Leather Cluster Barcelona gives a Master Talk on leather, circular economy and sustainable fashion for the CSDMM

On 12 April, Jordi Vidal, executive director of Leather Cluster Barcelona, gave a Master Talkon “Leather, circular economy and sustainable fashion” for the Higher Centre for Fashion Design (CSDMM) of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Since 1986, the CSDMM has been dedicated to teaching, research and continuing education in the field of the creation, management, production and promotion of fashion.

The Master Talks are a programme of virtual meetings in which professionals leading the technological innovation and ethical transformation of twenty-first-century fashion address topical issues such as sustainability, technology, innovation, design, entrepreneurship and the value of craftsmanship in the fashion industry. Experts such as Enrique Loewe, honorary president of the Loewe Foundation; Ana Carrasco, creative director of Malababa; Rafa Blanc, co-founder of Vasquiat; Alicia Parro, general manager of Adictic; and Pedro Mansilla, sociologist, journalist, fashion critic and lecturer, among others, form part of the programme of these talks. Framed within the CSDMM-UPM Official Master's Degree in Technology and Innovation in Fashion Design, the Master Talks are held online and open to all audiences, with the collaboration of 'Madrid Capital de Moda' of Madrid City Council and the Tendam Group.

Before an audience made up of young students, lecturers and CSDMM alumni (who are currently designers for various fashion brands) and other professionals, Jordi Vidal took those attending on a journey through the leather ecosystem, from the circular economy to sustainable fashion.

After an introduction on the evolution, strategic challenges and good environmental practices of Leather Cluster Barcelona, Jordi Vidal, from an innovative and cross-cutting perspective, highlighted the importance of leather in the history of humanity and showcased tradition and craftsmanship in the leather sector, striking a particular chord on this last point with the part of the audience that came from Ubrique.

The Master Talk was illustrated with all manner of data and information that invited those attending to reflect on subjects such as meat consumption as the origin of leather; the transformation of a waste product of the food industry into durable consumer goods; the leather sector as a precursor and pioneer of the circular economy; the origin, composition and treatment of synthetic materials that appropriate the term leather; and responsible consumption in the world of fashion. The training session once again showed that, when the leather sector makes itself known in an open and transparent way, false myths are dispelled and stark inconsistencies emerge that open the door to breaking down the stereotypes and mistaken perceptions consumers have about leather and its industry.

The meeting ended with the participation of those attending, who rated the session very positively and expressed their interest in deepening this knowledge through a visit to the leather ecosystem of Leather Cluster Barcelona.