The transformation of leather is innocent… The future of the leather industry: ‘sustainability and innovation’ discovered in Milan

2024 World Leather Fair Lineapelle On-site Report

“Are these all made of leather?”

On the first day of the opening of the world’s largest leather fair, ‘Lineapelle’, held at the Fiera Milano Rho International Convention Center in Milan, Italy on the 17th (local time), the booth of the Milan-based fashion research and development (R&D) center D-House displayed products that were far from leather products, such as earrings and tiles.

Only the scrap leather pieces covering the ceiling of the exhibition hall reminded me of the conveyor belt of a leather factory. Only the project name ‘SMART CYCLE – From Tannery By-product to Sustainable Innovation’ indicated that this exhibition was related to leather.

The D-House Lineapelle booth set up at the ‘Fiera Milano Rho’ center in Italy on the 17th (local time). You can see filaments and earrings made from leather waste on display on top of drums used in actual leather factories. Hanging from the ceiling are pieces of (waste) leather that are actually used or discarded in leather factories. Milan=Reporter Kim Yun-jin [email protected]

Lineapelle, which means ‘leather line’ in Italian, is a place where leather industry professionals from all over the world gather to discuss the latest trends and industry trends. It focuses on ‘leather’, a material used in various leather products such as shoes, clothing, furniture, and automobiles, and related parts and materials. Lineapelle, which began in Milan in 1981, is held twice a year in February and September for three days each time. This year’s Lineapelle was attended by 1,259 companies from 43 countries around the world, including Korea.

On the 17th (local time), the logo of the world leather fair Lineapelle, which opened on this day, was posted at the convention center ‘Fiera Milano Rho’ in Milan, Italy. Milan = Reporter Kim Yun-jin [email protected]

The Liniapelle booths seen from the upper floor of Section 22 of the Fiera Milano Rho Center in Italy on the 17th (local time). Liniapelle, a large-scale event visited by over 45,000 people every year, was held in six exhibition areas, each measuring 17,000 square meters, including Section 22. Milan=Reporter Kim Yun-jin [email protected]

The theme of this year’s Lineapelle is ‘Innovation and Sustainability in the Leather Industry’. The leather industry faces the important task of overcoming the perception that it is old-fashioned while maintaining tradition, and achieving ‘sustainability’ in the leather production and processing process.

The ‘Smart Cycle’ project by Dihouse is part of the innovation of leather ‘technology’, and is a research project to reduce the environmental impact of leather and recycle byproducts generated during production and processing. The waste leather left after leather production is reprocessed into filament, a raw material for 3D printing, and is used to make earrings, colorful interior tiles, and embroidered carpets with various textures.

The leather powder generated during the surface finishing process was reused as a material that creates a natural cracking pattern in the leather, creating a bag fabric with a unique texture. In collaboration with a local Italian tannery, waste generated from actual leather production was utilized.

Embroidered carpets and patchwork on display at the Dihouse booth in the Fiera Milano Rho center in Italy on the 17th (local time). The texture of an embroidered carpet that looks like it was woven with thread is realized by chemically treating waste leather, and it is easy to digitally print on leather. Milan=Reporter Kim Yun-jin [email protected]

Some of the project works displayed at the Dihouse booth in the ‘Fiera Milano Rho’ center in Italy on the 17th (local time). Earrings 3D printed using filaments recycled from waste leather (left) and interior tiles made from recycled waste leather (right). Courtesy of Dihouse

“All research is aimed at achieving sustainability in leather production. But that’s not all,” said Eva Monaccini, Dihouse Coordinator. “We are focusing on various leather byproducts and waste as new future resources and suggesting ways to utilize them according to their individual characteristics.” The technology to turn waste leather into filament and tile is currently under patent application.

The scene of the science-based fashion talk held on the 18th (local time). Milan = [email protected]

The meeting, in which local consulting firm SPIN360 participated, discussed the impact of climate change on the leather industry. Federico Brunoli, CEO of SPIN360, emphasized in his opening remarks that “the fashion industry must respond to the climate crisis and environmental changes caused by humans.” Many environmental groups have raised issues related to environmental pollution and animal abuse caused by the leather industry, and this indicates that they intend to actively respond to these issues.

Shoe company New Balance also participated in this discussion. They shared their environmentally friendly strategies and actual implementation cases.

The Italian leather industry is also actively collaborating with international fashion schools. Six international fashion schools that collaborated with Lineapelle presented leather design innovations reinterpreted by the next generation of designers. In particular, the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli proposed a new leather design using generative artificial intelligence (AI). Novel attempts that are different from traditional leather, such as implementing the texture of leaves or fabrics dyed in pastel colors, were noticeable.

The Campania Luigi Vanvitelli University booth set up at the ‘Fiera Milano Rho’ center in Italy on the 17th (local time). The bags and shoes on display, as well as the leather fabrics of various colors and textures hanging in the back, were all based on image drafts created by generative AI. Liberti emphasized that it was the designer’s job to input commands about the characteristics of the leather into the generative AI and derive the image, saying, “AI is a useful tool, but it does not replace designers.” Milan=Reporter Kim Yun-jin [email protected]

“AI is a tool that helps designers visualize creative products quickly,” said Roberto Liberti, an assistant professor at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, explaining that AI has shortened the entire process from design to production. The leather production process, which used to take two to three months, has been reduced to about two weeks thanks to AI.

Hongik University has also decided to participate in Lineapelle next February. Professor Lee Seung-ik’s team from Hongik University plans to present a fashion project that applies 3D printing to vegetable leather materials in collaboration with global 3D printing solution company Stratasys and Italian leather brand Dani. A space design project for autonomous vehicles, a collaboration between Professor Lee Kang-hyun’s team and textile manufacturer Kolon Glotech, will also be introduced.

Fulvia Bacchi, CEO of Lineapelle, emphasized to the Dong-A Ilbo, “Leather is difficult to handle and expensive, so it is difficult for young designers to access it. Lineapelle is supporting young designers to create creative works using leather and introduce them to the market.” He added, “We want to actively cooperate with young Korean designers and fashion schools in Korea.”

Milan = Reporter Kim Yun-jin [email protected]

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2024-09-19 15:15:37