On September 1-2, ten Italian leather, fabric, accessories and component manufacturers exposed their collections for Fall/Winter 2011 during the annual “Arts & Tannery” event, organized by the Italian Leather System Consortium [2] in partnership with the Italian Trade Commission.

Set in Midtown Loft and Terrace [3], in the hearth of glamorous Fifth Avenue, the exposition was inaugurated on Sept. 1 at the presence of the Director of the Italian Trade Commission [4]Aniello Musella, the Deputy Consul Marco Alberti, and welcomed American designers, stylists, and fashion specialists who could have a first insight on the new trends for the upcoming season.

Each of the ten companies represented for the occasion, Ausonia Conceria, [5] BCN Concerie [6], MB3 Conceria [7], M2 Conceria, [8] Pellegrini International, [9] Gemini, Prodotti Alfa [10], San Lorenzo, Tuscania Industria Conciaria [11], Valvibrata Ornaments [12], exposed their new proposals in terms of materials and accessories in the areas they were assigned. Specifically researched and designed for the US market, the leather pieces stood out in the white hall with their bright colors and richness, a true experience for both the sight and the touch.
 

"The Italian tanning process is centuries old and its tradition and innovation is revered worldwide.  The Italian Leather System showcases the best of Italian leathers, alongside components for footwear, handbags and leather apparel.  It is indeed a successful way of exhibiting and highlighting the strength, richness and complexity of the Italian production system and all of its subcategories. A great number of International renowned designers, among them many Americans, look to Italy for the raw materials, whether leathers, textiles or components", told us Aniello Musella, Executive Director of the Italian Trade Commission network for North America”.

There is a continued growing demand of Italian leather and component parts in the US. Just in the first semester of 2010, as Mr. Musella explained us:,“Italian companies operating in the sector have exported to the US market for a value of 60 million dollars”. In spite of the global economic crisis and the disadvantageous Euro/dollar exchange rate, in fact, US imports of leathers registered a 31.54% increase over the same period in 2009 with Italy as the  primary supplier to the market, with Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico following behind.
 

As Mr.Lorenzo Cotrozzi of the Italian Leather System showed through a brief video presentation, this year the style and research teams of the Italian Leather System Consortium have pinpointed four key trends for the Fall/Winter 2011 season:1) Eco Hi-Tech 2) Steam Freaks 3) Volcanic Genius and 4) Ghost Breath.
 

Metallic colours and materials are those favorite, pointed out Mr. Francesco Giannoni, who represented for the occasion his company Tuscania Industria Conciaria and the entire Consortium. “The real strength of Made in Italy products relies in its inner outstanding quality and in the passion and fantasy that guide the work of our manufacturers and researches. Even those stylists who in the recent past started buying from the Far East Markets have finally changed their mind and realized that the constant innovation and the growing quality of our products find no comparison in the world. Our industry, moreover, was one of the few that did not undergo a significant drop in terms of sells during the crisis. Now that the economy is recovering, we are some of the first who are enjoying the positive effects of the upturn”.

The words of Mr. Giannoni find confirmation in the outcome of last year’s Arts&Tannery, as the edition was attended by representativesfrom some of the most important American fashion names. Among them DKNY, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Kenneth Cole, Saks Fifth Avenue, Banana Republic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach, Brooks Brothers, Cole Haan, Liz Claiborne, Club Monaco, Kate Spade, Andrew Marc, Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar de la Renta, Jimmy Choo.

The future can not be more promising for the Italian leather system, that continues to be a standard-bearer of Made in Italy in the world with its outstanding quality and constant innovation in styles and materials

The Italian Leather System is a consortium that brings together the best of Italian companies working in leather manufacturing. The Consortium was formed to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences.  The primary objective of the Italian Leather System is to present the excellence of Italian products, thanks to the contribution of the diverse companies that make up the consortium.