30 August 2017
The 20th edition of the ACLE began with some 750 delegates mentally exhausted by an outstanding Day minus one at the 3rd World Leather Congress. Here they had worked through a hectic day interrogating the modern consumer, the world of e-commerce, the implications of the expectations for rapid production and almost instant delivery to consumers and all the aspects of modern corporate social responsibility (CSR).
CSR became an integral part of Day 1 at ACLE with the issue of transparency running through the Hidenet/APLF leather conference. It was a significant to the approach of the Italian tannery and one of the fundamental pillars behind the Product Passport introduced by Smit & zoon. The Product Passport shares detailed product information along with the technical impacts on leather and perhaps more significantly on solid and liquid wastes.
The floor of the show remained steadily active from fairly early on. At the early meetings the China Leather Industry Association published statistics that showed significant growth in 2017 in the leather sector after a slowdown in 2016 with a feeling that the lingering impact of the 2008 crisis was slipping away while improved global economic conditions were working through. European tanners, outside of the garment industry, were also seeing an improved 2017 and were positive to the end of the year.
Alongside this data from the US says that the kill will be high over the next two months and with the dollar a little weaker perhaps raw prices will be manageable for tanners.
Long term we were told that leather was in trouble in footwear as it has a struggle to find a role in the now dominant athleisure sector in the USA, where the shift to this type of wear in most parts of life – including banking – looks to be permanent. Perhaps some slight upward moves in leather women’s fashion footwear offers a glimmer of hope even in this sector.
A positive first day.
APLF and CLIA open 20th Anniversary Edition of ACLE
The Co-Organisers of the All China Leather Exhibition, APLF and CLIA, opened the 20th edition of China’s leading leather fair this morning, 30 August 2017.
APLF director, Michael Duck, noted that the fair covers the whole supply chain of products and technology needed to make leather. It had moved with the times to reflect the changes and challenges of China’s leather sector over the last 20 years. In the last two and half years China’s leather industry has undergone a clean-up to protect the environment and the health of its citizens living near tannery installation.
On behalf of the CLIA, Chairman Li Yuzhong, revealed that China’s leather industry had gorwn at a steady pace of 6.6% in the first six months of 2017.
Mr Li concluded by saying that the event will be rounded off with a special programme of seminars and conferences for both visitors and exhibitors.
Trends: trust your own guts
Humanature is one of the trends highlighted by WGSN’s Trend specialist Chun Sun during a seminar about Surface and Materials Forecast held on the first day of the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) in Shanghai today. “In order to compensate our increasing dependence on data and on new technologies, we need to reconnect with the wild and trust our own instinct,” Chun explained. Materials responding to this trend are inspired by nature and animals, with organic fabrics and sensual pelts and skins. Sustainable design aims at extending the lifecycle of products beyond one season, and a ‘mend-don’t-spend’ ethos drives creativity. A good news for tanneries and leather manufacturers as this trend should definitely benefit the use of genuine leather…
Cattle herd regrowth an exciting period for the US leather industry
Up to one million heads of cattle might be impacted by the current tropical storm affecting Houston in Texas at the moment. However, the sad news should not alter the expansion of US cattle herd of 1 per cent. Projected numbers are expected to reach 94.5 million heads by 2018. Slaughter and hide availability will likewise expand by 6 per cent in 2017, according to Stephen Sothmann, President of the US Hide, Skin and Leather Association. Sothmann was speaking at the Leather Conference held on the first day of the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) that opened at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre today.
We bring leather, material and fashion businesses together: an opportunity to meet and greet face to face. We bring them from all parts of the world so that they can find fresh partners, discover new customers or suppliers and keep ahead of industry developments.
We organise a number of trade exhibitions which focus on fashion and lifestyle: sectors that are constantly in flux, so visitors and exhibitors alike need to be constantly aware both of the changes around them and those forecast for coming seasons.
