Mipel Lab will help bag producers find outsource customers
Italy’s main leathergoods manufacturers’ association, Assopellettieri, held its 2021 general assembly in Florence on June 29.
Its president, Franco Gabbrielli, said that the organisation intended to move beyond exhibitions such as Mipel and, in addition, invest time and energy in other initiatives.
“We have constructed a new business plan,” Mr Gabbrielli said, “focusing on internationalisation and digitalisation. These are extremely important themes that our members need to develop with us. Our members are mostly too small to tackle these challenges on their own. The association will play an important role in developing joint projects.”
One of the ideas to which he made specific reference at the Florence meeting is Mipel Lab, which he described as “an innovative and revolutionary business-to-business platform”.
Mipel Lab will aim to connect Assopellettieri members, whom Franco Gabbrielli described as “the best leathergoods manufacturers in Italy”, with luxury brands at home and abroad.
The Assopellettieri president explained: “Until now, the companies we have had as members have been leathergoods manufacturers making products to sell under their own brand names.
But we also know that there are companies making very beautiful leathergoods as outsource suppliers to big-name brands and we have decided to launch this platform for them.”
He said Mipel Lab will be a meeting point for supply and demand of high-end leathergoods and that brands that want to make their handbags and other products in Italy will have the backing of Assopellettieri.
He went on to say that the connections between manufacturers and brands would take place online and also in person. He said the association would launch the idea by means of a “teaser” at the Pitti exhibition, giving manufacturers a chance to show off not their products but their know-how.
