Fashion to the fore at Pielespaña
The 21st edition of Pielespaña, held in Barcelona January 18-21, 2002, has been hailed a success by its organisers, with 13,800 people visiting the event and positive reports from participants. The daily fashion shows were especially popular, with an estimated 9,000 people attending.
Xavier Barris Recasens, chairman of Pielespaña for the third year, said that one of his priorities is to make the event more international, something that was achieved this year with an increase in foreign exhibitors and the successful marketing of the fashion shows. This year there were 151 exhibitors at the three-day event, 115 from Spain (including a group from the Balearic Islands), and 36 from other countries.
Mr Recasens while acknowledging the strength of the Italian industry felt that Spain was catching up fast - with exciting designers and leather fashion appealing to more and more young people, adding: "It is particularly encouraging to see teenagers now wearing leather fashion".
Speaking about the leather garment industry over the last year he said that the winter season was a slight improvement on last year. "I wouldn’t say there was any crisis – October was quiet, of course [following the September 11 attacks on the US], but November - normally a slow month - was busy."
Much in evidence at Pielespaña, and the big hit of the year according to Mr Recasens, was double face, which he said was experiencing a "boom" in Spain after being only of minority interest until recently.
