Summer in the city: Lineapelle New York

At Lineapelle, held in the heart of Manhattan’s contemporary art district, the standard for top-quality and cutting-edge talent was as high as the temperatures outside. That pursuit of excellence was also reflected inside.

Consolidated in the trend area at the entrance of the show, samples of the latest breakthroughs and concepts provided an immediate and comprehensive summary of the latest collections on both floors of the pavilion. The trend seminars also kept visitors and exhibitors acutely informed on the latest leather highlights, and consumer and market tendencies in footwear, handbags, garments and upholstery.

Lineapelle New York boasts a broad array of European and international producers of leather, textiles, components and accessories, making it a must-see event for producers and designers of luxury and contemporary items. Even running concurrently with Première Vision in Midtown, Lineapelle New York remained busy for the two days, though some visitors split their time between the shows. But allegiances to one or the other aren’t dictated by the respective organisers considering the uniqueness of each, as opposed to how much they might be redundant or overlap.

Business as usual

With 125 exhibitors, Lineapelle New York, for its 36th edition, brought a rich and diverse preview to North America, which is currently suspended in a surreal holding pattern of uncertainty as trade wars and tariff threats dominate the headlines. Irrespective of that, orders were still placed on the floor.

For example, with the support of the Brazilian Leather Project, an initiative to encourage exports by the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), five Brazilian business groups presented their hides upstairs, and this being their second appearance at the show, it confirms that there is a strong demand for Brazil’s ability to provide finished leathers of high standards for brands of distinct quality.

Commercial manager at Soubach Special Leathers Pedro Tunholi said that Lineapelle New York was an “excellent meeting point to follow-up with customers from the North American market”. For Paulo Amaury, director at Nova Kaeru, which specialises in fishskins, this fair is always a great opportunity to start a dialogue with recognised brands and design offices. One of the highlights of the Brazilian participation in the event was the collection developed by Curtume Nature; from the skins to the visual communication of its promotional material, all details were referred to through the delights of Brazilian coffee.

“It was a very creative development and the visitors loved it,” commented Leticia Luft, manager of Brazilian Leather. The other two Brazilian companies were Courovale by BCM and Cortume Krumenauer.

Away from the stands, the technical seminar, ‘Know Your Leather’, and ‘Crafting Innovation’ by Raphael Lombardo’s Orietta Pellizzari in collaboration with the T-Project showroom, were well attended. The Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium, meanwhile, had a seminar called ‘The Tuscan Way’, which examined veg-tanning. The latter also set up an exhibition displaying a selection of shoes made by young designers.

The next edition of Lineapelle New York will take place on 30–31 January 2019.