Members of Leather Cluster Barcelona exhibit in Paris and Milan and champion leather as an example of circular economy and sustainable fashion

This September sees two of the most representative trade fairs for the leather industry in the field of fashion, Première Vision and Lineapelle. These two major events take place in two of the world's fashion capitals: Paris and Milan.

A total of ten tanning companies that are members of Leather Cluster Barcelona will take part, exhibiting their leather articles at these two great international showcases, where fashion professionals from all over the world gather in search of novelties, trends and accessories.

This week the French capital hosts Première Vision Paris, the leading international trade fair in the fashion sector, with 900 exhibitors from around the world taking part in this edition in hybrid format, with a digital version from 20 to 24 September and an in-person one from 21 to 23 September.

Meanwhile, Lineapelle, held in Milan, is one of the oldest and most prestigious international trade fairs for leather, accessories and components for the footwear, leather goods, clothing and furniture industries. From 22 to 24 September, Lineapelle will present the novelties, trends, styles and colours in leather and fashion accessories for the seasons to come.

These two major fairs take place in the midst of a public debate about production models and the use of sustainable articles in the fashion industry. In this respect, one of the United Nations' global goals for protecting the planet is responsible production and consumption. In its 12th Sustainable Development Goal, the UN calls on governments, the private sector and society to increase resource efficiency for the sake of environmental preservation, while promoting more sustainable consumption habits.

The current fashion model, based on fast fashion, is tied to a hyperconsumption that entails significant environmental consequences. In this context, leather stands out as an example of circular economy and sustainable fashion for reducing the negative impacts that fast fashion generates.

Leather is a waste product resulting from meat consumption, the main source of protein around the world. The leather industry recovers and recycles this waste product of the food sector so that it can be reused as a new raw material. The tanning process gives animal hides a second life and adds value to them in the form of products that are useful to society.

The leather industry contributes to responsible and sustainable consumption, adding value to a waste product in order to produce durable consumer goods: a leather article can last a lifetime. In this respect, leather is a durable and timeless material that can be used for many years and is therefore a good that helps to reduce consumerism. This stands in contrast to fast fashion, a business model based on creating throwaway products, largely represented by the synthetic materials that seek to imitate leather, made from plastic and therefore produced from petroleum-derived compounds, a limited natural resource which, beyond the negative environmental impact during its production process, is expensive and complicated to recycle and has very poor biodegradability.