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Browse a handpicked selection of World Leather articles, thought provoking topics ranging from fast fashion to zero waste are all here. Premium + and World Leather subscribers can delve deeper, with access to the industry beating archive of over 1,400 World Leather technical papers in the archive.

No herd mentality

A conservation project in Western South Dakota has brought life back to the grasslands with the reintroduction of buffalo. As part of Wild Idea’s philosophy of respecting the animals and the... Free Content
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19 March 2024
Flight to quality - leather, world leather Flight to quality
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Hermès has defied convention with consistently rising sales, despite the sky-high price tags, and is ramping up production… but not too much.
12 March 2024
Longevity makes a big difference - leather, world leather Longevity makes a big difference
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A new lifecycle assessment report from Sørensen Leather shows that the environmental impact of leather is extremely small if the calculations take into account the material’s durability.
05 March 2024
Eco-design edges closer - leather, world leather Eco-design edges closer
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The European Parliament has taken another step towards its framework for sustainable products, but the ramifications for leather products may take years to unfold.
27 February 2024
New shoes from old - leather, world leather New shoes from old
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With a group of partners, outdoor footwear brand Scarpa has won EU funding for a project to turn material from old shoes, including leather, into raw material for new shoes that will perform just as well.
20 February 2024
Make the case at COP - leather, world leather Make the case at COP
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The leather sector issued a carefully worded manifesto in advance of COP28 but was under-represented at the event itself, leaving anti-leather campaigner Stella McCartney to present herself as the sole voice...
02 January 2024
A personal touch - leather, world leather A personal touch
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Home to around 675 artisans highly skilled in their particular craft specialism or métiers d’art, Paris-based Le 19M is shining an even brighter light on handicrafts both local and global this autumn.
18 December 2023
Cradle of circularity - leather, world leather Cradle of circularity
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Cradle To Cradle thinking has been around for decades. It is now winning a place in the hearts of forward-thinking companies who are using its theories and certification system as a pathway to circularity.
12 December 2023
Vintage advantage - leather, world leather Vintage advantage
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A significant number of Nike and adidas shoe designs in 2023 contain leather, as retro styles enjoy a resurgence and brands push the idea of premium materials.
05 December 2023
Birkenstock makes ‘ugly’ cool again - leather, world leather Birkenstock makes ‘ugly’ cool again
The German leather sandal brand is on a mission to educate the world on foot health as it embarks on a high-value stock market flotation.
28 November 2023
Traceability 2025: an ambition too far - leather, world leather Traceability 2025: an ambition too far
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The European Union is pressing ahead with its new regulations on deforestation; a postponement of the deadlines seems to many in the global leather industry to be the most sensible way forward.
21 November 2023
A lighter look - leather, world leather A lighter look
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Hot on the heels of securing a Red Dot Design Award for its latest, lower-waste leather seat design, we dive deeper into how South Korea’s Hyundai Transys has combined a natural finish with tech-forward,...
14 November 2023
Apple’s relationship with leather turns sour - leather, world leather Apple’s relationship with leather turns sour
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Another brand makes a misguided decision to stop using leather in its products and provokes a reaction from the leather industry that has more of an air of sadness than anger about it.
07 November 2023
Farm links deliver CO2 milestone - leather, world leather Farm links deliver CO2 milestone
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Supplier of Nordic Traceable Leather, Spoor, now has access to accurate carbon footprint data for every one of its hides. It is making the figures available for brands to incorporate into their work on...
31 October 2023
True to form - leather, world leather True to form
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A new Boston Consulting Group report offers grounds for optimism about the global luxury market. It says high-end consumers in a category it calls ‘True Luxury’ are spending €780 billion per year on personal...
24 October 2023
Bricks work more magic than clicks - leather, world leather Bricks work more magic than clicks
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Retail network expansion in the luxury sector seems to have plateaued, but Dior has proved that it is possible to reach great heights with the stores brands already have in place.
17 October 2023
Allies in authenticity - leather, world leather Allies in authenticity
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The Portuguese leather industry is willing to share the working document that led to the country’s 2022 law for protecting the authenticity of leather. Colleagues around the globe will be able to adapt the...
10 October 2023
Bags of opportunity - leather, world leather Bags of opportunity
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After adopting a baby in Ethiopia, a US couple found themselves drawn back to help local women, and their business is now among the most prolific leathergoods exporters in the country.
03 October 2023
For the long haul - leather, world leather For the long haul
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Leather chemicals group Silvateam began its work on collecting lifecycle analysis (LCA) data for its tanning agents in 2015. It believes it still has years of LCA work ahead of it.
05 September 2023
Weaving a new narrative - leather, world leather Weaving a new narrative
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A project that empowers women by providing training in fashion-related skills and leatherwork in Uganda has won international funding.
15 August 2023
Waste not, want not - leather, world leather Waste not, want not
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Public support in France for repairing shoes and keeping them for longer has come at a good time.
01 August 2023
Influencer dynamics - leather, world leather Influencer dynamics
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Leaders occupying different vantage points in the story of Brazilian leather reveal how they are working together to connect the dots backwards, to find a more accurate and transparent path forward.
25 July 2023
Just right - leather, world leather Just right
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Regardless of ever-changing social sensations, authentic luxury has the ability to keep a low profile.
18 July 2023
Strong support among scientists for livestock farming - leather, world leather Strong support among scientists for livestock farming
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More than 1,000 scientists with high levels of knowledge and expertise about the contribution livestock can make to human wellbeing and to the health of the planet have signed the Dublin Declaration,...
10 July 2023
Meeting with approval - leather, world leather Meeting with approval
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A recent leather goods collection from Danish leather suppliers Sørensen Leather has taken leather traceability and animal welfare one stage further, having been endorsed by Animal Protection Denmark.
04 July 2023
Clamping down on ‘vegan’ bandwagon - leather, world leather Clamping down on ‘vegan’ bandwagon
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The LHCA has called on the Federal Trade Commission to publish stricter rules in its Green Guides for companies that try to pass plastics off as better for the environment than leather.
27 June 2023
The road less travelled - leather, world leather The road less travelled
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As an early career leathergoods designer navigates her post-graduation, we learn how leatherwork has shaped her life so far, and how her personal relationship with craft has inspired a less-than-conventional...
20 June 2023
For people on the move - leather, world leather For people on the move
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Leathergoods entrepreneur Yamila Isaurralde turned her back on a career in industrial engineering to launch Tasche. Tapping into the knowledge and skills of a Tuscany-trained local artisan helped her turn an...
14 June 2023
Twenty years of sustainability reports - leather, world leather Twenty years of sustainability reports
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For two decades now, every year Italian tanning industry representative body UNIC has been sharing details of the sustainability successes of its member companies in a dedicated report.
06 June 2023
Opposing points of view - leather, world leather Opposing points of view
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Promising controversy, a sports media group in Germany recently set up a discussion between senior representatives of campaign group PETA and the country’s leather sector. Respectful dialogue won the day.
30 May 2023
No turning back on traceability - leather, world leather No turning back on traceability
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Leather manufacturers in Brazil are in dialogue with partners in the meat and livestock supply chain to put in place a national traceability programme.
16 May 2023
Recorded histories - leather, world leather Recorded histories
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The stories behind makers and their materials are powerful, as Paraboot’s latest co-creator knows only too well. Here, World Leather uncovers the many sides to a mountain boot.
09 May 2023
A record year for luxury car brands - leather, world leather A record year for luxury car brands
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Amid doom and gloom for the UK automotive industry, luxury brands Rolls-Royce Motors and Bentley posted record figures for 2022.
02 May 2023
Whisky helps keep craft skills strong - leather, world leather Whisky helps keep craft skills strong
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An initiative from malt whisky company The Macallan is supporting the preservation of artisan leathercraft skills at the UK’s oldest bookbinder.
25 April 2023
Next-generation industry leaders - leather, world leather Next-generation industry leaders
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A post-graduate master’s programme in innovative leather technology involving four institutions in four countries will welcome its first students in October 2023.
18 April 2023
Pro animal and pro leather - leather, world leather Pro animal and pro leather
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Temple Grandin’s latest book reminds us that people really care about the animal welfare and land management behind their leather products. Forward-thinking businesses are embracing this and working smartly to ...
11 April 2023
Designers need to pick a side - leather, world leather Designers need to pick a side
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The chief executive of Arzignano-based leather manufacturer Gruppo Mastrotto has some straight-talking advice for young designers.
21 March 2023
A natural connection - leather, world leather A natural connection
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Spoor’s traceability capability helps a responsibly made German luxury brand forge ever-closer links with the land.
14 March 2023
What lies ahead for LCA and leather? - leather, world leather What lies ahead for LCA and leather?
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The leather sector’s engagement with LCA is likely to bear fruit if the industry can work out ways to use this science-based system to make it clear to customers that they stand to gain from using leather....
07 March 2023
Regenerative leather turns heads - leather, world leather Regenerative leather turns heads
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A leather producer that aims “to go beyond sustainability” ended 2022 on a high at a special event in London.
28 February 2023
Doubts remain about LCA - leather, world leather Doubts remain about LCA
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LCA is popular, but it has its critics too. Influential voices say it makes complex situations seem too simple and encourages comparisons that are based on information that is not meaningful enough.
21 February 2023
Gentle persuasion - leather, world leather Gentle persuasion
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This has happened more than once: a company makes public pronouncements about leaving leather behind it and draws opprobrium from people inside the industry’s active and loud but limited bubble.
16 February 2023
Lived experience of LCA - leather, world leather Lived experience of LCA
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Lifecycle assessment is such a hot topic that we are devoting the entire Thought Leadership section in this issue of World Leather to it.
10 January 2023
A revival of American savoir-faire - leather, world leather A revival of American savoir-faire
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Future-proofing creative expression from generation to generation is no easy task, but as craft-minded entrepreneurs have been forced to shutter their doors across the US, a clear case for learning how to...
03 January 2023
The last zero-waste obstacle - leather, world leather The last zero-waste obstacle
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“Customers ask about sustainability all the time and we want to be able to tell them that we represent a clean industry.” Verônica Meurer.
20 December 2022
Creative circularity - leather, world leather Creative circularity
Free Content
Nona Source has figured out how to turn LVMH fashion houses’ deadstock material into a dynamic and rich resource for innovative and flexible designers.

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