Amid a Difficult Macro Scenario, Italy’s Lineapelle Trade Show Was Hit by Winter Olympics

MILAN — The hype around the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games boosted Milan’s allure, but did little to help the small and medium-sized firms that make up Italy‘s leather supply chain.

Due to scheduling conflicts, the Lineapelle trade show was rescheduled and took place at the Rho-Fiera Milano fairgrounds from Feb. 11 to 13. Organizers here expressed their dismay over the Olympics Games’ impact on their biggest event of the season, which normally takes place in tandem with the Milan ready-to-wear shows that will begin to unfold Feb. 24.

In total, the number of exhibitors dipped to 848 firms, versus the 1,100 recorded in February 2025. The number of visitors plunged to around 16,000 from 24,977 registered last February.

“Amid a delicate moment, the Olympic Games [part of which unfolded at the fairgrounds] led to numerous problems, primarily preventing exhibitors and visitors from attending due to an array of issues that included high hotel rates and logistical issues,” said Fulvia Bacchi, chief executive officer of the exhibition.

Bacchi explained that rising energy costs and tariff pressures are among the top concerns for Lineapelle’s exhibitors. “While there are some faint signs of recovery, 2026 cannot yet be identified as a year of rebound but rather as a season of evaluation and a difficult effort to maintain market position,” the organization said in a statement.

The Industry, at a Glance

Revenue of Italy’s leather goods industry is expected to have contracted 5.2 percent in 2025, as exports dropped 5.5 percent in the first 10 months of last year. Exports to key markets like China and the U.S. fell 23 percent and 12 percent, respectively, in the period. The firms that make up the industrial side of Italy’s leather supply chain are expected to have generated just under an estimated 30 million euros in 2025, according to UNIC, Italy’s tanners’ association, of which Bacchi is also general manager.

In the first half of 2025, Confindustria Accessori Moda Research Center said the high-end leather goods sector lost 74 companies and 1,237 workers. At the fair, an ongoing phase of consolidation was evidenced.

Working together to find further synergies between technology and materials was emphasized as the only way to navigate a complex economy mired by inflationary, trade and currency pressures.

MinervaHub, which was established in 2022 to protect and support Italian manufacturers in the country’s supply chain, is home to 21 companies, among them tanneries like Pisa-based Conceria Zuma Pelli Pregiate, bijoux for fashion firms Deadema and hi-tech heel manufacturer LTM. MinervaHub’s CEO Alessandro Corsi said the firm has its eyes on further acquisitions.

“When all companies [within the group] are operating at the same pace, we can move forward with those we’ve identified as a perfect fit,” Corsi, formerly the chief financial officer of Salvatore Ferragamo, told WWD.

Corsi shrugged off concerns about the weak U.S. dollar and tariff woes, as the lion’s share of the firm’s revenues are generated in Europe. China, he said, is showing positive signs. Amid a phase of national pride for local brands, MinervaHub has garnered interest from Chinese labels exploring collaborations with Italian manufacturers to add authenticity to their products, while leveraging Italian craftsmanship.

Still, the Chinese market represents a small share of MinervaHub’s sales and is only considered a minor potential driver at present, he explained.

The strength of consolidation was highlighted at the LVMH Métiers d’Art booth, which showcased embellished hides by Spanish group Verdeveleno, known for the tanning and finishing of exotic leathers, as well as collections from Riba Guixà, Heng Long and Tanneries Roux. The latter has been crafting premium leather for more than 200 years.

Since it was founded in 2015, LVMH Métiers d’Art has grown its business to include a variety of manufacturing facilities, with craftspeople working in leather, exotic leathers and high-quality metal hardware globally.

Exotic Hides, Embellishment Techniques

In terms of trends, LVMH Métiers d’Art senior creative manager Florent Pavan highlighted the market’s request for reptile hides and embellished python.  On display were abstractly painted skins, some of which were embossed and/or punctuated with crystals and other accents.

Allison Hoeltzel Savini, founder of the ODP Collection and a leather goods development consultant, also noted an uptick in embossed and embellished exotic skins like eel and snake skin, enhanced with luxe materials and shiny finishings. “I noticed a lot of embellishment techniques like leather fringed beading and pops of color, like sky and sea blues mixed with neutrals and earthy tones.”

Exotic skin specialist Conceria Zuma Pelli Pregiate said it built its spring 2027 collection on two themes: Silent Echo, which celebrates the return to essentials and the natural beauty of hides, and Living Memory, a rediscovery of the materials’ authentic value.

The fruit of combining various firms under one umbrella was exemplified by MinervaHub creative director Jacopo Tonelli. He took technical aspects of the hub’s core firms to produce something new this season, among them a free climbing ballet flat, elevated to an evening shoe embroidered with lace.

“Here we put the world of real technical sport together with the more glamorous world of hand embroidery. It’s our job to put these contrasting worlds together,” he said, holding up a stiletto heel styled like fine bijoux and another evening heel enhanced with laser-cut leather and hand-studded with gems.

Sustainability at the Forefront

New sustainable releases were also paramount at the fair, as the industry continues to integrate eco-conscious practices and incentivize innovation.

Houston-based Rheom Materials, a bio-based materials company, and Econock, an Indian conscious design and manufacturing studio, launched a capsule collection made with Shorai, a trademarked bio-based leather alternative.

“With this new collaboration, Rheom can connect brands directly with manufacturers who already know how to work with Shorai, making the transition to more sustainable materials far more accessible,” explained Megan Beck, Rheom’s product director. Looking ahead, she underscored that joining forces helps reduce barriers when adopting next-generation materials.

During Milan Fashion Week and in an attempt to attract the key brands and partners that were absent at the trade show, Lineapelle Designers Edition, which includes runway shows, installations and artistic showcases, will take place in the city’s 5Vie neighborhood in Piazza Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.

Now in its ninth edition, Lineapelle Designers Edition will unfold Feb. 26 to March 1, and will put forth the fall 2026 collections of designers and brands like 1972 Desa, Marco Rambaldi, Simon Cracker, Tokyo James, as well as Amato Daniele and La-Bo’.

The September edition of Lineapelle is expected to unfold as scheduled, Sept. 15 to 17 at the Fiera Milano Rho trade grounds.