The Problem

Around the world there are many, many different varieties of flies that bite cattle and sheep in search of a meal, leaving marks on their skins that the tanner must cope with. Apart from the distress caused to the animal and the damage to the hide or skin, many flies also transmit serious blood borne diseases. Oh yes - and some bite humans as well.

In Europe in the early nineties, the implementing of ISO 9000 quality management systems in a business was considered to be a major part of the quality guarantee to customers. It took a decade before this became fully integrated into the business culture in developed economies and a similar time frame may be required in Asia.

In the Cold selection the colours were thin and muted; shades of white through to pale green and grey then onto black. This range is intended to draw attention to shape and form and create a sense of calm relaxation. The cool colours certainly are restful on the eye.

Instead of publishing fashion trends and fashion colours separately twice a year, the leather department at BASF is now presenting its trendsetting leather and fashion colours in a single brochure entitled: 'Inspirations for Leather' which is produced for the special requirements of the European market. Under the motto: 'Edition Toscana' the brochure features an assortment of modern textures, exquisite colours and excellent design.

Stahl's high level of expertise in all aspects of leather fashion has recently been enhanced by opening a Design Studio in Milan, Italy. Here a fashion team not only dreams but also transforms these conceptual ideas into both commercial and avant-garde products that are used in high quality leather articles.

The Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium was founded on October 17, 1994, by eleven companies from the tanning region which nestles between Pisa and Florence. Brought together by their dedication to the production of high quality, natural and long lasting leather, the consortium aims to raise consumer awareness of the veg tanning process which they describe as 'a perfect marriage of natural quality, tradition and advanced technology.'

The latest Fashion Up! comes with four fresh seasonal statements from Clariant's Leather Business. The latest forecast for spring-summer 2008 allows tanners to be one step ahead when it comes to leather fashion. The Group's innovative fashion package includes four trendsetting routes to follow: 'Pure and Simple', 'Fashion Rebellion', 'Clean Lines' and 'Cool Luxe'.

When traditional English shoemakers Loake were granted a prestigious Royal Warrant of Appointment to the Queen earlier this year, some were a little surprised. No one questioned that the fifth-generation family firm merited the award, they had just assumed they would already have royal approval.

Discreet & Bucolic

Discreet exalts traditional craftsmanship to give new value to modernity and adopts a new relaxed attitude which combines charm and modesty with creativity. Bucolic sees a return to high quality basics, timeless classics and reinvents fashion that is easy to wear but sophisticated. In town or country, they lunch around a futuristic kitchen table made from eternal materials and add a dash of hot ketchup to their steamed organic vegetables.

Suite

This trend is all about luxury

The world of personal luxury is warm and harmonious with intimate attention to objects that reveal their quality in terms of time. The luxury of the time taken to create them and the satisfaction of the experience of their ripening through use. The luxury of the cult of care, a kind of generous attention to those investment pieces that reflect discernment, accomplishment and status. Excellent materials and impeccable craftsmanship produce the icons of timeless class. Timeless beauty in a composition that is rich and modern. The importance of volumes and new forms in soft and lightweight materials, the same tones in different rhythms. A suite of proposals, a dance both classic and contemporary. Classic treatments are presented in new lightweights, with soft draping handle

The atmosphere is bright and clear when spread over the latter part of the year [2006] in the environment of Italian tanning. The great fashion houses and the celebrated brand names are seemingly lengthening their forecasts for orders, granting themselves more consistent organisation and foreseeing an extended period of work.

In association with Italian designers Carmen Rimoldi and Sergio Belloni, TFL have released their new Colour Trends & Fashion Inspirations catalogue for leather for the autumn/winter season 2008-09, 21 months in advance of the retail season.

The next meeting of the International Council of Tanners (ICT) will be held, as in recent years, the day before the APLF opens in Hong Kong. The meeting takes place in the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre in the morning of Tuesday, March 27, 2007.

Introduction

On the strength of an initial feasibility study, BLC was selected to be the main process consultant. Using the in-house industrial experience at BLC, the critical aspects of the feasibility study were combined with the needs of the client to make the first or 'conceptual' design.

Total exports of leather manufactured goods, including leather garments, leather gloves, and other items made from leather, stood at $261.7 million during the first six months of the current fiscal year (July 2006 - June 2007) as compared to $378.7 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The delay in implementing the Dhaka Tannery Estate Project (DTEP) poses a threat to the Buriganga River and millions of residents in the western part of the capital. With a total of 195 acres of land, the Hazaribagh Tannery Relocation Project (HTRP) will eventually have an annual production capacity of 74,000 tonnes of leathergoods.

Presenting SAMA's 42nd annual state of the economy report for 2005 to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah in Riyadh, its governor, Hamad Al-Sayari, emphasised the growing strength of the Saudi economy and noted increasing investment in all vital sectors.

Stahl have launched a new and innovative venture in presenting up-to-date fashion ideas to the leather industry worldwide.

To equip tanners in Pakistan with the latest and most fashionable styles in leather for autumn and winter 2007-2008, Shafi Reso-Chem with the collaboration of ALPA SpA, arranged a 'Fashion Forecast Autumn Winter 2007-2008' in September 2006 at the National Institute of Leather Technology in Karachi and at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore.

Church & Co (Footwear) Ltd, the quintessential English manufacturers of hand-made shoes for men, are justifiably proud of their heritage which they describe as '133 years of desirable shoes made by generations of skilled and imaginative craftspeople'. A lot of time and attention to detail goes into each shoe and close inspection is carried out at every stage along the way. Around 4,000 pairs are made each week.

The current edition of the TFL Colour Trends and Fashion Inspirations catalogue for the spring/summer 2008 season, takes its flower theme from nature. Produced by TFL in association with Italian designers Carmen Rimoldi and Sergio Belloni, the new fashion trends bring us a return to nature in our homes and bodies. Prints of leaves and flowers mixed together stand out strongly in the universe of the Fashion System.

The Warble Fly

There are two species of Cattle Warble Fly: Hypoderma bovis and Hypoderma lineatum. Hypoderma bovis is the species that principally affects Europe whereas Hypoderma lineatum occurs mostly in America.

Companies from the Poletto group introduced a couple of updated and new machines at Tanning Tech. Two machines introduced from Poletto (Rotary Toggle Drier and FAST 3400 Drying Tunnel) were featured in the November edition of Leather.