At Mipel, Leather Goods Association President Talks Sector Challenges

by · WWD
Mipel in Milan.courtesy of Mipel

MILAN — The storm isn’t over yet, but there was some hope among the booths of the 126th edition of leather goods trade show Mipel, held at Rho Fiera Milano from Sept. 15 to 17.

“Mipel remains a commercial attraction for over 200 brands across approximately 4,000 square meters of exhibition space, and for this season, the key word is creativity,” said Claudia Sequi, president of Assopellettieri. “Even the smallest companies understood that creativity is the only way to survive the stagnation of recent months,” she added.

A slowdown is challenging the sector, and according to Sequi, its effects are still being felt. “The recovery we expected for the year’s second half didn’t happen, confirmed by data from the leather tanning sector. Improvement might come by early 2025,” Sequi said.

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The numbers relating to the first five months of 2024 processed by the Confindustria Accessori Moda Study Center speak of a 9.4 percent drop in exports and 0.8 percent less on the domestic retail front compared to the already unsatisfactory pre-pandemic levels (4.8 percent less than in 2019 domestically), with a 10 percent drop in turnover in the sample of associates. Redundancy payments have surged 138.5 percent in the leather supply chain, and 1,832 fewer employees were employed between January and June.

“We need immediate political support, starting with extending redundancy funds and enabling banks to provide easier access to credit,” Sequi said, urging the government. “Loan rates are high, still companies must invest to move forward. Our supply chain is unique worldwide; we must protect it.”

Mipel 126 hosted historic names like Bric’s, Braccialini, and Visonà from Vicenza, celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. Two significant areas for Mipel have also been reconfirmed, Travel (interesting are the shell backpacks from Tajezzo) and Showcase, where emerging brands and start-ups presented their collections. The trend area focused on materials, mainly softer leathers and suedes, asymmetric shapes, and the return of larger bags after many seasons of smaller sizes.

Noteworthy are the live shopping events organized in collaboration with the digital showroom Mirta. A group of international livestreamers showcased items selected from the fair’s brands right from the exhibition halls, choosing both in-season bags and new collections. “This practice is widespread in Asia and works well for us, too,” explained Sequi.

However, the project to replicate Mipel abroad, as in the past, is on hold. “To be competitive, we must present a complete panorama as we do here in Milan alongside other fairs. We are discussing the idea, but we didn’t come to a decision,” concluded the Assopellettieri president.