Linea Pelle: trends and colors in exotic leather
The leather world is confirmed once again as one of the fastest growing sectors of the Made in Italy label, capable of facing strongly up to the incumbent economic recession, which every country in the world is looking to defeat by any means: this is the positive conclusion that we draw from the success of the Linea Pelle fair, the international leather trade show, including components and accessories, synthetic materials, fabrics and designs for shoes, clothing, leather and furnishings, which took place in Bologna from October the 18th to October the 20th.
Every year this international show records very high numbers, not just of exhibitors but also of leather specialists and producers who take part in these events more and more: this year there was a massive attendance not only of Italian exhibitors, especially from the Tuscan area of Santa Croce, but also of other nationalities from over 41 different countries, as well as a significant number of visitors from all over the world in search of ideas, fashion trends and equipment concerning the leather sector.
Here in Bologna, the Linea Pelle exhibition showcasing the tanneries, provides an opportunity for professionals and operators in the leather industry to meet with all those who work with leather and are passionate about it, as well as with those at the forefront of creating and identifying emerging new trends.
In short, it is a crucial engagement for us at Gleni, as we are so involved in the processing and production of exotic leather goods. We are always looking for originality and innovation in both leathers and colors: in fact, it’s at these events that we begin to create our new samples and color swatches for the coming seasons, in this case, for autumn/winter 2012-2013.
Are you curious to know our points of view and have a brief taste of what our future collections will be like? Enfold yourself in a delicate embrace of softest leather, and … happy reading!
Leather: an authentic material, noble and valuable, is constantly being reinvented with new technology and high-definition innovative treatments, though techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation for centuries are always kept in mind, as they are what make this product, in its infinite variations and shades, the most faithful testimonial and interpreter of the Made in Italy concept. Of course, alongside classic styles, the modern and contemporary aspects also take shape, so it is likely to see traditional materials put together in surprising combinations: matt and shiny finishes, metal applied to fur materials, the production of a kind of animal skin with prints of a different mantle. The skin is cut, frayed, fringed, primitive…. but always refined, to be enjoyed by niche consumers.
These are just a few details that caught our attention at the fair, though it is nothing compared to the magnetic effect that our favorite material, exotic leather, has on us.
In general, color trends showed a preference for caramel and beige nuances in brown, but the darker and more intense red shades, typical of the winter season, were also to be seen, in addition to classic navy blue and dark green: warm tones and concise shades, at the classic end of the scale, without going over the top.
From the many tanneries at Linea Pelle that specialize in tanning exotic skins such as ostrich, python and crocodile, we were able to carefully consider the proposals for the next Autumn/Winter season 2012-2013: there were a lot of original and avant-garde ideas, all concerning these luxury leathers, applied both during the production process and in the dyeing, aiming to enhance the prestige and quality of these materials, which are suitable for any use.
But let’s look more specifically at the exotic skins that we are interested in, starting with python.
Well known for its versatility and ability to absorb any color variation you can think of, as you can imagine,, the proposals regarding this exotic leather weren’t tied together by a common thread, but there were many very different ideas to satisfy every need and taste.
Do not expect bright colors and flashy combinations: on the contrary, for Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 python reveals a very calm aspect of itself, in its darker and intense tones, typical of winter. To enliven these shades that go from brown to caramel, gray to dark green, there are some metallic effects in gold or silver, on those leathers suitable for all those special items and accessories designed for an elegant and formal occasion.
Among the colors that you will find in our forthcoming collections, we recall tones of beige and light brown enriched with gold or bronze laminated effects to recreate a special matt-metallic effect juxtaposing the larger scales with the smaller and more uniform ones; the matt-shiny contrast that distinguishes the two kinds of scales will also be a recurrent theme.
While the classic tones of gray or lilac may look a bit too dull, almost boring to some, they have been brought to life by matching them with darker and more intense tonalities, either in the same graded color or totally changing hue, passing for example from green to blue to serve as a frame, that recreates and highlights the natural texture of the animal.
For those who are more daring and are happy to go for original and unusual looks, there is a glitter effect applied to python, either in matt or shiny finish: a cascade of glitter that catches the light and enhances the base colors, from purple to green, smoke gray to red, most intense in the central part of the leather, where the scales are larger, darker at the sides.
Very interesting too are the combinations of light/dark shades that give life to something really fashionable: green or blue combined with white, following the natural texture of the python, but interspersed with prints and drawings, flowers in particular, for those who wish to breath the air of spring even in winter.
Perhaps, the most distinguishing feature that we noticed at the fair as regards python, is not to do with color, but rather the production processes: in fact, we found a lot of proposals for python leather enriched by a variety of prints, both of other animal species such as crocodile, and geometric prints with a checked or mosaic effect, simply alternating metallic tones with darker colors with touches of opaque effect. Also very fashionable will be a soft python leather with satin effects, that re-creates special plays of light, particularly suitable for elegant and refined accessories: and it’s with pride that we give you advance notice that the new Gleni collection, which is currently being developed, will focus on this material.
What about alligator? Obviously the prestige and elegance that goes with this material does not need any introduction, it is well known. As always, crocodile is presented both in matt and shiny versions, without any distinctions in terms of tonality. According to our personal taste, we prefer to focus on the more classic varieties of matt finishes, and, as our crocodile items are made to order, customers will have the chance to choose the shade that they prefer, based on our color chart.
Once again we were surprised by the extraordinary lightness of this leather, mainly presented in the belly-cut, which is soft and flexible, and easily shaped.
Among the new trends in crocodile leather which we intend to repeat in our future winter collections, is the animal print effect, recreated again on dark shades, from gray to brown, and plum, without going over the top.
As well as crocodile, caiman also found its place at the Linea Pelle fair, but even at the first glance you can immediately see the differences between this leather and crocodile: you notice the stiffness of the leather, especially on the central scales, while the typical wrinkled feature on each scale means that the color may not be absorbed in a uniform and homogeneous way: this is why we are not particularly fond of this material.
As for ostrich, we are increasingly impressed by the softness and versatility of this leather, which always manages to convey the concept of the utmost luxury and high quality prestige. Repeated in an infinite number of colors and shades, ostrich, while there are no major innovations at the production level, always manages to give a strong personality to the designs that are made with it. In particular, the matt colors and softer materials best suit Gleni’s stylistic choices for the various collections, which for the coming winter season will also present a satin effect.
This is all the latest news that we gathered from the three-day Linea Pelle exhibition, as we aimed to interpret our customers tastes in the best way possible, in order to offer all of you understated and elegant items, with a touch of originality and sophistication. It will take about a couple of months to put our samples into production, and to present them to you properly.
You can look out for our various news updates, to find out about the upcoming developments!
