that of alternative materials?
In the case of leather, what we have is a material that has universality. What I mean is that it is very strong in a number of different areas. It has qualities that make it suitable for use as, for example, an upholstery material or as a fashion material. It depends on the final application, of course. If we have applications in which we don’t need the very strong performance of leather, because there is a less demanding environment, then it is not necessary to use leather. As the study shows, we do not see this universality in alternative materials. The alternatives have some aspects that are sometimes better and, usually, others that are much worse. This universality, its ability to perform so well against all the different parameters, may be the unique selling point of
leather. In my opinion, this is correlated with the principle that leather is made from skin. Skin has a biological function, which is to be stable, to be elastic, to have good abrasion behaviour, good breathability and so on. We preserve these qualities when we make leather from hides and skins. There have been many attempts to copy this with alternative materials, but up to now none of these has worked.
What feedback have you had from the manufacturers of the alternative materials that you tested?
They know that they don’t have the universality, the performance across the board. But I repeat: it depends on the application. A brand will use alternative materials in fashion if it wants to be vegan, of course. That would not be possible with leather. That’s one aspect. At the same time, leather is not as stable in wet conditions as some of the alternatives. It absorbs water too easily and you may decide you need rubber boots instead to go outside in the rain. It’s always important to consider the application when we talk about these alternative materials.
You said on ZDF television in 2023 that adding words such as ‘apple’, ‘pineapple’, ‘cactus’ or ‘mushroom’ to the names of alternative materials adds nothing to their performance. Have you come across any exceptions?
We observe that there are three groups of these materials. One group is the synthetic materials that present themselves as being similar to leather, which are just filled up with biogenic materials. One example is apple powder. Things like this are biogenic fillers that take the place of inorganic materials. The second group is newer materials like for example the pineapple material. This has a fibre construction and is bonded together with synthetic glue. Compared to leather, it is a completely different material. The third group is lab-grown materials. I’m not sure whether these are a possible alternative or not. Up to now, I haven’t seen any of these lab-grown materials achieve the volume or, of course, the price for them to be competitive with leather. The fact is that we have no exact copy of leather to date. I am not sure if we ever will have.
Questions
about copies
“We have no exact copy of leather to date; I am not sure if we ever will have.”
The practice of using plant names continues. In May 2025, World Leather received a press release from a handbag brand that uses a plant-based material. The press release includes the claim that this material has a carbon footprint that is “ten times lower than leather’s”. How should the leather industry react to claims like this?
We learned during the thirteenth Freiberg Leather Days event, also in May, that there are a couple of different possibilities for calculating carbon footprint. We can have a very bad carbon footprint if we have high numbers of animals kept in bad conditions. We learned as well that we can sequester carbon if we have good management of herds as part of the biogenic cycle, in combination with plants and other options. So we can have a broad range of carbon footprints. In the end, we have to do lifecycle analysis (LCA) studies and we have to look at the whole chain. And the same for alternative materials. To my knowledge, up to now, there has been no complete LCA for any of the industrially produced materials that some people compare to leather. And this is the challenge, I think. We are not allowed to compare apples with pears, of course, but we have to think about the right way to compare different materials if they are used in the same applications. A second point is that it is really important to calculate the whole LCA and not only parts of it. Just the production part is not enough. We have to include raw materials, end-of-life processes and the length of time the material is in use. Durability is very important. To argue (as the European Commission’s technical secretariat for calculating product environmental footprint category rules for shoes appears to do) that a product can be called longlasting if it is in use for just six months is not reality for leather. I think the challenge is to find methods to measure and calculate these LCAs in a way that is nearer to the reality.
The Tived trail boot from durability-focused Swedish brand Lundhags, made using Terracare Leather from German producer Heinen Leder. LCAs need to take account of durability if they are to reflect reality, Michael Meyer argues.
CREDIT: LUNDHAGS
leather.evolvedbynature.com
CARBON REDUCTIVE LEATHER
The 127th Annual Conference of SLTC
The Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists (SLTC) annual conference was held in Glasgow on April 26th, marking the first time since 2010 that the event has been hosted away from its traditional "home" venue in Northampton. This move coincided with the closure of the Institute for Creative Leather Technologies (ICLT) at the University of Northampton, signalling the society's new chapter in selecting its annual conference venue.
Eight presentations, of which three are covered in this report, made up the programme, with the keynote presentation being the Atkin Memorial Lecture, which commemorates the significant contribution of William Atkin, who lectured in leather chemistry and manufacturing at the University of Leeds for much of the twentieth century. Delivered this year by Dr Kerry Senior, director of Leather UK and secretary of the International Council of Tanners, it was entitled “Behind the Craft: The Role of Technology in the Future of Leather”.
It was a frank and informed overview of the challenges facing the leather industry. At its heart was a strong message: the time for debating the past is over; if leather is to remain the best use of hides and skins, it must meet changing demands with data, technological innovation and a firmer grip on its own story.
Dr Senior began with context. Leather making is not a new process, but it is one that has changed considerably. As he put it, “We won’t be making leather this way in ten years.” This is not simply a comment on changing techniques; it is an acknowledgement that environmental pressures and policy interventions, such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), are actively reshaping the operating conditions for producers.
Citing the EUDR, he reminded us that traceability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. From the end of 2025, companies must be able to prove their leather does not contribute to deforestation. The challenge here lies not in the concept of traceability itself, but in upstream cooperation. “There are technological solutions,” he said, “but what is lacking is the will or interest of our upstream suppliers to make it happen.” Without buy-in from farmers, traders and meatpackers, meaningful traceability cannot be realised.
More broadly, Dr Senior spoke at length about Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), calling them “an increasingly important metric” and a necessary step towards understanding the environmental performance of leather. Yet he was critical of
how such assessments are currently used. “We’ve spent a long time arguing about what to measure,” he said, particularly in relation to livestock emissions. While debate continues, brands and NGOs continue to rely on outdated secondary data.
This leads to one of his core points: leather's poor showing on tools such as the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) stems not from the material itself, but from the age and quality of the data used. “At the moment, we are being assessed on old, secondary data,” he explained. In Higg’s case, some of that data dates back 15 years. This has allowed narratives to take hold – for example, that leather is among the most environmentally damaging materials –without recourse to updated evidence. His solution: generate and publish robust primary data from real tanneries to redress the balance.
A piper’s welcome - SLTC member Stephen Hems, from the Scottish Leather Group, was there to welcome guests to the Grosvenor Hotel in Glasgow, the venue for the 127th conference and dinner. CREDIT: SLTC
To illustrate what modern data looks like, he shared figures from EU tanneries: processing one tonne of raw material yields 200kg of leather, and on average, 2.15 kg of chemicals are used per square metre. Water use is substantial – 15,500 litres per tonne of hides processed –though this includes reuse within closed-loop systems. Carbon emissions average 22.48kg CO₂ per square metre, while waste production stands at 338kg per tonne, with the EU outperforming the US on utilisation.
But hard numbers are only part of the story. Dr Senior was equally clear that “soft tech” – systems that improve communication, training and interpretation – will be essential. He pointed to the need for more industry-wide literacy on sustainability frameworks, such as ISO 14068, which now positively recognises the contribution of biogenic materials. “We need to understand not just how to improve the physical process,” he said, “but what that means in the wider context.”
On the topic of biodegradability, Dr Senior addressed a common source of confusion. While leather is widely assumed to biodegrade easily, the reality depends on its chemical finish and treatment. “Leather is potentially biodegradable,” he explained, “but it’s not guaranteed unless you design for it.” This makes the conversation around biobased content all the more important. He noted that while alternatives often promote high biobased percentages, this can be misleading if those figures include non-renewable components like fossil-based polyurethanes. In contrast, leather is naturally high in biogenic carbon, and crucially, this is now recognised under the ISO 14068 carbon neutrality standard, published in 2023. This gives leather a stronger footing in sustainability claims – but only if the industry chooses to highlight it.
He did offer optimism. Technology is helping, from automated grading systems with 94% consistency to social media tools capable of lifting leather to the top of page-one Google results for key consumer questions. “This doesn’t happen by accident,” he said of the SEO work done to ensure accurate, factual content about leather is surfaced in searches. “It requires funding.”
Still, warnings were clear. As hide values drop and collagen and gelatine markets grow – now consuming 25% to 30% of hides, up from 15% to 20% pre-covid – there is a real risk of leather losing its grip as the default use for this byproduct. “We currently have the edge on the alternatives,” Dr Senior said, “but more will appear, and they will improve. We cannot stand still.”
His closing remarks returned to the need for innovation and training. “Where will the next innovation come from?” he asked. Training in leather technology is in decline, and the number of chemical companies investing in the sector is shrinking. And yet, if leather is to thrive, it must do more than meet standards – it must evolve.
“Technology has always been central to making leather, even if we didn’t know it at the time,” he concluded. "We must ensure that governments, brands and consumers see that leather is a good choice," Dr Senior urged. The process of making leather must continue to evolve, reducing reliance on water and chemicals and turning waste into value. Above all, the industry needs to keep telling the story of leather, why it matters, and why it remains the best use for hides and skins. Because if we don’t, someone else will. And they may not tell it in our favour.
Raw material 1 Tonne
A brief history of tannin
Nigel Payne, from South African tannin producer NTE, offered a wide-ranging overview of the global vegetable extract sector, with a particular focus on wattle (mimosa). Black wattle, (Acacia mearnsii) the key species for mimosa extract, is native to Australia but has taken root successfully in tropical regions such as Brazil and Africa, where it is now cultivated in managed plantations. While his presentation acknowledged the structural challenges and long-term decline in demand the industry has faced, he also highlighted the enduring relevance of vegetable tannins, the close collaboration between producers, and the potential for renewed growth if the sector can adapt to modern demands and sustainability expectations.
NTE itself, originally the Natal Tanning Extract Company, was founded in the 1920s as part of a broader network of producers across Southern Africa. At its peak, the wattle extract industry operated factories not only in South Africa but also in Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, while further facilities were developed in Brazil. Many of these were created in response to the high wartime demand for heavy leather – for army boots, belts, gun carriages and more – but some never reached full production, and others were decommissioned within a decade.
By the end of the 1940s, global production of wattle extract reached around 140,000 tonnes per year. Alongside NTE and other African producers such as UCL, KTE, and TANWAT, new Brazilian operations including TANAC and SETA also entered the market. These companies, together with chestnut extract producers in Europe and quebracho producers in Latin America, formed the backbone of a worldwide vegetable tanning industry.
The post-war decades after 1945, however, brought change. The rise of synthetic alternatives such as PU and rubber reduced demand for vegetable-tanned leather in footwear and accessories, especially in Asia. Longstanding uses – such as traditional school satchels in Japan and
leather-soled sandals across the Indian subcontinent –dwindled or disappeared. Today, global wattle extract output is estimated at just 55,000 tonnes annually.
Yet the industry has not simply shrunk; it has also consolidated and adapted. Several producers have merged operations or closed smaller facilities, and many now rely heavily on raw material from independent growers. Brazilian companies, in particular, source most of their bark from thirdparty farmers – a model now under pressure from falling supply. “We were told it was drought,” Mr Payne said, “but the reality is, the base has shrunk.”
Despite these pressures, there is still a strong sense of cooperation among producers. The sector remains small and tightly interconnected. Producers of wattle, chestnut and quebracho extracts share technical knowledge, market data and even equipment. “We all know each other,” Mr Payne noted. “We help each other when needed.”
This collaborative culture may prove vital as the industry looks ahead. With growing interest in biobased, traceable and lower-impact materials, natural tannins could yet find a renewed place in sustainable leather production. But success will depend on securing a stable raw material base, maintaining quality, and communicating the benefits of vegetable tanning to new markets and generations.
“It’s not about looking back,” Mr Payne concluded, “but about being strong, being present, and being sustainable.”
Innovation, said knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) associate Stoyan Simov, is rarely a straight line. “There will be sharks, there will be snakes pushing you back two steps before you make one step forward,” he told the audience. But with the right strategy, setbacks become steps forward, and bold ideas can lead to real commercial outcomes.
At Scottish Leather Group (SLG), innovation follows a structured process made up of four phases: the fuzzy front end, the funnel, R&D and the launch. The fuzzy front end is where ideas – gathered from departments, sales feedback and market trends – take shape. “This is where we ask ourselves: do we have the time, the people, the technical expertise?” Mr Simov explained. From there, selected ideas are pitched to a steering committee in what he called “a Dragon’s Den-type meeting”. Projects that make it through go into research and development, where mistakes are encouraged – so long as they’re not repeated – and understanding grows through testing and iteration. Only once the technical base is solid does a project move on to the final stage: launch.
Progress is measured using the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, from 0 to 9. “If it takes days, it’s likely not innovation,” Mr Simov said. Some projects move quickly through early TRLs, but it is not unusual to spend years in R&D. “On average, it takes seven years. Lycra took 30. The aeroplane was invented in 1903 but didn’t go commercial until the 1920s ”
SLG’s current KTP project, run in partnership with the University of Northampton and funded in part by Innovate UK, aims to produce the lightest leather possible for the mass transport sector. “We’ve come together to create the lightest lightweight leather while maintaining its premium properties and competing with alternative materials,” he said. To do that, the team is exploring ways to reduce the density
“Technology has always been central to making leather, even if we didn’t know it at the time; we must ensure that governments, brands and consumers see that leather is a good choice.”
Dr Kerry Senior, The International Council of
Tanners
of collagen fibres in the hide – while keeping strength and durability intact. “We want to test the art of the possible. We want to go beyond the norm.”
As the project’s associate, Mr Simov sees the best of both world, industrial insight and academic research, and is pursuing an MPhil as part of the programme. “This project is not only about achieving a specific weight,” he concluded. “It’s about understanding our material – what are the limits we can push it to – and finding what’s useful not only for business, but for the industry.”
Other papers presented
• The Impact of Milling in Modern Leather Production by Giulio Galiotto, Erretre.
• Raising the Bar: Setting New Standards in a Shifting Landscape of Regulation, Science, and Consumer Expectations by Debbie Burton, Leather Working Group.
• Artifacts Live: A Legacy in Leather by Gillian Proctor, De Montfort University.
• Fine Tuning of the Chrome Tannage Process by Dr Graham Hooley, Grad Specialty Products.
• A Saltless Hide Pickling Using p-Toluenesulfonic Acid Monohydrate by Renata Biškauskaitė-Ulinskė, Kaunas University, Lithuania.
The conference concluded with the presentation of the Axel Landmann Certificate, an award that recognises outstanding contributions to the leather industry. This year’s recipient, Professor Anthony Covington, began his career at the British Leather Manufacturers’ Research Association (BLMRA), now the BLC, in 1976. In 1994, he joined the British School of Leather Technology – now the Institute for Creative Leather Technologies (ICLT) – where he was appointed professor of science.
Presenting the award, William Wise, president of the SLTC, described Professor Covington as someone who had helped drive the field of leather science forward “at great speed”. He added: “Through his work, Tony has helped elevate leather science into a model of interdisciplinary research.”
In 2008, Professor Covington was made emeritus professor. Over the course of a career that has attracted numerous awards from both universities and industry associations, he has published more than 300 scientific papers and has previously served as president of the IULTCS.
Outgoing president Professor William Wise passed the chains of office to Deborah Taylor. As new president, she will serve for a two-year term.
Ph. Gianni Maitan
Freiberg 2025: challenges and opportunities
For over a decade, the Freiberg Leather Days have brought together international experts in tanning and leather to discuss innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. The 13th edition of the event, held in Freiberg in May, continued this tradition with a comprehensive program of technical presentations and panel discussions.
Organised jointly by the VGCT and the FILK Institute, with 180 delegates in attendance and over 20 presentations, this two-day event highlighted cutting-edge developments in leather chemistry, examined sustainability challenges and opportunities in various global regions, explored bio-based materials, and showcased AI-driven technologies, while reaffirming the enduring relevance of leather in modern society. Some of the presentation topics will be published in more detail in future issues of World Leather; below is a summary of some of the presentations.
One of the most thought-provoking contributions at the recent FILK Leather Days came from a professor of regional economics rather than from the leather or livestock sectors. Professor Peter Heck, from the Institute of Applied Material Flow Management at Trier University of Applied Sciences, located at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld in Germany, leads the private, non-subsidised institute. He offered a passionate and pragmatic perspective on animals, and by extension, livestock and leather, viewing them as essential components in developing climate-resilient and economically viable rural systems.
Sustainability, land use and material flow
Professor Heck began by admitting he has “no experience in the leather or meat industry,” despite running a small farm with sheep, chickens and ducks. His message, however, resonated deeply with an audience concerned about sustainability, land use and the future of leather as a by-product.
At the core of Professor Heck’s work is a concept known as regional material flow management, a system for optimising how local resources such as energy, biomass, food and water are used and reused. His institute, based at a carbon-neutral site in rural Germany, employs 80 staff and works across Europe and Africa, advising municipalities and businesses on how to create climateresilient value chains.
This approach treats the region as a self-sustaining system, and animals, while not the central focus, emerge repeatedly as indispensable actors. Livestock, Professor Heck argued, support nutrient cycles, maintain open landscapes, and offer a productive use of marginal land. In this sense, they become “creators of ecology”, not destroyers of it.
“German NGOs won’t understand that,” he said, in reference to debates around bush encroachment in Namibia. “But Africans instinctively do. Savannah needs animals.”
CREDIT: FILK FREIBERG INSTITUTE
Multifunctional land use: more than just food
A recurring theme was the need to shift away from singlemetric thinking, particularly the idea that land should only be used for one purpose. Instead, Professor Heck proposed a multifunctional model of land use in which livestock farming coexists with biodiversity, renewable energy, water management and cultural heritage.
In Namibia, his institute supports pilot projects where invasive bush is cleared in strips, creating alternating bands of grassland and shrub. These provide both forage and shelter for cattle and wild animals alike, allowing sustainable meat production while restoring savannah biodiversity. Such projects are not merely ecological; they are also sociopolitical. “The Herero people – the ones Germany nearly exterminated – are cattle farmers,” he reminded the audience. “We have a responsibility to keep their land open.”
The same thinking applies in Europe. Agroforestry systems in Germany, where poultry and cattle graze under tree canopies, not only sequester carbon and prevent erosion but also improve animal welfare and public acceptance. Shade trees offer comfort in heatwaves; hedgerows protect against wind; and the visual effect appeals to communities. “These systems,” Professor Heck noted, “are both natural and useful.”
Climate protection means carbon removal
Professor Heck’s speech repeatedly returned to one central point: true climate protection must go beyond reducing emissions. It must actively remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soils, trees, and biomass.
Livestock systems, when managed correctly, can play a role in this. In Namibia, deep-rooted grasses on extensive grazing land sequester CO ₂ , potentially offsetting the methane emissions from cattle. “This might be the best meat in the world,” he said, “because it’s climate positive.”
Germany, he argued, should value its grassland farming more highly. Grazing livestock are among the biggest carbon sinks in the agricultural sector, yet pastureland continues to shrink in favour of arable crops. The result? Higher nitrous oxide emissions and lost opportunities for natural climate solutions.
Policy must meet farmers halfway
A compelling part of the presentation tackled the economics of change. “You have to meet the farmer halfway,” Professor Heck insisted. “Where he can still earn money but is already leaning towards eco.”
Sustainability, in this framework, must make sense at the farm level. If leather stakeholders want to support responsible hides and animal welfare, they must also support viable business models for farmers. Agroforestry, grazing on rewetted moorlands, and extensive livestock systems all require investment, policy alignment and, crucially, a market that values these efforts.
Professor Heck was critical of the current German energy policy, which, in his view, prioritises solar and wind over more holistic systems such as biomass. “Wind and solar give you one benefit: electricity,” he said. “Biomass gives you energy, nutrient recycling, land management, biodiversity, and jobs.” The dismantling of Germany’s biomass and livestock infrastructure, he argued, has weakened its ability to manage land sustainably, and undermined the domestic leather value chain.
“Grazing livestock are among the biggest carbon sinks in the agricultural sector, yet pastureland continues to shrink in favour of arable crops.”
Professor Peter Heck
The past as a guide
Looking to the past, Professor Heck pointed to the oncewidespread practice of hay forests, village poultry keeping and forest pastures. These systems, often dismissed as oldfashioned, offer clues for future resilience. Emerging evidence even suggests that Europe’s prehistoric landscapes were shaped by large herbivores, not dense forests, meaning that modern grazing may not be unnatural, but rather a continuation of ancient ecosystems.
For the leather sector, Professor Heck’s message was clear. Sustainable livestock systems are not just an environmental or ethical priority, they are essential to supply chain resilience. Investing in multifunctional land use, agroforestry, and regionally adapted farming, supports both the long-term availability of high-quality hides and the broader goals of biodiversity, climate protection, and cultural continuity.
As Professor Heck concluded, animals are not just units of production. They are partners in a system that can, and must, serve multiple functions: “climate protection, biodiversity, culture, and economic survival.” [Editor’s note: Perhaps Net Zero zealots need to broaden their outlook.]
How sustainable are the alternatives? Surface materials for automotive under scrutiny
Dr Sascha Dietrich and Dr Anke Mondschein presented an updated study examining alternative materials for use in automotive interiors. Their work explored both material performance and end-of-life potential, including biodegradability.
Dr Dietrich opened the session by highlighting two key forces driving innovation: rising consumer demand for sustainable, non-fossil materials, and new EU legislation. The European Ecodesign Regulation, in force since mid-2024, requires all products sold in the EU to meet stricter rules on durability, recyclability and environmental claims. “This regulation marks a paradigm shift,” he explained, pointing to new requirements such as digital product passports.
The study, a follow-up to the 2021 FILK “Comparison of the Technical Performance of Leather, Artificial Leather, and Trendy Alternatives”, compared a wide range of materials: automotive leather (as a benchmark), mycelium, PU-coated textiles with and without bio-fillers, reconstituted leather fibre composites, laminated veneers, and so-called “new leather” materials.
Dr Dietrich presented data on tensile strength, elasticity, and water resistance, while Dr Mondschein led the analysis on biodegradability. To evaluate material performance, the samples were subjected to a range of standardised mechanical tests. These included tensile strength, elongation at break, and flex resistance – critical factors for materials
intended for high-wear applications like automotive interiors. Classic automotive leather, used as a benchmark, showed consistently high performance across all criteria, because of its interwoven collagen fibre structure.
By contrast, several alternative materials, particularly those with foam or laminated constructions, showed early signs of surface cracking in flex tests, especially under elevated temperature and humidity conditions. Tensile tests revealed significant variation, with mycelium-based and reconstituted leather products performing noticeably below traditional leather. While some coated textiles achieved moderate strength, their elongation properties often pointed to limited durability. Overall, the study confirmed that while visual and tactile qualities of next-generation materials may approximate leather, their physical robustness still varies considerably.
Using industrial composting conditions, Dr Mondschein found that natural materials tended to break down more readily, while synthetic coatings often resisted degradation. In one PU-coated sample, partial breakdown occurred – but this was linked to hydrolysis, not biodegradation. “We need to distinguish between actual microbial degradation and simple disintegration,” she said.
To compare performance more holistically, they scored each material across four categories: three for usage, and one for end-of-life. Only one product met the minimum threshold in all categories, but none emerged as a clear overall winner.
The takeaway? “There is no one-size-fits-all material,” Dr Mondschein concluded. “Selection must be contextspecific, based on product lifetime, function, and disposal pathway.”
As alternatives to leather multiply, the FILK researchers urge caution over marketing claims and call for robust, standardised testing. Biogenic content alone is not enough. Sustainability, they argue, must be proven, not just promised.
Cracking the chrome problem with cashew husks
Cecilia China, from the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Tanzania, highlighted the challenges posed by chrome tanning in many African countries. In Tanzania, where small-scale processors dominate, many tanneries face closure due to an inability to afford imported chrome chemicals or invest in adequate waste treatment technologies. This has prompted efforts to develop locally sourced vegetable tanning solutions.
Initial research into tree-based alternatives faced criticism from environmental authorities and activists, who raised concerns about deforestation. As a result, the researchers shifted focus to an underused agricultural by-product: cashew husks.
Cashew is Tanzania’s leading cash crop, generating more than 528,000 tonnes annually. Processing the nuts creates large volumes of husks, most of which are either burnt or discarded, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers saw this waste as a potential resource.
Preliminary results showed that tannin extracts from cashew husks produced leather that met ISO standards for strength and flexibility. Extraction yields ranged from 28% to 53%, with tannin content reaching up to 51%, depending on the method used. Ongoing tests are assessing further properties, including cross-linking efficiency.
A small-scale survey conducted with 50 processors revealed that even modest operations could produce 165 tonnes of husks each year, which equates to around 64 tonnes of tannin. According to Ms China, at current market prices, this could result in revenue of up to $3.2 million, making it a commercially promising and environmentally beneficial initiative.
The team is now seeking research collaborators, industrial partners, and green investors to scale the project from lab to market. Their goal is to establish a sustainable tanning industry in Tanzania while contributing to global efforts to reduce reliance on chrome-based processes.
Analytical challenges in testing vegetable-tanned leathers
Analytical chemist Dr Nadia Dittrich presented interim findings from a research project addressing analytical challenges in testing vegetable-tanned leathers for chromium VI using ion chromatography. Although these leathers are expected to be chromium-free, current legislation requires all leather products to meet a maximum chromium VI limit of 3 mg/kg. The study found that certain vegetable retanning agents, in particular hydrolysable tannins such as tara, sumac, chestnut and myrobalan, release gallic acid and similar compounds during hydrolysis. These substances interfere with the chromatographic signal, mimicking or obscuring chromium VI peaks and resulting in unreliable, sometimes false-positive, results. The research team tested various adjustments to the standard method, including changes to pH, extraction time, and the use of different extraction media such as water, artificial sweat, and saliva simulants. None of these modifications successfully eliminated the interference. As a result, the project has now moved into a second phase, focused on developing new methodological approaches – particularly the use of specific absorbent media – to remove gallic acid-like components from the analysis. Dr Dittrich expressed the hope that the research would lead to a robust and reliable method for chromium VI detection in vegetable-tanned leathers, with final results expected in the coming year.
Awards and farewells
VGCT presented two awards: the Promotional Award and the Annual Award. The Promotional Award, which includes a €500 prize, supports and encourages young talent in the leather industry. The 2025 recipient was Tim Niedermayer, who was recognised as the top apprentice in his year during training to become a specialist in leather production and tanning equipment. He completed his apprenticeship at the company Gmelich and Söhne.
The Annual Award, which is marked by the presentation of a medal, was awarded to Dieter Cramer in recognition of his long-standing voluntary commitment to the training of tanners at the Kerschensteiner School. As a master tanner with extensive professional experience, he contributed significantly to the appeal and effectiveness of the school’s practical lessons.
The organisers confirmed that the next edition of the annual event, traditionally held in Freiberg in alternate years, will take place in the German city of Münster on July 1/2, 2026, with the exact venue to be announced in due course.
In closing, it was also announced that this year’s event marked the final edition under the direction of Christin Zingelman, who is due to leave the institute in June.
ROxidation and its implications for fatliquors on leather
Dr. Eric Kientz, Senior Polymer Chemist & Rodolfo Ampuero, Global Head of Fatliquors
TFL Ledertechnik AG
The autoxidation of fatliquoring agents in leather is examined, with particular attention given to the involvement of unsaturated oils, the formation of free radicals, and their impact on durability and ageing. An overview is also provided of the approach taken by the leather chemicals group TFL, in which polymer-based alternatives have been developed to enhance heat resistance, VOC performance, and sustainability in highspecification applications such as automotive interiors.
aw hides and skins are 100% renewable, with collagen, the primary protein, stabilised and protected from putrefaction through the tanning process. This is typically achieved using chrome tanning salts or wet white systems, such as the X-Tan system.
In their raw state, hides contain approximately 60–70% water. This moisture helps separate the fibres and reduce friction between them. However, during tanning, the water content is reduced to about 12–16%. Without fatliquoring at this stage, the fibres would bind together, resulting in leather that is hard, brittle, and inflexible once dried.
To prevent leather from becoming hard and brittle after tanning, fatliquors are applied during processing. These substances impart key properties such as softness, fullness, and tight grain, while also influencing a range of physical and chemical characteristics, including light fastness, heat resistance, fogging (VOC emissions), and water repellency.
Softness and overall physical performance depend heavily on the friction between fibres and fibrils. The primary function of fatliquoring is to coat these structures, reducing internal friction and allowing the leather to remain flexible. However, regardless of the amount of fatliquor applied, adequate moisture within the leather is essential; without it, the material would still become overly hard.
A wide range of raw materials can be used in fatliquor formulations to meet these requirements. In leather manufacturing, these materials must be both readily available in large quantities and economically viable.
Most commercial fatliquors are based on processed natural oils or derivatives, often combined with emulsifiers, crude oils, antioxidants, and other additives to improve stability and performance.
Sustainability is no longer a trend but a necessity. As a result, there is increasing demand for bio-based fatliquors. However, this shift brings fresh challenges, notably the issue of autoxidation, which affects the shelf-life and performance of organic-based formulations.
What is autoxidation, and what are its implications for leather?
Autoxidation refers to processes that lead to changes, particularly organoleptic changes i.e. those detectable by our senses (Figure 1). The first noticeable change is often colour. For instance, when materials are exposed to light, particularly ultraviolet light (UV), they can experience yellowing, which can manifest as yellow or red hues due to various chemical processes.
Yellow is a colour in which the human eye perceives more nuances than in many others, making it particularly challenging in colour matching. Visual methods involving yellow–reddish, red, or green scales are often difficult to align accurately.
Temperature is another factor that can cause colour changes. Thermal effects (from heat) differ in mechanism from photochemical effects, such as those caused by ultraviolet light.
• Light yellowing
• Heat yellowing
• Colouring/decolouring processes
• (Un)pleasant odours
• Emissions
• Fogging
• Composting
Leading to low Mw* molecules (no volatiles)
• (Bio)degradation
• Fermentation
* Molecular Weight
Figure 1: Autoxidation and its effect on organoleptic changes on leather.
In some cases, colour change results from chemical reactions. For example, the decomposition of dyes can lead to discolouration, while the antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) can react with nitrogen oxides (NOx), shifting colour from orange to red.
Oxidation processes can also lead to other organoleptic changes — such as altered odour and appearance — that are easily perceived by humans.
Autoxidation in fatliquors
Historically, fatliquors were primarily based on pure oils derived from fish, lard, neatsfoot, or tallow. In more recent years, vegetable oils — particularly from rapeseed and soybean — have gained prominence. These plant-based alternatives can deliver comparable performance, often with improved odour profiles and better light and heat fastness.
Oxidation and its implications for fatliquors on leather
Fatliquors are commonly characterised by their iodine number, or iodine value (see Table 1). In chemistry, this refers to the number of grams of iodine absorbed by 100 grams of oil. The iodine value provides an indication of the degree of unsaturation in the fatty acids present, which in turn influences the behaviour and stability of the fatliquor.
References to the iodine value have been a common feature of fastness properties. Nevertheless, apart from Mackey’s method, no new standardised test has been developed to assess the oxidisability of fatliquored leathers. The fat content in the tanned state remains a critical parameter for both quality control and process monitoring.
How
autoxidation of oils work?
Free radicals are generated when unsaturated fatty acids or glycerides in oils react with oxygen or are exposed to heat or light. Under these conditions, the double bonds in the fatty acids break, forming highly reactive free radicals.
Autoxidation proceeds through a free-radical chain reaction. This involves oxygen interacting with radicals formed at methylene groups adjacent to double bonds — particularly at methylene groups located between two double bonds (R°). This leads to the formation of hydroperoxides, which are unstable and decompose into secondary oxidation products, such as aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols. These by-products are primarily responsible for the rancid odours and flavours associated with oxidative degradation. A simplified diagram of these reactions is shown in Figure 2 below.
Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid chains oxidise slowly, while di-unsaturated chains oxidise more rapidly. Polyunsaturated chains are the most prone to oxidation, reacting very quickly.
Oxidation in leather leads to several noticeable changes. As well as yellowing, there are reductions in tear resistance and tensile strength, a decrease in shrinkage temperature, and skin contraction. However, the most significant consequence is the potential formation of hexavalent chromium (Chrome VI).
Antioxidants are used to slow the oxidation process, but their effect is not permanent. As they neutralise free radicals, antioxidants are gradually consumed and eventually lose their protective capacity. This is particularly critical in fatliquors derived from highly polyunsaturated oils, such as fish oil, where the oxidation rate is rapid and antioxidant depletion occurs more quickly. For this reason, selecting high-quality raw materials is essential for ensuring effective and lasting antioxidant protection.
Table 1: Typical oils and their related Iodine valuesexpressed as the grams of iodine absorbed by 100 grams of the substance.
2ROOH
Figure 2: Autoxidation of oils
Oxidation has become an even greater challenge in recent years due to leather’s increasing use in automotive interiors. Modern car designs tend to be more aerodynamic, with windscreen angles allowing UV light to enter almost perpendicularly. This intensifies interior heating, with temperatures that can reach inside the vehicle of over 130°F within just two hours. Such extreme conditions affect all components within the cabin, but leather — especially on large, exposed areas such as dashboards — is particularly vulnerable due to its surface area and direct exposure (see Table 2). In recent decades, automotive leather specifications have become increasingly stringent — particularly in terms of heat fastness and odour performance. Both of these critical parameters are closely linked to the use of fatliquors in leather processing.
To address this challenge, TFL has developed a state-of-the-art soft polymer designed to replace conventional fatliquors either fully (1:1) or at least partially. These so-called "fatliquor polymers’, when chemically engineered with precision, have proven superior to traditional fatliquors. Their benefits include excellent mechanical and haptic properties in leather, significantly lower chemical oxygen demand (COD) in residual floats, and reduced emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as measured by the automotive test method VDA 278 (thermo-desorption analysis). In addition, they offer low odour levels (VDA 270) and outstanding light and heat fastness.
Source: Jan Null, CCM (Certified Consulting Meteorologist); Department od Geosiences; San Francisco State University.
Table 3. Heat yellowing of leathers evaluated by measuring Delta E with Datacolour made with conventional and polymeric fatliquors. Low Delta E indicates a low colour change.
Table 2: Interior car heating as a function of time and outside air temperature.
Delta E / Datacolor
Heat yellowing (Delta E / Datacolor)
These performance advantages are achieved with TFL’s polymeric softener, Levotan HPP, supplied as an aqueous dispersion. It features low particle size and viscosity, and a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) below 10,000 g/mol. The polymer is based on a flexible, biodegradable, and compostable backbone. Chemical modifications with long saturated alkyl chains enhance both fatliquoring efficiency and resistance to light and heat degradation, as shown in Table 3. Furthermore, the addition of water-soluble functional groups improves interaction with collagen’s functional sites (–OH, –COOH, –NH, –CONH–) and with chrome complexes within the leather matrix. This is evidenced by a dramatic reduction in COD values: 8,590 mg/l for Levotan HPP compared with 25,577 mg/l for a conventional automotive fatliquor (measured according to ISO 15705:2002).
Levotan HPP also demonstrates excellent environmental credentials. Its inherent aerobic biodegradability has been measured at 87% after 28 days, using the Zahn-Wellens test method (OECD 302B). While the primary monomer currently used in its synthesis is still fossil-derived, ongoing development aims to produce this component from renewable sources. Once achieved, Levotan HPP will align even more closely with the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, making it a forward-looking solution for sustainable leather production.
Conclusion
The use of Levotan HPP as a fatliquor results in very low COD values, while meeting the stringent automotive requirements for high light and heat fastness, low VOC emissions, minimal odour, and improved dimensional stability. It also aims to enhance mechanical and physical performance in leather. Another key feature is its ability to impart a very low specific weight, which is an essential requirement for a wide range of leather products.
References:
• Frankel, Edwin N. (2005). “Lipid Oxidation”: A volume in Oily Press Lipid Library Series. Book 2nd Edition University of California
• Simic, Michael G. (1981). “Free radical mechanism in autoxidation processes”. Journal of Chemical Education.
• Hammond, Earl G. (2011). “a Brief Story of Lipid Oxidation”. Journal of the American Oil Chemist Society.
• Leray, Claude (2017). “Chronological history of lipid science”. Ciberlipid Center.
• Hermans Ive, Peeters Jozef & Jacobs, Pierre A. (2008). “Autoxidation Chemistry: Bridging the Gap Between Homogeneous Radical Chemistry and (Heterogeneous) Catalysis.
• Thomas, A. (2002). “Fats and Fatty Oils”. Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Willey-VCH.
• Firestone, D. (1994). “Determination of the iodine value of oils and fats: summary of collaborative study”. Journal of AOAC International.
• Gunstone, F. (2009). “Oils and Fats in the Food Industry”. John Willey & Sons
• P.T. Anastas, J.C. Warner, Green Chemistry: Principles and Practice, Oxford University Press, 1998.
• A.G.El Almma et al., J. American Leather Chem.Ass., 91, 237, (1996)
Precision in practice: new optoelectronic systems advance leather measurement
Bologna-based Selin Projects has expanded its Leathertronic range with the introduction of two advanced leather surface measurement systems, both incorporating the company's patent-pending LT-OPT optoelectronic technology. Presented at the Tanning Tech fair in September, the new systems aim to enhance precision, repeatability, and efficiency in leather measurement across tanning and finishing operations.
The LT-ONE system is designed for use at multiple processing stages, including wet blue, crust, and finished leather. Originally unveiled at Simac Tanning Tech 2023, it has undergone key developments to allow the simultaneous measurement of multiple hides or skins, significantly improving throughput in high-volume environments. Its optoelectronic sensing mechanism enables high-resolution surface detection across a broad range of textures and finishes, regardless of moisture content or colour. A continuous conveyor platform ensures consistent hide presentation, helping to reduce operator-induced variability and improve overall measurement reliability.
Mobility within the production environment is supported by a wheeled frame, allowing the unit to be repositioned easily for internal quality checks, inventory audits, or batch verifications. The system is also equipped to handle both wet and dry leather, distinguishing it from conventional optoelectronic measurement systems that are intrinsically different in the two cases and that struggle with variable surface conditions. A compact variant of the LT-ONE is already available for sheep and goat skins, and future format expansions are planned to meet a broader set of processing requirements.
The second addition to the series, the LT-BAR RFL, has been developed specifically for use in release paper finishing lines — a process in which hides are laminated onto release paper for final finishing before detachment. Measuring the leather while it is still bonded to the paper, the system captures leather’s dimensional data in real-time at the finished stage. This enables tighter batch control during the finishing stage of leather production.
Integrated data capture and analysis functions allow for batch-specific metrics to be logged and monitored, giving process engineers direct access to real-time production data. This functionality supports immediate parameter adjustments where needed and also feeds into longer-term optimisation strategies for reducing waste and improving yield consistency. The LT-BAR RFL is designed for integration into digital monitoring platforms, allowing real-time data exchange and full traceability in line with industry compliance requirements. Its control interface is streamlined for operator use, with automated reporting tools to support documentation and audit processes.
Both systems operate on the principle of analysing electromagnetic wave responses within the light spectrum to detect and quantify surface area with high reliability. Lead engineer Filippo Gosio explains that this approach enables accurate surface recognition throughout the leather
production cycle, independent of finishing conditions. He notes that real-time measurement data provides a basis for process transparency and consumption tracking, essential for cost analysis and resource efficiency. “More generally, with the new generation of LT-BAR now coming to market, we are able to monitor and interpret production flows even under operating conditions where traditional dimensional detection systems cannot be used,” Mr Gosio says, “bringing the Industry 4.0 transition within reach, even for existing machinery.”
The broader aim of these technologies is to improve process control and material utilisation across a wide range of leather applications, from tanning and footwear to automotive and furniture upholstery. By introducing objective, high-precision measurement at critical points in the production line, the manufacturers claim the Leathertronic systems offer a route to better quality assurance, improved production efficiency, and stronger alignment with sustainability and traceability goals. Leathertronic ® is a registered trademark.
LT-ONE
LT-BAR RFL
No more guesswork: AI redefines leather quality
New Zealand-based technology company Mindhive Global has developed an AI grading system that it claims can assess wet blue hides in four seconds with more than 91% accuracy. Built on extensive defect data, the system integrates with existing tannery infrastructure to minimise disruption. A longstanding collaboration with JBS Couros in the US has expanded into Brazil, where it has adapted its system and business model to local requirements. It is also working to extend AI grading beyond wet blue hides to split and finished leather. World Leather interviewed chief executive James Bayly to learn more.
The Mindhive AI grading system processes wet blue hides in just four seconds with over 91% accuracy. What sets this technology apart and do you foresee further improvements?
One of the biggest things that sets us apart is the sheer volume of hides we have processed and labelled. To be accurate, you must see all the defects on a hide, and you can only do that if you have processed thousands of hides and understood the defects your customers are concerned with. We are improving our system every day with feedback from our customers, despite the work we have already done. It’s remarkable how many different defects exist globally – every time we go to a new region, a customer will identify a defect that doesn’t exist elsewhere.
In addition to the vast knowledge base of defects, the ability to implement our system in a matter of days over existing infrastructure is a significant advantage. There’s no need to rearrange a tannery to accommodate a BlueSelect system; we implement over existing machinery. Our years of experience working in tough tannery environments also give us insight into what can and can’t work.
JBS Couros is a major global player – how did this partnership come about, and what were the key factors in making it successful?
We’ve been working with JBS Couros in Cactus, Texas for almost two years. The implementation there allowed the team to see the value we could create in a real-world environment. That said, Brazil is very different to Texas, as we were warned when we first engaged with the Brazilian team.
To deliver value for the Brazilian business, we had to invest deeply in understanding their business, workflows, and operations. When JBS Couros saw how committed we were to creating value, they had the confidence to trust us with helping to revolutionise their business.
James Bayly, CEO of Mindhive Global. ALL CREDITS: MINDHIVE GLOBAL
This collaboration builds on your work with JBS in the US. What unique challenges or opportunities does the Brazilian market present?
Brazil is a fascinating country. It’s huge, and the scale is quite different from what we are used to. The distances involved in installing and maintaining machinery are one challenge. The legal environment is also much more complicated than in most jurisdictions we operate in. That said, trust is crucial when it comes to big decisions that transform a business. Doing business in Brazil is complex, but we’ve had great support from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise as we set up our legal entity and navigated the challenges of importing equipment.
The leather industry is under increasing pressure to improve efficiency and sustainability. How does AI grading contribute to reducing waste and optimising production?
Our AI grading solution greatly assists with consistent decision-making, which is essential for improving both efficiency and sustainability. Making the wrong decision, whether about who to sell a hide to or how to use it, costs time, money, and materials. Consistent hide selection ensures these resources are optimised.
Beyond wet blue hides, do you see AI-driven grading being applied to other stages of leather production?
It already is. We’re in the final stages of development for both Mindhive SplitSelect and Mindhive FinishSelect products. The split leather grading system will enable customers to improve decision-making and efficiency for hides that have been split, ensuring they are optimised for the most appropriate use. FinishSelect will help customers who finish leather to be more consistent in selecting hides for sale, or, in partnership with Mind and Zünd, to increase efficiency in cutting the finished products.
We’re also seeing customer interest in developing grading capabilities for the crust stage. Wherever consistent decisionmaking is needed, we aim to support it.
Can you explain how your AI classifies defects across 25+ categories? What are some of the most challenging defects to detect?
The AI models are painstakingly trained by our team of labellers in New Zealand. We collaborate with customers to identify the defects that matter most to them and then label these defects repeatedly to train the AI models with the consistency needed for accurate detection. Each defect is trained individually so the model can recognise the difference between, for example, an open or closed tick bite, a scar or a hair follicle. Tick bites were among the most difficult to develop models for due to their small size and the precision required. As an aside, we are now detecting over 30 defect types.
What are the biggest obstacles to widespread AI adoption in leather grading, and how is Mindhive addressing them?
The biggest obstacle is often disbelief; some customers think what we do is science fiction. Many companies have tried and failed to develop viable technology, so there is understandable scepticism. But we can now point to a growing number of customers using our systems in real tannery environments. Once people see the results, the question becomes when, not if, they will adopt this technology.
You recently won two New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards, including Most Innovative Agritech Solution; what does this mean for the company at this stage of its development?
For our founders and our team, it's fantastic validation of all their hard work and genuine innovation. These aren't participation awards, you need proven results and proven traction to even enter. Winning the Most Innovative Agritech Solution is particularly meaningful given how much innovation comes out of New Zealand's primary industries sector. The judges recognised that we're not just providing small efficiency gains, we're revolutionising an industry that our customers tell us hasn't seen change like this in hundreds of years.
How do you see this recognition influencing the global perception of AI innovation in the leather sector?
These awards represent crucial third-party validation from independent judges of what we're achieving in the market. When we tell prospective customers that our AI can inspect and grade wet blue leather hides with over 91% accuracy in just four seconds, many find it hard to believe this technology is real. Having this kind of recognition helps the market understand that what we do is happening right now in tanneries around the world.
Today, AI gets thrown around quite a lot because it's such a big topic, but these awards validate that what we do is proven and operational. Very shortly, we'll have more than 20 systems operating around the world, including Europe, South America, North America, South Africa, New Zealand, and Asia. For our customers and prospects, that's confidenceinspiring validation that this technology works and delivers the results we promise.
Mindhive Global team at the NZ Hi-Tech awards after winning two honours, including the Most Innovative Agritech Solution awards.
• Turn-key systems for leather cutting
• Powerful nesting for maximum material yield
• Highest level of productivity
• Individually configurable
www.zund.com
Leather and the circular economy
Credit: WTP/Flaticon
A perfect fit
This year, the series of events that make up the European Union’s Green Week included a detailed contribution from the leather industry. Shining a spotlight on leather’s claims for recognition as an integral component of the circular economy, in Europe and globally, was the principal objective. Green Week brings together stakeholders and policy makers to discuss environmental policy and to celebrate initiatives and ideas that can make EU economies more sustainable. At EU Green Week 2025 in June, the European Commissioner for the environment, Jessika Roswall, said she wanted to make the circular economy front and centre of this year’s discussions. The event’s theme for 2025 was ‘Circular solutions for a competitive EU’. She said: “We want to zoom out and talk about the systemic change we need to make the circular economy a reality on the ground, and how to drive that change. We need a change of mindset. Not only among consumers, but among businesses as well.”
She went on to ask an interesting question, saying: “If circularity is such a no-brainer, then why is it not yet the dominant model?” In a partner event that it organised as a contribution to EU Green Week 2025, the leather industry’s main representative body in Europe, COTANCE put forward a series of arguments to show that circularity is the dominant model in this sector. As World Leather has argued since 2020, and demonstrated in a collection of detailed articles (the running total is 185), circularity is inherent to the manufacture of leather.
Industry body COTANCE organised an event at EU Green Week 2025 to present to an influential audience leather’s credentials for earning recognition as the circular economy’s dream product.
Wider audience
COTANCE president, Manuel Ríos, opened the partner event by saying participation in the broader EU Green Week programme gave the leather industry an opportunity “to talk with a wider audience” about the progress the sector has made in pursuing the objectives of the European Green Deal. This far-reaching programme of policies aims to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050 and to end economic growth’s dependence on using up finite resources.
“This year’s theme is particularly dear to our industry,” Mr Ríos continued, “because circularity is in the leather industry’s DNA. Customers, consumers and regulators are all showing interest in understanding leather and its contribution to a competitive circular economy in Europe. The 30,000 people
Leather uses renewable raw materials
from other sectors (meat and dairy) is the input for making leather
is in keeping with sustainable consumption
sustainable production and, thus, supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Use of leather aids the battle against marine pollution, also part of the SDGs
The leather industry opens up pathways into the circular economy for companies of all sizes, including many thousands of small and medium enterprises
Leather content fulfils finished product manufacturers’ desire to use recycled material
Finished products made from leather will meet criteria for green tax relief and for green procurement exercises
Leather manufacturing supports green employment commitments
“This year’s Green Week theme is particularly dear to our industry because circularity is in the leather industry’s DNA.”
MANUEL RÍOS, COTANCE
producing leather in Europe’s 1,500 tanneries generate between €5 billion and €6 billion each year. With a share of 12% of all the leather produced in the world, Europe’s tanners generate between 25% and 30% of the global industry’s total turnover. The most exclusive designers, the highest-quality consumer products and the most demanding technical applications use European leather.”
Perfect for the circular economy
The COTANCE president went on to say that he believes most people fail to realise that the European tanning industry plays a key role as “a recycling sector”. The hides and skins of animals become available as part of the food production industry. “Without tanners, these hides and skins would end up becoming waste,” Mr Ríos said. “Instead, tanners transform them into the beautiful and durable fashion and lifestyle material that we all love. Leather reduces the generation of waste and avoids the greenhouse gases that the rotting of this organic material would create. And at the end of its lifecycle, leather does not end up in floating islands of waste in the world’s oceans, as other materials do. It simply disintegrates in nature’s biomass.” His conclusion was that leather is the perfect material for the circular economy.
Secretary-general of COTANCE, Gustavo GonzálezQuijano, picked up on this idea. He told the Green Week gathering that leather is such a good match for the circular economy because the raw material it uses is renewable. It is raw material he describes as “leftovers from the meat sector”. In turn, the leather industry’s own leftovers are transferred into “other outputs”. These include gelatine and collagen for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. Material for fertilisers for the agricultural sector also comes from leather production, as do stiffener materials for footwear and leathergoods.
“Leather is also circular because it has a long lifetime,” Mr González-Quijano said. “It is a durable material, plus repair and refurbishment are possible during its lifetime. Then, at the end of its serviceable life, it biodegrades, and does so more quickly than other materials.”
Wealth or waste
In achieving all of this, the leather industry has found a way of creating wealth from waste, one that has endured for millennia. Tanners have found what the COTANCE secretary-general called “a sustainable, valuable and profitable valorisation route” for material that would otherwise go to waste. “At a global level, tanneries recover around 8 million tonnes of raw hides and skins from the food sector every year,” he continued.
Then he reiterated a powerful message that the Leather and Hide Council of America made public late last year. Around 40% of all cattle hides, globally, fail to make it into the leather supply chain. “This is an estimation,” Gustavo GonzálezQuijano pointed out, “but our American colleagues have
calculated that 134 million hides are going to waste every year. I remember that, around 30 years ago, statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation suggested that the leather industry was recovering and transforming 90% of hides. We have fallen from 90% to 60% now. This is a shame. It is also a risk for society. Hides are biological materials and if they are not treated they can disseminate pathogens of animal origin into the environment. Another factor is that rotting hides and skins also release greenhouse gases. The 134 million hides we talked about will produce more than 40 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent as they break down in nature. This is a very important impact.”
On home soil
One of the difficulties that COTANCE pointed to in its Green Week partner event is that it is witnessing a progressive decrease in the uptake of hides and skins. Mr GonzálezQuijano said the €5 billion or €6 billion that leather manufacturing in Europe turns over annually, at the moment, is down by 40% compared to pre-covid figures. He also talked about “regulatory failures” and even “the stigmatisation of hides and skins”. These are threatening to make matters worse. Burdens such as those the European Union Deforestation Regulation seeks to impose present a real risk, in his opinion.
“We face the risk that the industry could relocate to other countries,” the COTANCE secretary-general said. “If that happens, the sector will lose a champion of the global leather industry. Europe is that champion.”
He called on policy makers to move regulation in a different direction and to help the industry in the European Union survive, flourish and make leather the “successful, circular product” it deserves to be.
Legislators need to lend a hand
“The first need that we have is to have leather’s identity protected in legislation,” Mr González-Quijano said. “We see that there is now the opportunity to have authenticity fully included in EU textile labelling regulations. But we would also like to see a distinction there between leather products and products made from other materials.”
The second area in which he called for help from legislators was in “environmental metrics”. For example, with regard to allocation of carbon footprint, he said he could not understand how legislators and regulators can fail to make a distinction between determining products, in this case meat and milk, and by-products such as hides and skins. “If you put a steak and a hide in front of people, none of them would be in doubt about identifying immediately which of them was the main product,” he added.
He also suggested that proposed regulations around product durability need great improvement. These proposals set duration-of-service values that are far too long for fastfashion products and far too short for quality products made from leather.
Finally, he said it was important that the industry receive support for developing the skills and qualification that it needs for “a successful transition to the green, digital and circular economy.”
Leather is a result of the recycling of “a slaughterhouse leftover”, he said in conclusion. It is a valuable, durable material, designed to last, to be repairable and biodegradable at end of life. “Leather is, therefore, the perfect circulareconomy product,” he said.
makes it
Renewable sources
Nobody does it like Ecotan! We have pioneered the most innovative technology for naturally tanning leather, introducing a truly biocircular process. This ensures unparalleled quality, hygiene and comfort, alongside robust sustainability in every leather article right from the initial design phase. The ultimate choice for car interiors.
Technology companies that have been down the traceability path before with the seafood sector have now launched an initiative for leather.
Data specialists step in
An initiative called Better Food Future has become part of the global effort to increase transparency in the leather and beef value chain. It is setting up what it calls an interoperable traceability data framework and has launched pilot testing. It hopes this will lead to formal standards for capturing and sharing data and for implementation across the industries concerned.
A provider of blockchain-based supply chain traceability technology called Wholechain is at the core of Better Food Future. It launched the initiative in March, with the aim of bringing industry players and policy-makers together to work together on the task of collecting and sharing accurate data on what happens in the leather supply chain.
Wholechain has a track-record of achieving success in similar projects involving other parts of the food industry, namely the seafood sector. But it accepts that traceability in beef and leather is a challenge owing to “the fragmented nature of the supply chain”, involving cattle farmers, meat companies, tanners and finished product manufacturers. Because these diverse operators have no standardised way of capturing and sharing data about the products they bring to market and materials they use in their processes, the result has been data silos. These have made it difficult for brands and consumers to verify sustainability claims, including messages about good practice in managing deforestation, carbon footprint and labour issues. A well conceived and properly set up data framework will be a means of overcoming all of this, it says.
The senior director for beef and leather supply chains at campaign group World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Fernando Bellese, has had a role in working with Wholechain on Better Food Future. He agrees about the barriers: various operators have taken their own approaches and these now need to be better aligned. “If we are able to establish a global traceability framework for beef and leather,” he says, “we will be able to set ourselves up to meet regulatory requirements, including those of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).”
Problem hair
Another active participant in the Better Food Future discussions is accessories group Tapestry. Its senior manager for traceability, Earl Shank, says there are unique
factors in the leather supply chain that will have to be overcome if there is to be a global data standard. “Hides are a by-product,” he says. “Ranchers are not raising cattle for leather; that means the leverage that leather-focused organisations can have is limited.” At the same time, many animals move around quite a bit between their birth farm and the abattoir, making the data picture more complicated. Mr Shank also mentions the complexities of grading hides, which usually come in batches of mixed quality; even hair is a challenge because it makes immediate assessment of the quality of each hide more difficult.
“There are particular challenges in this market,” he explains, “because these are things we don’t see in other supply chains.”
A Coach coat and bag. Parent group Tapestry is a participant in the Better Food Future traceability initiative that launched in March 2025.
Credit: Tapestry/Gianluca Palma
He says that, on the one hand, it is “exciting to see” a large number of initiatives with the word ‘traceability’ in their titles. This suggests that traceability is now perceived as “a key enabler”. But concerns remain. He explains: “We span a number of countries at Tapestry and we are dealing with different ideas of what traceability is. There are key stages in the supply chain at which we still have little information.”
Supply crisis
There is still some confusion, a little over half a year from its coming into application, over exactly what EUDR’s demands of leather supply chain players will be. In May this year, senior representatives of the leather industry in Europe held a meeting with a counterpart from the European Commission’s directorate general (DG) for the environment. The focus of the discussion was EUDR.
The president and vice-president of industry body COTANCE, Manuel Ríos and Fabrizio Nutti, met the international relations officer of DG Environment, Emanuele Pitto. COTANCE secretary general, Gustavo GonzálezQuijano, also took part in the discussion. Afterwards, COTANCE said that Mr Ríos and Mr Nutti had made it clear to the European Commission official that, as things stand, leather manufacturers in Europe “face a supply crisis”.
They said only the livestock and meat sectors can provide the detailed information required for cattle hides to meet EUDR requirements. So far, they said, there has been no clear signal from hide suppliers about when and how the necessary information will become available.
Earl Shank says data is already being captured, but he concedes that where this is happening it is in an inconsistent, unstructured way. He points to establishing agreed definitions of what the key events in the supply chain are and how to describe them as important steps for moving forward. From there, progress will involve having usable data for these key events, seeing how they connect and identifying where the gaps are.
Seafood starter
Better Food Future’s suggested solution will work in a similar way to the one it has already worked on for the seafood sector. Working with the seafood industry, with governments and other groups, it set up the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) in 2017. By 2020, it had released its initial global data standard, which has since gone through a number of updates and continues to evolve.
Wholechain and some of its partners, including independent standards body GS1 and a specialist São Paulobased sustainability consultancy called Rever, began work on a data framework for deforestation-free cattle in Brazil in 2022. The launch of Better Food Future builds on this and will benefit from being able to apply immediately what the data specialists learned from the earlier projects. The technology provider says pilots are already under way in Brazil and Australia, and early-adopter brands are working with it “to test real-world implementation”.
One of Wholechain’s co-founders, Jayson Berryhill, said these tests should help those behind the initiative work out how to make the data flow effectively. Abattoirs, tanneries and others may be using different systems, but this does not mean they cannot share their data with others in the supply chain. “It will be like sending email,” he explains. “If I want to send an email to a group of contacts, I don’t have to ask
Left to right: COTANCE president, Manuel Ríos; international relations officer at the European Commission’s DG Environment, Emanuele Pitto; COTANCE vice-president, Fabrizio Nutti; and COTANCE secretary-general, Gustavo González-Quijano. COTANCE has warned the European Commission that the imminent European Union Deforestation Regulation could cause a supply crisis for the leather industry.
Credit: COTANCE
beforehand if they can all receive Gmail and ask them to open Gmail so that they can read the message.”
Time is short
COTANCE continues to argue that the leather industry in Europe is being unfairly impacted by regulations that have “no real connection to the [leather] sector”. As things stand, though, the list of seven commodities to which EUDR applies still includes cattle. The list of “derived products” that have to comply with the regulation still includes bovine leather. And time is running out. EUDR comes into application for larger companies at the end of 2025 and for smaller operators in mid-2026.
The industry body said after its meeting with the European Commission in May that there is already uncertainty among European leather manufacturers over securing EUDRcompliant raw materials in the volumes they need in the months ahead. It said it was grateful for the opportunity to engage with a senior person from the Commission, but insisted that if hides and leather remain among the products that come within EUDR’s scope, serious supply problems could lie ahead. How can tanneries give detailed information on batches of hides to the European Commission if their suppliers are not in possession of the data to pass to them?
Earl Shank sounds a note of optimism. What he takes from engaging with Better Food Future is that, thanks to the seafood experience, it should be possible to scale up quickly. The technology providers have spoken of being able to boil ten years’ work down to 18 months. He also likes that the initiative’s focus is “birth-forward rather than handbagbackwards”. He explains: “This is where we hope things are heading. It will help companies meet the requirements of EUDR, address animal welfare concerns and a variety of other challenges.” His view is that this will reward and promote good practice, an objective well worth pursuing.
Brave decisions
The circularity of using an ever-present by-product of the agri-food sector should make leather a good industry for family businesses. Knowledge, skills, passion, business relationships and illustrious company names can pass from one generation to the next; the raw material will always be available, for as long as people include meat and dairy in their diets.
This is not to suggest that keeping a family business going is easy, as many in the global leather industry in 2025 will testify. The phenomenon of founding families finding themselves being bought out by bigger groups is real. Others are wrestling with unwillingness among younger family members to enter or stay in the industry and take their businesses forward. The demands of investing in new ideas and technology, in measures to meet ambitious regulatory initiatives, in campaigns to attract and keep customers, in training and retaining workers are all huge. Survival is hard, growth a pipe-dream for most.
And yet, every morning, in every corner of the world, dedicated people make decisions, draw up plans and work
It is 40 years since Catalan small-skin tanning group Curtidos Codina recognised the importance of Brazil as a source of its main raw material and set up its own full-service tannery in the South American country. The facility, Cobrasil, is still going strong.
diligently to advance the leather manufacturing businesses that they have inherited from their parents or grandparents, or from generations beyond. In spite of everything, the doors remain open, the drums keep turning, the dreams live on. It is only right to mark important milestones when they come along.
Codina Group is celebrating 40 years since the opening of Cobrasil, a full-service tannery located in Parnaíba in north-east Brazil.
All Credits: Codina Group
Brazil celebration
This is something Jordi Codina was able to do in May when his family’s company celebrated 40 years in Brazil. To be more precise, this was a celebration of 40 years since the opening of the tannery the group runs in Parnaíba in the north-eastern state of Piauí. In fact, its connections to Brazil go back to 1978 and the group itself, Curtidos Codina, began working at its original home in Vic, north of Barcelona, in 1941. The current chief executive’s grandfather, Joan Codina, set the group up and made it into one of the most prominent of the specialist small-skin tanneries that this part of Catalonia is famous for.
The company still specialises in making finished leather from small skins, especially for formal footwear. At first, it worked with Spanish entrefino lambskins, and, unlike most processors of this emblematic material, offered it to shoe manufacturers. This was (and still is) uncommon because the lambskins need special treatment at the retanning stage to make them suitable for shoes, and finding the right formula is tricky. In particular, though, the Codinas built up expertise in processing hair-on sheepskin and it was this specialism that brought the company to Brazil in the first place.
“We were buying dried skins from Brazil and shipping them to Vic,” Jordi Codina explains, “when the government in the South American country began to restrict the export of raw material. We didn’t want to lose access to Brazil because it was a key source of skins for us, so we moved some of our production there. We started renting space at a facility that Curtume Campelo owned in Juazeiro in Bahia. We made wet blue there and shipped it back to Europe for finishing. It was basic, but we didn’t require much structure or machinery. It was enough just to have a few drums for soaking and liming, a couple of paddles, a fleshing machine, and so on. It worked well enough. In time, though, we saw the need to take this to the next level. We found an abandoned tannery in Parnaíba, rebuilt it more or less from scratch and moved our Brazilian operation there.” It calls the facility Curtume Cobrasil.
Sheepskin super power
Hair-on sheep thrive in the semi-arid conditions of Brazil’s north-east. These animals have evolved to withstand hot and dry conditions very well, which is why other good sources of this raw material include countries in West and East Africa. “You often find these sheep in places with a similar, tropical latitude to ours,” Mr Codina says, referring to Piauí’s position of a couple of degrees south of the equator. “And because the animals have adapted to the heat, it has an effect on the hair and on the skin, making this a special raw material. The grain is finer than on lambskin and the tear-strength is not as elastic. The leather is less spongy.”
The articles the Codina Group and its peers make from this raw material appeal to customers that he describes as midmarket, international footwear brands that make fashionfocused, dress footwear, including elegant, heeled and décolleté shoes for the women’s footwear market. Leather from the skins of hair-on sheep has, as its super power, the ability to withstand well the high levels of force required during the mounting process for this type of shoe. “The grain will not break,” Mr Codina explains, “even in a fine, pointed shoe, and this is a fantastic and very specific characteristic.”
“Yes, the product is noble and beautiful and has so much charm, but our industry needs to become even more industrial,”
JORDI CODINA, CURTIDOS CODINA
Dramatic change
Appreciation of sheep leather has endured, even though the footwear supply chain has altered so much. The leather supply chain has evolved too, of course, going through what Jordi Codina calls “a dramatic change”. He explains: “When our group started, Vic had more than 30 tanneries. Now there are only a couple left, employing maybe ten people each. Many of us have had to make the decision to become international or move into another business sector.”
The Codina Group itself closed its tannery in the Catalan city in the first decade of this century. At one time, it also had production in Nigeria and became involved in a cooperative joint venture operation in China in the early 1990s, which was probably too soon, the current chief executive says now. It runs the Parnaíba tannery as a full-process operation, with a beamhouse and finishing plant there. The site employs around 150 people and processes 8,000 skins per day.
It has a second finishing plant in Brazil, which it opened in Novo Hamburgo in 2009, to serve the footwear manufacturing community in Rio Grande do Sul. And in 2019, it re-established a presence in Europe, but chose to set up a finishing plant in Santa Maria da Feira, in northern Portugal, rather than return to Catalonia. The reasoning is the same: to be close to the factories in the region around Porto, which industry body Apiccaps says is home to more than 1,500 companies with an involvement in shoe production. There are also large footwear factories in the state of Ceará, close at hand for the finished leather that the Parnaíba site produces.
Close calls
Proximity where possible and efficiency in everything are concepts that Jordi Codina believes are central to the future of the leather industry. “Our efficiency leaves something to be desired,” he says. “Take a piece of leather measuring around 5 or 6 square-feet. How many times do we move it around, forwards, backwards, taking it from one machine to another in a different part of the tannery? Yes, the product is noble and beautiful and has so much charm, but our industry needs to become even more industrial.”
Beamhouses are a particular challenge; he believes the industry needs a relatively small number of beamhouses, but that these need to be big, should have excellent wastewater treatment plants and highly developed systems for managing solid waste, and should be located as close to sources of raw material as possible. These large beamhouses should serve as many finishing tanneries as possible and should work at full capacity so that the industry derives the maximum possible benefit, with the minimum possible waste, from the impact that wet-end processes inevitably have.
In contrast, it is good for finishing plants to operate close to
customers’ finished product factories, he continues, as happens in the case of those his own group runs. There is good scope, he is certain, for opening leather finishing plants anywhere footwear manufacturers operate, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, India and Bangladesh. Rising costs in the Far East and all the recent tariff uncertainties could also make African countries a good prospect, if they have a high enough level of development and are open for business. These plants can be small, with low fixed costs, and still be effective and responsive to customers’ needs. Closeness means being able to respond faster and more easily to customer requests and to try out new ideas for them.
He explains that this is an important part of the Codina Group’s offering in Portugal now. Orders are smaller than they used to be, but the range of colours is wider than ever. Samples can be ready for customers to see in a short space of time; some customers visit twice a day to discuss the specific finishes or other aspects they have in mind for a particular product. “When I entered the business, good service meant delivering orders in 45 or even 60 days,” he says. “Now we are delivering in 10 days, and if possible, with small orders, it can be less. For some customers we are delivering in three, four or five days.”
The need for big thinking
All of this has helped drive innovation. Infrared spraying technology is one of the most recent additions to the set-up in Portugal. “This system doesn’t require a boiler and consumes little in the way of chemicals,” the chief executive explains, “and it uses very little water. A big tannery might consume 500 cubic-metres of water a day, but at Santa Maria da Feira we only need 3 cubic-metres per day.”
The Novo Hamburgo operation is different, concentrating on producing “a more commodity product” in terms of
colours, with perhaps just small adjustments for shine or softness. This tannery, which employs 35 people, uses what Mr Codina calls “a universal crust” to do this. It achieves an output of 500,000 square-feet of finished leather per month, which he regards as “unbelievable productivity”.
He insists there is plenty to be positive about for an industry that was recycling, upcycling and making circular materials millennia before these terms were invented. But there is an impact from the upcycling work the leather industry carries out and he is an advocate for continuous improvement to make leather’s impact as small as possible.
This brings him back to the question of the leather industry not being industrial enough. Jordi Codina says he is fascinated by the mentality of Asian producers, especially those in China. “They are more productive and more ambitious,” he says. “They think bigger. They find solutions. They are doing amazing things in our field. Perhaps more and more of the leather industry will go there and stay there. A friend of mine went to China recently and said tanneries there were 20 years ahead of the rest of us. I said that even in 20 years we will not be where they are today. Perhaps we, in the rest of the industry, haven’t been willing enough to try automating and simplifying our processes. Perhaps we haven’t been brave enough.”
But, if this is true, the Codina Group is surely an exception. He doesn’t say this, but the group’s decision to remain committed to its specialism and its willingness to cross the Atlantic to be able to keep making its products are clear demonstrations of bravery. Achieving the milestone of 40 years of Cobrasil in Parnaíba was well worth celebrating.
Codina Group’s specialism is finished leather from hair sheep, which it supplies to footwear manufacturers.
Ph. Gianni Maitan
Behind the leather golf glove
The concept of the circular economy is gaining momentum across a range of industries, and the production of leather for golf gloves offers a clear example of how this thinking translates into practice. Golf itself enjoyed a resurgence during the covid-19 pandemic, as players sought outdoor activity with space for fresh air and social distance. This renewed enthusiasm led to increased demand for equipment – not just clubs and balls but also gloves, which play an essential role in grip and control. At the top end of the market, leather, specifically Cabretta leather, remains the preferred material, prized for its feel, durability, and performance.
But there is more to Cabretta leather than sporting function alone. Its story illustrates the principles of resource efficiency and value retention that underpin the circular economy. Cabretta leather comes from the skins of indigenous hair sheep – animals that are not farmed for their skins, but primarily for meat. The leather is a by-product, ensuring that nothing from the animal goes to waste and that maximum value is extracted from each animal raised.
These hair sheep are well suited to dry, challenging environments. In Africa, countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, Chad, Mali, and South Africa have the largest populations, while in Latin America, Brazil and Mexico lead the way, with breeds such as the Santa Inês and Pelibuey. Other nations, including Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru, maintain substantial numbers of Criollo hair sheep, descended from African stock, and adapted to tropical conditions.
This production system, typical of most leather supply chains, where skins are a by-product of meat production
rather than the primary reason for raising livestock, offers clear sustainability advantages. It ensures that valuable raw materials are not wasted, reduces environmental impact, and supports the economic viability of rural farming communities.
In addition, recent research has highlighted a further potential benefit. As climate change accelerates, hair sheep may play an increasingly vital role in global food production. These animals are more resilient than most other livestock, showing a greater tolerance for heat stress and limited feed resources. Their ability to grow and reproduce under such challenging conditions suggests they could help safeguard supplies of animal protein in a warming world, reinforcing their importance within integrated and sustainable agricultural systems.
For the leather industry, Cabretta represents more than just a high-performance material for premium golf gloves. It is also a quiet success story of the circular economy in action: a material that delivers function and quality but also fits into a system where resources are used efficiently, and environmental impacts are kept in check.
Livelihoods and local value
The name “Cabretta” is a nod to the Spanish word for goat –Cabra – though the leather itself comes from hair sheep, not goats. These sheep are different from wool sheep: they have smooth coats rather than fleece, and their skins are naturally thin, fine-grained, and supple. That makes them ideal for leather goods where feel, fit, and flexibility matter - such as gloves.
Ethiopia is one of the world’s largest producers of indigenous sheep, with almost all of its 42.9 million sheep
belonging to native breeds that have adapted over centuries to thrive in the country’s diverse environments. Raised mainly by smallholder farmers across the highlands and lowlands, these sheep – alongside goats and cattle – are an essential part of Ethiopian culture, rural life, and the national economy, particularly in regions where crop farming is unreliable. They provide meat, income, and, importantly, their skins – a valuable material that would otherwise go to waste. The supply of skins flows through a complex and far-reaching network of traders that extends deep into every region of the country. Broadly speaking, Ethiopia’s sheep fall into two main categories: Highland and Lowland breeds. Lowland sheep are often blackheaded and tend to have a woollier fleece compared to their Highland counterparts. The livestock sector contributes around 12% to Ethiopia’s total GDP, and more than 30% to its agricultural GDP. It also provides a livelihood for about 65% of the population, many of whom are small-scale farmers. For these communities, raising sheep is about much more than meat production: it’s a source of resilience and independence.
Transforming the sheep skins into high-performance leather connects these rural producers with international supply chains. It brings income to regions that might otherwise be excluded from global trade and ensures that more value is extracted from every animal raised.
Why golfers still prefer Cabretta
So, what makes this leather so special on the course?
According to Reg Hankey, former CEO of Pittards, a company with over 200 years of leather expertise, it all comes down to the “feel factor”.
“A glove is not just a commodity,” he explains. “It’s a precision tool. The tactile connection between player and club needs to be consistent, reliable, and almost invisible to the wearer.” Leather delivers on that better than any synthetic material.
Cabretta leather’s tight fibre structure makes it soft and pliable yet highly resistant to tearing or abrasion. Its ability to maintain grip without the player having to squeeze the club too hard is critical to preserving swing mechanics. That delicate balance between control and comfort is why top tour professionals continue to favour full-leather gloves.
From skin to stitch: the making of a glove
Turning raw hairsheep skin into glove leather is a meticulous process. It is tanned, shaved, softened, and inished to achieve a consistent thickness of just 0.45 mm with a tolerance of half the thickness of a sheet of paper (ie 0.45 +- 0.05mm). This precision matters. Golfers can feel the difference if even one part of the glove is slightly thicker or stiffer than the rest.
Some of the biggest performance benefits come from advanced leather treatments. Pittards’ Stay Soft technology, for example, was introduced over 40 years ago and remains a key innovation. It helps gloves stay soft and grippy even after exposure to sweat and moisture – a common challenge for golfers playing in humid or rainy conditions.
Behind the scenes, manufacturing a glove is no less involved. Maria Bonzagni, former senior director of golf gloves at Acushnet Gloves and FJ Gear, spent 25 years overseeing the development of tour-grade gloves. She says a single glove involves about 30 separate production steps, from material inspection and die-cutting to stitching, shaping, and final quality control. Each component, from the leather itself to closures and
linings, is tested for colour, stretch, and consistency. Cutting patterns are tailored to different hand shapes, while the sewing process requires precise control of thread, tension, and stitch count to ensure durability without compromising feel.
Once assembled, the gloves are placed on heated forms to hold their shape, then tested for fit. “Quality checks throughout the manufacturing process – and particularly the final size check – confirm and validate the glove before it ever reaches the package,” Ms Bonzagni explains.
Fit, function and sustainability
A well-fitted glove should feel like a second skin: snug but not restrictive, firm without being stiff. Fit affects everything from grip to confidence. A glove that shifts or sags can lead to discomfort, blisters, or erratic shots. When a leather glove fits properly, it gets better with age, stretching slightly to match the user’s hand and maintaining grip over many rounds.
Although synthetic materials are gaining ground for their durability and weather resistance, leather remains the benchmark for comfort and performance. Many gloves today use hybrid designs – Cabretta in the palm for feel, synthetic panels elsewhere for flexibility – but for purists and professionals, nothing beats a full-leather glove.
And with proper care, these gloves last. Stretching the glove back into shape after each round helps bring the natural oils to the surface, keeping the leather soft and extending its lifespan – another nod to circular thinking: invest in quality, take care of it, and make it last.
A global Journey with local roots
From small farms in Ethiopia’s highlands to the final stitch in a factory, the journey of a Cabretta leather golf glove is one of craftsmanship, science, and sustainability. It is also a powerful example of how the circular economy works in practice: making use of by-products, supporting rural economies, and extending the life of natural materials through careful design and production.
As the golf industry continues to evolve, and as players become more aware of where their gear comes from, the humble glove might just become a symbol of what thoughtful sourcing and sustainable production can achieve. One round at a time.
The best sheep for thin, strong golf leather comes from the Highland breeds, with the two major breeds being Menz (pictured) and Horro. Credit: International Livestock Research Institute
Nothing to Hide: a decade of truth-telling
It is just over 10 years since World Trades Publishing launched its Nothing to Hide series of articles and website in a bid to counter some of the myths that were circulating about the leather industry; and the resource is now more relevant than ever. Born from a deep understanding of the inner workings of the leather industry – in part driven by the team’s decades-long experience and on-the-ground reports from more than 50 tanneries for Tannery of the Year – the initiative sought to deliver the truth about leathermaking and chemicals, sourcing information from official bodies or penned by industry experts.
The inspiration for the title came from a quote from Greg Page, then-CEO of meat company Cargill, who said, “In a world where nothing can be hidden, we must have nothing to hide.” At that time, the likes of PETA were pushing untruths such as the leather industry kills animals, and that it was a polluting and unregulated sector. It was also a time when synthetics masking as “vegan leather” were gaining some traction. The team at World Leather wanted to help the industry counter this and create a platform for facts, expert know-how and science-based discussion.
The series is all encompassing, covering the science behind
Cited by companies including Puma, which used the platform as a resource when fact-checking leather statistics, we celebrate 10 years since World Leather’s publisher launched the platform to dispel myths and untruths.
the tannery – including debates around chrome – through to the work tanneries do to exceed environmental targets and look after their surroundings and their workers. It also covers leather’s many benefits over synthetics, detailing them in a way that those new to the industry, or wanting to find out more, can easily access.
It was important to have input from respected experts in each field, so each topic was covered in as much depth as possible, and so that any journalists or academics accessing
the reports would be free to quote from these verified sources. Authors include leather chemists Elton Hurlow, Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer and Dr Alois G Püntener, auditor Jutta Knoedler and former CEO of Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) Steven Jesseph. The articles also cite official sources such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank and the Leather and Hide Council of America (LCHA).
As the articles were originally penned ten years ago, the team recently revisited and updated them, adding in up-todate figures and examples.
Vital resource
Over the years, the landscape has altered slightly but the fundamental issues remain the same. Anecdotally, the fierce marketing pushes towards “vegan leather” – plastic – seem to have diminished, which could in part be because of the fear of greenwashing regulations and fines, but also due to the growing understanding of the detrimental effect of plastic in the environment. In its place, leather’s name has been used by some bio-based alternatives, made with raw materials such as mycelium, mushrooms, grapes and food waste. While clearly much better for the planet than the competing plastics, all are at an early stage, and none are able to compete with leather on performance, durability and cost. They remain a nascent niche product that might be used by a small number of high-end brands but are not a real threat to leather in the mass market.
Looking ahead, global meat consumption is growing, and will rise by approximately 3% per year to 2033 from a 2022 baseline, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and the FAO. Global herd and flock expansion, combined with continuous improvements in animal breeding, management, infrastructures and technology, will increase production over the period, particularly in upper middle-income countries. These countries will drive the growth in global meat production to reach 382 Mt (+12%) by 2033. The amount of skins available to the global leather industry is set to increase.
In the last 10 years, the price of leather has swung from highs of more than $100 per hide in 2015 to a reported $1 per hide this year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. We have also seen an increasing amount of these hides ending up in landfill – approximately 5 million in the US alone, by LHCA estimates. In theory, low hide prices should mean lower leather prices and therefore a greater uptake by fashion and footwear brands; but this has not been the case, and there is clearly more work to do on leather’s marketing.
World Leather will continue to champion leather, its makers and supply chain. As well as the Nothing to Hide and Tannery of the Year initiatives, we are now well into our series on Leather in the Circular Economy, publishing over 150 articles and interviews to show how it fits into circular and recycling strategies, which will become ever more important with incoming regulation. Industry groups such as Leather Naturally, Metcha, One 4 Leather, Leather Working Group and the Sustainable Leather Foundation have also worked hard to improve leather’s standing in the fashion market. We believe Nothing to Hide continues to offer a resource for journalists, brands and the wider industry looking to delve deeper into the story behind this beautiful, durable and circular material.
Head to: www.nothing-to-hide.org.uk
Nothing to Hide: a decade of truth-telling
Essays covered in Nothing to Hide:
1. Hides & skins: use or lose
2. Animal welfare: we care
3. Forests: measures in place
4. Animals: anti-poverty
5. Meat industry: by-product recycled
6. Chemistry: not all bad
7. Health
8. Chrome: the facts 1
9. Chrome: the facts 2
10. Water: reduce, reuse, recycle
11. Leather and the ‘Blue Economy’
12. Carbon: real footprints
13. CSR: absolutely
14. Plastic: the price to pay
15. Beautiful: not throw-away fashion
TOTY still highlights global best practice
As well as the Nothing to Hide resource, all the articles from the Tannery of the Year competition are available on leatherbiz.com. Established in 2009 and running for 10 years, the Tannery of the Year programme sought to celebrate commitment to innovation, partnership, leadership and sustainability. Editor Stephen Tierney and then-technical editor Richard Daniels travelled all over the world, usually spending two days in each tannery, inspecting and reporting from a technical standpoint – including machinery, effluent, chemicals and processes – as well as from a strategic and social perspective. What they found was these businesses not only worked to the highest standards technically and in terms of their impact on the environment, but also that they cared for their workers and often went above and beyond in their communities, for instance, investing in healthcare, in local schools and local services.
To be included in the shortlist, tanneries had to be nominated by independent industry players. Over the 10year cycle, the team racked up some serious airmiles: visiting 14 Chinese tanneries; three in the US, Vietnam, Brazil and Ethiopia; two each in Turkey, Italy and the Dominican Republic; and tanneries in Uganda, Thailand, Scotland, India, Sudan, Sweden, Iceland, Russia, Australia, Portugal, Pakistan, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, Namibia, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Germany.
The Tannery of the Year awards dinner was held every 18 months in either Shanghai or Hong Kong, and the winners were named as Tannery Share Company, Ethiopia; HellerLeder, Germany; PrimeAsia, China; Wollsdorf Leather, Austria; Mississippi TanTec, US; and Couro do Norte, Brazil.
The in-depth 5,000-word reports on each nominated tannery are available to read on the leatherbiz website, and still serve as a valuable insight into modern-day leather-making.
Beast to Beauty
ECCO’s philosophy is “form follows foot” – it says an integral part of the DNA as shoemakers is providing quality and comfort.
ECCO’s strength is also its weakness
On the evening of May 4 this year, a devastating fire broke out at ECCO Leather’s tannery in Dongen, the Netherlands, destroying the wet-end facility. Luckily, as it was overnight, nobody was hurt, but players across the global leather industry took to social media to express their sympathy and well wishes for the employees and management, collectively feeling sadness for this well-respected tannery.
The beamhouse facility processes around 27 million squarefeet of wet blue per year and employs 120. The separate leather finishing facility, which employs around the same amount and produces around five million square-feet per year, as well as the main building, escaped the fire.
An investigation is under way, as is the clean-up operation. Reports at the time said the fire was well-established by the time firefighters arrived, so the decision was taken to let it burn through. A local company has been brought in to investigate and pass the results onto insurers, whose specialist providers will instruct removal and clean-up operations. Because of the nature of these investigations, the reports into the cause and full impact of the fire might take some time. “We are deeply saddened by the fire at our factory,” ECCO Group told World Leather. “There was no one in the building at the time, so fortunately, there was no personal damage.”
The footwear and leather group is focusing on resuming operations after a fire destroyed its wet-end processing facility in the Netherlands. The vertical nature of the business means disruptions have a knock-on effect.
Global reach
Shoe brand ECCO was launched in Denmark in 1963 and credits part of its success to its structure: it is unusual for one company to control most of the supply chain, from tannery and shoe production to wholesale and retail. Its shoes are sold in 89 countries and the group employs around 21,400 people. It has worked with KT Trading on the hides supply side for many years.
As well as the Dongen site, ECCO also owns tanneries in Indonesia, Thailand and China. The facility in East Java was established in 1993 and underwent a complete renovation in 2012. It employs around 530 and has a capacity of 30 million
square-feet per year. The Thai tannery, ECCO Leather Ayutthaya, was set up in 1998 and operates with ‘zero waste to landfill’ and solar panels for renewable energy. It employs 300 and has a capacity of 22 million square-feet. The Chinese facility, ECCO Tannery Xiamen, was opened in 2008, and in 2014 set up a cutting and sewing operation. By 2019, it had installed solar panels and added an extra cutting plant. The facility employs 650 people and has a capacity of 35 million square-feet per year.
Hot shots at HotShop
The site at Dongen is something of a flagship facility, with the finishing plant and R&D space described as “the world’s first design-led tannery”. It places huge emphasis on being at the cutting edge of creativity, developing novel leathers for the fashion sector, such as Apparition, a wearable transparent leather, and FSDX, a lightweight full-grain leather fused to a nonwoven backing.
Each year, ECCO invites around 150 designers and creatives from various sectors to the tannery for a week of demonstrations, inspiration and collaboration. The 17th HotShop took place last summer, aiming to influence how these designers think and feel about leather. The idea is to show how versatile and desirable it is, and how it can be adapted and used in ways that they might not have thought possible. “Instead of walking around sweatinducing trade shows, feeling swatches here and there, HotShop is a place where everyone is a creative equal,” says ECCO. “It’s a time to think about leather beyond commerciality and an opportunity to treat, colour and design. Most of all, it’s an experience that inspires.”
During the week, the designers are challenged to create collections, accessories or leathers to various briefs. ECCO staff host workshops demonstrating the latest techniques and technologies, sparking discussions around use and sustainability. These innovative practices include supercritical dyeing, where carbon dioxide is used to infuse pigments,
ECCO’s strength is also its weakness
resulting in a dry and waste-free process. While currently at lab scale, Ecco dyed shoes for London Fashion Week 2024 used this technique.
HotShop also gives attendees the opportunity to tour the tanneries, and learn about the DriTan process, which allows leather manufacturers to use the moisture already present in hides and, therefore, consume less water in the tanning process. ECCO has calculated that DriTan allows it to save 20 litres per hide, saving a total of 250 million litres of water per year in Dongen, as well as eliminating 600 tonnes of sludge.
Another development presented during the workshops is a new leather ‘yarn’ that can be used to make knitted uppers for footwear, furniture and accessories. The result of a tie-up between bio-yarn producer Spinnova and KT Trading, Respin uses wet blue shavings from European
ECCO bought the tannery in Dongen in 2000, and began producing biogas from waste in 2003. It bought the nearby wastewater treatment plant in 2018, and in 2022 renovated and extended its R&D building.
ECCO invests in bringing designers into its Dongen tannery, to help them see the vision and the processes behind leather making, and its creative possibilities.
tanneries, and has been described as a “step towards completing the circular economy for leather”. ECCO and Spinnova signed a letter of intent last summer, saying the fibre meets quality standards and they are working on a commercial shoe launch.
All these techniques and processes enable designers to view leather in a new way – and the creatives, in turn, help ECCO with the R&D process, to see what finished product designers might require and how they approach the process. Smaller HotShops have also taken place in the US – New York and Portland – to bring the vision and experience to a wider audience.
Strict targets
ECCO is transparent with its sustainability targets and achievements, and all its tanneries were classed as Leather Working Group gold in 2024. The group aims to be “energy neutral” by 2028 and reach net-zero discharge of water before the end of 2030. It implemented water recycling technologies at its tanneries in the Netherlands and Indonesia in 2023, allowing 30,000 cubic-metres of water to be recycled in Indonesia alone last year. In 2021 it bought 30% of Danish start-up Bioscavenge, which has developed new methods for water treatment plants.
“ECCO owns practically the entire value chain from leather and shoe production to retail, and this puts us in a unique position to influence the development of new methods in the environmental field,” Thomas Gøgsig, ECCO’s CEO, said at the time. “We wish to not only reduce our own water footprint to the widest possible extent, but also to support intelligent environmental technologies that elevate the industry’s way of handling and prioritising water resources.”
All the tanneries and half the shoe-making facilities have solar panels installed, so half of the group’s energy is derived from renewable resources. Last year, it commenced work on a 64 hectare solar park in Denmark, which is due to come on stream this year and will return enough energy to the public grid to make up for most of its European facilities’ consumption.
Management headaches
However, ECCO is not long past a change of management. Longstanding manager Panos Mytaros stepped down as group CEO last year, having held the role for around three years. He was replaced by Thomas Gøgsig, formerly CEO of ECCO Investment, the investment arm of the business.
For 2024, the group reported revenues of €1.49 billion, and although this was lower than in 2023 (€1.57 billion) and 2022 (€1.58 billion), it was above 2021 (€1.2 billion). However, profit before tax was substantially lower compared with 2023: €5.1 million versus €90 million, which was described as “far from satisfactory”. In its 2024 report, the group somewhat prophetically commented: “ECCO’s factories, tanneries and retail stores are inter-dependent, and a disruption in one area may adversely affect the entire value chain and, most notably, sales to consumers. As an example, a factory fire or natural catastrophe
ECCO’s novel leathers aim to spark inspiration
• The Fourth Dimension collection uses UV-reactive photochromic pigments so the leathers shift colour when exposed to sunlight, returning to their original tone when the UV light fades. The colour range consists of a palette of pale, soft hues that burst into vibrant, lively colours when exposed to sunlight. It features an array of finishes, bodies and thicknesses, each contributing to capturing the passage of time on leather.
• The Shadows collection is inspired by the way shadows blend and diffuse across natural landscapes, with muted, earthy tones, balancing light and dark in a two-tone effect on nubuck. Carnauba wax is infused into the leathers through a process of “stuffing” the material during washing. This technique brings a stonewashed texture and dry touch.
• Fire became the central inspiration for the Burned collection that shows scorched finishes and oxidized textures that highlight the transformative power of heat.
• The Equestrian Biker collection includes high-gloss finishes paired with soft leather bodies and embossing and sanding techniques to create a vintage effect, allowing the natural beauty of the material to shine through, while the subtle use of sandpaper adds textures and nuances. The contrast between softness and roughness enriches the aesthetics and gives the leather character.
might significantly affect the group’s operations. ECCO’s prepared mitigations include measures to prevent fires, various contingency plans and suitable insurance cover.” In that report, it also estimated profit before tax would be back up to between €50 million and €75 million this year. But that was before the fire, which is likely to impact the business substantially
How ECCO’s contingency plans will play out, and how it will adapt and restructure is still unclear, but many will be hoping for a Phoenix-like recovery. At the time of going to press, ECCO told us: “Investigations are still ongoing, so we don’t have many details to share. Our full focus is still on our employees and resuming our operations so we can continue to service our consumers across the globe.”
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