the leather project
The allure of a material that has always inspired the world of fashion, design, cinema, and music—unique and inimitable, a byproduct of the food supply chain, naturally sustainable and circular, and built to last.
Leather is the absolute protagonist of LINEAPELLE DESIGNERS EDITION, an event promoted by UNIC – Concerie Italiane and LINEAPELLE. It was established with the goal of promoting the image and excellence of leather through the creativity of both Italian and international designers who try their hand at using leather for their creations, whether garments or accessories.
To date, the event has hosted more than 100 events, including fashion shows and presentations, attracting a total of over 25,000 guests, including industry professionals, fashion schools, the fashion community, and the wider public.
Lineapelle Designers Edition is not just a project, but a true community centered around values, sustainability, and contemporaneity. A journey that unites aesthetics, research, and authenticity; an experience that goes beyond the product to become an expression of style and vision.
The event was born within UNIC – Concerie Italiane and Lineapelle, which over the years have continuously invested in the enhancement of new talent.
Through a journey encompassing fashion shows, events, communication, and networking opportunities, they have aimed to create an ecosystem capable of giving visibility to emerging creativity and highlighting the central role of leather in contemporary fashion.
Through a journey encompassing fashion shows, events, communication, and networking opportunities, they have aimed to create an ecosystem capable of giving visibility to emerging creativity and highlighting the central role of leather in contemporary fashion.
lineapelle
This is the most important international trade fair dedicated to the leather, accessories, components, synthetic materials, and patterns sectors for footwear, leather goods, apparel, and furniture, taking place twice a year at Fiera Milano Rho.
It is the meeting point for a B2B market comprising over 50,000 companies employing more than 1 million workers. It represents an economic sector that, between supply and demand, is worth 170 billion dollars, accounting for over 40% of the global supply chain’s turnover.
With exhibitors and visitors from over 100 countries, LINEAPELLE showcases the state of the art and all the main innovations in the sector each season. The event has diversified its exhibition portfolio through niche events abroad, such as Lineapelle New York and Lineapelle London—both held twice a year. It also organizes extensive networking activities in the Far East, Europe, and the United States to promote the excellence of Italian production and target new audiences.
UNIC – Concerie Italiane
This is the national non-profit association affiliated with Confindustria that represents Italian tanneries, with the mission to diffuse and promote the culture and absolute excellence of Italian leather both nationally and internationally.The Italian tanning sector is a leader in Europe and worldwide for the value and quality of its production. It serves as an exemplary model of a circular economy and—as a strategic sector for the national economic fabric—is an essential supplier for fashion, design, and the automotive industry.
At the regional level, the sector operates across 4 industrial tanning districts (Arzignano, Santa Croce sull’Arno, Turbigo, and Solofra), comprising 900 companies, employing over 17,000 workers, and generating a turnover of approximately 4 billion euros, 70% of which comes from exports.
unic – concerie italiane and lineapelle
In addition to supporting participating designers by giving them visibility at other international events, they have been offering training and educational outreach activities for over 20 years in collaboration with institutes and schools worldwide.
Over the past year, they have organized workshops, lectures, structured courses, collaborations, and competitions involving more than 4,000 students across over 130 educational projects at institutions spanning from Denmark to Naples, and from Tokyo to Antwerp.
Furthermore, the UNIC/Lineapelle educational model does not only apply to fashion schools; it also enters top-tier business schools, positioning itself as a benchmark for managers and technicians from luxury supply chain brands.
Over the past year, they have organized workshops, lectures, structured courses, collaborations, and competitions involving more than 4,000 students across over 130 educational projects at institutions spanning from Denmark to Naples, and from Tokyo to Antwerp.
Furthermore, the UNIC/Lineapelle educational model does not only apply to fashion schools; it also enters top-tier business schools, positioning itself as a benchmark for managers and technicians from luxury supply chain brands.
That is not all. In the heart of Milan, at the Via Brisa 3 headquarters, the LP Fashion Studio is an active, continuously evolving materials library. It regularly welcomes Italian and international students, academies, fashion schools, professional training institutes, and both domestic and foreign delegations, housing over 20,000 samples of leather and accessories. The LP Fashion Studio offers a unique overview of past and future trends, serving as an invaluable resource for designers, researchers, and creatives in the leather sector.
This project is designed as a platform for continuous exchange, where designers’ creativity meets experimentation, heritage dialogues with innovation, and leather continues to tell new stories.