Quality not quantity in Bologna

Leather fashion colours and trends for the Autumn/Winter 2008 season were in evidence at the latest edition of Lineapelle which took place at the Bologna Fiera from October 17-19. Visitor numbers were lower than usual on the opening day although the second day was busy with most stands receiving visitors. Despite the quieter feeling in the halls, the level of professionalism among visitors remained high. Tanneries occupied six halls at the fair with the majority of exhibitors coming from Italy. However there were significant numbers from other European countries, particularly Spain. There were a number of impressive stands at the fair with the Italian group Dolmen providing a spectacular visual display of high quality reptile leathers in a range of metallic hues. The machinery and chemical fair Tanning Tech, which normally takes place alongside Lineapelle, was postponed this year and has been rescheduled for next April. The next edition of Lineapelle is set to take place from April 17-19.