Leatherworld Paris earns its place among Messe fairs

“I have the sense we have achieved an overall satisfying remake of Leatherworld Paris. The efforts made in the layout and design and the work on trends, along with an extensive offer were what attracted our visitors, who were looking for these animal materials or related materials, but also some who were just curious! We are always happy to work with firms like Ecopel or Fur Textile, who are achieving considerable success by taking a really close look at revisiting their collections. Our role is to include every opportunity that a consumer might be looking for. It seems to me that Leatherworld Paris is well and truly in tune with these new tastes that the market has detected," said Michael Scherpe, president of Messe Frankfurt France.

Leather was offered by a good fifteen exhibitors from South Africa, China, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

The lines of jackets and bomber jackets proposed by Leather Grip from Pakistan or by Studio Vivir from India proved to be a particular draw with visitors. Mriga Kumar, the founder of the Indian company Studio Vivir, a specialist in leather and associated materials, praised a show that was "innovative and well-organised" on the occasion of his first attendance.

South Africa was very much in evidence this year with a delegation of 10 exhibitors. On its second attendance, it was able to demonstrate its creativity in the Leatherworld Paris pavilion.

Offering the whole range from the material to the finished product, China was also in attendance as a prominent operator on the market for genuine leather and associated materials. "Leatherworld Paris plays a positive role for our future," said Lily Li, the Chinese director of Unicorn Leather Goods.

Finished products made of leather were especially appreciated by visitors. Fake fur was also a drawing point at the show. The ranges left a very strong impression, catching the eye of visitors standing in front of exhibitors’ colourful collections. One unique product that was particularly admired was fake fur made by Ecopel from cornstalks.

Like all the adjacent shows organised by Messe Frankfurt France, Leatherworld Paris benefited from a trends forum showcasing the materials, in addition to dedicated catwalk shows that breathed life into these materials.

The programme of special events was rounded off this year by two lectures in the new hall 2 agora, focussing on two themes presented by professionals from the sector namely 'Leather goods and fashion accessories: new perspectives' and 'Related materials, a booming global market'.

The next Leatherworld Paris will be held from February 10-13, 2020 in Le Bourget, Paris.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (PC)