Features

Our editorial board comprises a specialist group of leading industry figures who, in conjunction with the leather international editorial team, identify the main drivers of the industry helping to produce regular, thought provoking opinion pieces on the latest issues, challenges and developments.

Latest Leather International Feature

View from the US
24 May, 2023
The US hide market had cleared its oversupply of some selections since...
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A new hybrid approach 24 May, 2023 In the debate over leather and alternative materials, the choice has always been presented as either/or. The two sectors may initially seem at loggerheads, but as Vera Dordick...

In the clear 15 May, 2023 Cattle by-products – including hides – have always gone to the gelatine market. As leather demand declined, lately, some have asked whether this industry could become a greater outlet...

View from the US 15 May, 2023 In January, the US hide market started to see prices stabilise after some difficulties at the end of December. By the time the Lunar New Year rolled around, the oversupply of...

In the courts of California 100223 25 January, 2023 A decades-old law in a single US state could be taking on global signifi cance for the leather
industry. The legislation concerns exposure to harmful chemicals, and recent...

Return to the office: How to fit back into leather shoes 100223 25 January, 2023 If you’ve been spending a lot of time at home in ugg boots, not doing so much exercise and
stacking on the coronakilos over the past few years or so, you may have...

View from the US 25 January, 2023 The start of December saw some cracks develop in the US hide market’s stable footing. Producers who had been well positioned on popular steer selections eventually found making sales...

This is not a solo project 06 September, 2022 The leather industry has been focused on sustainability for many years, but individual brands and tanners have often undertaken their own strategies to improve their social...

Better together? 06 September, 2022 Alternative material start-ups are disrupting the marketplaces in which leather has traditionally been the mainstay. Vera Dordick reports.

View from the US 06 September, 2022 July was an odd month for the US hide market. In the early days, prices had eased off the recent highs as demand lagged. Still, producers reported being well positioned. By...

View from the US 06 September, 2022 The last week of May ushered in an end to the US hide market’s springtime decline. China’s lockdown of Shanghai over Covid was easing and hide interest picked up. Despite firming up...

In the cut 05 April, 2022 Precision, efficiency and quality are the keywords at every stage of the leather production process, but when it comes to cutting equipment, they are paramount. Jim Banks looks at...

View from the US 05 April, 2022 After a bottoming out in early November, the US hide market took advantage of its stability to start the year by pushing for higher levels. A number of selections were able to log...

View from the US 31 January, 2022 The US hide market finally found a bottom in early November 2021. The stabilisation comes after several months of struggling, thanks to Covid-19-related production problems in Vietnam...

Italian leather: pushing through the pandemic 31 January, 2022 Italy is one of the pre-eminent leather producers in the world but, like many other countries, it was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Jim Banks looks at what makes Italy...

Exotic leathers: Why fashion products are more sustainable than some research suggests 15 December, 2021 By Patrick Aust, research associate, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford; Daniel Natusch, honorary research fellow, Macquarie University; and Rick Shine, professor in...

Better tanning through chemistry 08 December, 2021 Sustainability is the hottest topic in the leather industry: brands and their customers are looking at how producers can turn out high-quality leather with greener processes....

Water, waste and a wish for the future 08 December, 2021 Leather production uses many resources that contribute to the industry’s environmental footprint and as scrutiny of its sustainable credentials becomes more intense, how it manages...

View from the US 08 December, 2021 After a late summer and early autumn plagued by Covid problems in Asia, Vietnam’s factory suspensions and an increasingly disrupted supply chain, the US market was struggling to find...

View from the US 29 September, 2021 With packers well sold and limited volumes available for the most popular steer selections, the US hide market was higher in price through mid-July. The bulk of the price increases...


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