The outstanding ‘Meet in Africa’ event proved to be a quite spectacular fashion show held by the Elico organisation at the Sheraton Addis Hotel.

Since the privatisation of some of the state-owned tanneries in the mid-1990s, Elico (Ethiopia Leather Industry) has rapidly come to dominate the sector. Elico owns two tanneries and a garment factory in the country.

The luxurious surroundings of the Sheraton Addis made the perfect backdrop for the Elico event, allowing the company to display the advanced stage it has now reached in moving beyond pickle – which was the primary export of Ethiopia for the previous 20 years.

The garments were placed in six categories, starting with a native display - highlighting the historic and traditional uses of leather in Ethiopia - through to “wild west” and “gangsters”. By the time “contemporary look of city life” began, it was not out of place to hear the commentator place Addis Ababa alongside Paris, Milan, Tokyo, and London, such was the standard.

In addition to the fashion show, other talking points added to the feeling of confidence in the African leather sector that the tide is turning their way.

Leathergoods producer Sandstorm has made a feature out of “Made in Kenya” upmarket travel luggage - evolved from the skills of making top quality safari tents - this canvas and leather range has been featured in Vogue magazine and the Financial Times and is on sale in the USA and the UK.

Egypt also injected confidence into the event with its large and dynamic show. It looks likely that Cairo will host the next “Meet in Africa” and Egypt will also inaugurate a new annual show this December.

One vital factor in the success of the leather industry that was evident at the event was the interest from governments and NGOs. These organisations appear to now fully understand the potential of the African leather industry. Africa is the only continent to have declined economically in the past 25 years, but now there appears to be a genuine belief that supporting the leather industry could act as a catalyst for further economic growth.

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