Arsutoria Studio
Arsutoria Studio

Fashion Link Milano: the synergy that generates value

The first edition of Fashion Link Milano, the new trade fair ecosystem that brought together a total of 1,777 brands in five key events at Fiera Milano Rho, came to an end on 25 February: MICAM Milano, MIPEL, Milano Fashion&Jewels, TheOneMilano and Sì Sposaitalia Collezioni. A synergy between different but complementary events, which has created a true international hub for fashion retail, offering an integrated experience for buyers and industry professionals. The closing figures are proof of this: 46,000 visitors in total, with a strong international presence, particularly from France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Greece and, outside the EU, Japan and the USA. In terms of participating companies, 1,777 brands were present, 45% of which came from abroad, with the involvement of specialised buyers and lifestyle buyers active on international markets.

This is how Fashion Link Milano confirmed a vision already in place: reaffirming the central role of trade fairs as strategic platforms for the evolution of global fashion, capable of promoting quality, fostering qualified connections and creating a community in which every encounter becomes an opportunity for business and inspiration.

A dynamic and integrated context, enriched by cross-cutting initiatives, has allowed buyers to identify emerging trends, engage with global markets, and discover craftsmanship excellence and cutting-edge technologies.

Starting in September 2026, the project will be further strengthened with the simultaneous return of LINEAPELLE and Simac Tanning Tech, bringing the number of events under Fashion Link Milano to seven and completing the story of the fashion supply chain, from product to technology, an essential driver of contemporary innovation.

MICAM AND MIPEL: BUSINESS PLATFORMS AND STRATEGIC VISION

An active and highly valuable part of Fashion Link Milano was the 101st edition of MICAM and the 129th edition of MIPEL, which attracted over 20,000 visitors to the fair, 46% of whom were Italian and 54% international, particularly from France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Greece and, outside the EU, Japan and the USA.

The event saw the participation of 795 brands, 402 of which were international and 393 Italian, confirming the high international appeal and central role of the fair in supporting the business and internationalisation processes of the sector.

 “The figures confirm the solidity of the event,” said Giovanna Ceolini, president of MICAM and Assocalzaturifici, “but what really makes us proud is the quality of the relationships that are built here, the intensity of the interaction between companies, buyers and operators from all over the world. MICAM is not just a trade fair: it is a lively platform for business and strategic vision, a space where Italian manufacturing excellence dialogues with emerging trends, new technologies and the distribution models of the future. The work begun with the industrial plan, the collaboration with our institutional partners – from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ICE – and the growing focus on internationalisation show that we are on the right track.

Among the most appreciated elements were the MICAM Next area, with seminars organised in collaboration with WIRED Italia and fashion shows, and M&M – The Hub, the space dedicated to training and advanced manufacturing, where the MICAM Academy and craft workshops curated by Arsutoria School attracted over 500 students during the three days of the event.

The next appointment is now with Micam 102, from 13 to 15 September 2026.


Trends Spring/Summer 2027

A different way of observing materials, forms and surfaces, letting creative thinking come before category.

The collaboration between Virgil Abloh and Takashi Murakami represents one of the most emblematic cases of this vision. It all begins in 2003, under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs, with the first and iconic collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Murakami: the celebrated Monogram Multicolor, an explosion of color and pop culture that breaks the boundaries between contemporary art and accessories. That visual world then returns in the language of Louis Vuitton during the Virgil Abloh years (2018–2021), reigniting its cultural force by bringing Murakami’s work into a more mature and experimental conceptual dimension. And still today, under the menswear direction of Pharrell Williams, the collaboration finds new interpretations: in 2024–2025, twenty years after the first edition, Louis Vuitton celebrates this legacy with reissues and an ongoing dialogue with the artist’s visual universe.

Pop Dust
Optical Seduction
Cut as nature

From this cross-pollination emerges an idea of fashion as a space of creative autonomy. Independence not as isolation, but as the freedom to build one’s own language, far from standardization and aesthetic clichés. It means breaking dominant codes, moving beyond the labels of minimalism or maximalism to give shape to personal and recognizable identities. In this perspective, every material becomes a statement: irregular surfaces, untamed volumes, assemblages that appear spontaneous but are the result of research. As in nonconformist art, independence is also provocation: an invitation to look beyond, to question what is taken for granted. The trends that follow are born from here. They do not point in a single direction, but open up creative territories to explore, where art, matter and design meet to build new expressive possibilities.

VIDEO: Men’s catwalks F/W ’26-27 trends

Identity, Measure, and the New Luxury. The men’s shows for the Fall/Winter 2026–27 season offered two compelling visions of contemporary masculinity—one grounded in deliberate contradiction, the other in silent, unwavering continuity. Here are the key takeaways.

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Our Trend Analyst Maria Cristina Rossi guides us through the discovery of the main trends seen on the catwalks:

Dior Men: Tension as a Design Principle

Drawing inspiration from Paul Poiret, Anderson built a collection around deliberate contradiction — part cultured, part subcultural, suspended outside any fixed era. Yellow wigs removed the looks from time entirely, while soft messenger bags and Y-shaped ankle boots kept things grounded in the everyday. A measured luxury that doesn’t need special effects, its strength lies in leaving tensions unresolved rather than smoothing them over.

Giorgio Armani: A Radical Calm

The first collection since the founder’s passing, this show carried a quiet but unmistakable weight. Leo Del Oroco chose continuity over disruption — a genuinely courageous move in a system that too often mistakes noise for progress. Everything was unmistakably Armani: fluid, built on subtraction, with shoes designed to support rather than declare and bags that stay strictly functional. Less Instagrammable than its peers, but far more lasting.

The Broader Trends: Softness Takes Over

Across the shows, two clear directions emerged in accessories. Leather goods shed their rigidity entirely — travel bags, document holders, shoppers, and shoulder bags were constructed without reinforcements, in flexible materials that move naturally with the body. The era of the stiff, structured bag is giving way to something more organic and contemporary.
Footwear followed the same logic. Loafers dominated, many edging close to slipper territory, with snug uppers, cushioned interiors, and thin, flexible soles. Comfort is no longer a compromise — it has become a central element of refined style.

AICC: Pellegrini invites members to participate

We are pleased to publish the first message from the new president to AICC members. Tomaso Pellegrini expresses his gratitude for the trust placed in him, thanks his predecessors and the Board of Directors, and pledges to carry out his role with dedication and a spirit of unity. His goal is to promote the growth of tanning culture, strengthen ties between members, and face future challenges with cohesion, inviting everyone to actively participate in the life of the association.

Tomaso Pellegrini is the new AICC president

 Dear Members,

It is with great enthusiasm and honor that I address you as the new President of the Italian Association of Leather Chemists. I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me and am ready to take on this responsibility with commitment and dedication.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my predecessors in this role for their work and achievements. In particular, I would like to thank Past Presidents Franca Nuti and Mariano Roberto Mecenero, who taught me the importance of harmony and unity of purpose.

I have found a new Board of Directors that is lively, harmonious, believes in the Association, and has shown me its support. I hope to deserve their trust; I will do my best to repay this demonstration of esteem.

In this new chapter, my goal is to continue promoting the growth of the Leather Culture within the Association and with the next generations, strengthening the bonds between Members and developing new initiatives that allow us to better respond to the challenges and opportunities that await us. I am convinced that unity is strength, especially in this difficult period for the entire supply chain.

I invite you to continue to actively participate in our initiatives and to share your ideas, suggestions, and proposals. Your support is the driving force that pushes us to improve, and I am sure that, with everyone’s contribution, we will be able to build an even brighter future for our Association.

I hope to meet you soon, hear your opinions, and work together to make our organization even stronger.

Warm regards to you all,

The President

Tomaso Pellegrini

Tomaso Pellegrini is the new president of AICC

On February 20, the Board of Directors of the Italian Association of Leather Chemists (AICC) elected Tomaso Pellegrini as its new president for the next three years. A graduate in chemistry from the University of Padua, Pellegrini succeeds Franca Nuti, who had led the association since 2022.

Tomaso Pellegrini

The new president has extensive experience with the association, having been a member of the AICC Board of Directors since 2019 and having served on the UNPAC Technical Commission for over seven years. He has worked at GSC Group since 2000.

The new AICC Executive Board for the three-year period 2026-2028 is composed as follows:

Campania Area: Daniela Caracciolo, Alfredo Guerra, Francesca Petrilli.

Piedmont-Lombardy Area: Gabriella Marchioni Bocca, Massimo Galiberti.

Tuscany Area: Leonardo Brandolini, Massimo De Santis, Tiziana Gambicorti, Riccardo Girolami.

Veneto Area: Stefano Baggio, Gianni Carradore, Alberto Cattazzo, Adriano Gemo, Giancarlo Lovato, Tomaso Pellegrini, Cristina Satolli, Giuliano Vallarsa.

Auditor: Vittorio Panarotto.

“We would like to extend our best wishes to the newly elected president and the new Board of Directors for their effective and fruitful work, for the good and continued growth of our association,” reads the official statement of the association. “We would also like to thank those who have enabled AICC to grow in its activities to promote the tanning culture, and in particular the outgoing president, who has done important work over the past three years.”

  COTANCE opens up to new members and reforms its Statutes: a historic turning point for the European leather industry

A historic turning point for COTANCE. During the Extraordinary General Assembly held on February 13, 2026, in Milan, on the occasion of Lineapelle, the European Confederation of Tanners unanimously approved a substantial revision of its Statutes, officially opening up to a new category of members and setting the course for broader and more inclusive representation of the entire leather supply chain.

The statutory reform, the result of a year-long review process developed during 2025, introduces the new category of “Supporting Members.” These are organizations linked to the leather ecosystem—including training institutions, research and innovation bodies, industrial clusters, suppliers, and other stakeholders—which will be able to formally participate in the Confederation’s activities.

New members will be able to benefit from COTANCE initiatives and take part in targeted events, although they will not have voting rights. The organization’s intention is that this openness will strengthen dialogue and collaboration throughout the value chain.

The revision of the Statutes also introduces an update to the governance structure, strengthening the executive role of the Presidency. The President will be able to appoint Vice-Presidents, ensuring greater flexibility in the leadership structure and representation that is more aligned with the priorities of the sector. The term of office of the Presidency has also been extended to four years.

Manuel Rios, COTANCE President

COTANCE President Manuel Rios emphasized that “the decisions taken in Milan by unanimity signals not just an administrative update, but a structural step forward: a more open, collaborative and future-oriented Confederation, ready to support a modern European leather ecosystem.”

 

Secretary General Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano also highlighted the significance of the reform: “COTANCE is, and remains, a European organisation representing the interest of European tanners. With this statutory evolution, COTANCE broadens its constituency to cover also the interests of individuals and entities in the leather ecosystem which previously lacked representation. By doing so, it positions itself to better address today’s challenges — from sustainability and traceability to skills, innovation and global competitiveness — by engaging the full spectrum of actors shaping the future of leather.”

During the meeting, members also welcomed Edoardo De Paola as the new Deputy Secretary General. De Paola will take over as Secretary General in April 2026, ensuring continuity and further strengthening the organization’s ability to support the sector in the coming years.

Edoardo De Paola is the new Deputy Secretary General

In his introductory speech, De Paola said: “I am an Italian national and a European citizen. While my proximity may make it more immediate for me to engage with the Italian membership, I am fully conscious that this mandate entrusts me with representing a broad and diverse European membership. I am committed to safeguarding the interest of COTANCE’s members and the plurality of voices that shape its common position”.

 

Organisations interested in joining COTANCE as Supporting Members are invited to express their interest at [email protected]

 

 

Towards ‘integral’ sustainability

The textile industry is undergoing profound changes, and the principles of the circular economy, traceability, and sustainable innovation are essential for the resilience and competitiveness of businesses in a challenging economic environment. The next frontier of sustainability in the textile sector requires innovation, regulatory alignment, and the adoption of new, regenerative, circular business models. To explore these priorities, the Ecomondo & AISEC (Italian Association for the Development of the Circular Economy) Scientific Technical Committee has invited industry experts and presented successful case studies.

Sustainability and the EU

According to Guido Bellitti (Studio Chiomenti), 2025 has seen a scaling back of the Green Deal’s ambitions, with a trend toward simplification and deregulation, as evidenced by Omnibus 1. This has lightened the compliance burden for businesses but has also created legal uncertainty for those that had already begun investing to comply with CSRD and CSDDD. At the same time, competition authorities have stepped up scrutiny of unfair practices in the fashion sector (e.g. labor exploitation and greenwashing). The approval of the Green Claims Directive — currently stalled — remains crucial to providing legal certainty around sustainable communications.

Ecodesign and Traceability

Eleonora Foschi (ENEA) notes that the Ecodesign Regulation, in force since last July, identifies textile products as a priority, defining 16 criteria and introducing tools such as the digital product passport. ENEA is supporting SMEs in Italian textile districts (Biella, Prato) through the compliance process. A pilot study in Emilia-Romagna found that many companies have over 500 suppliers, making traceability highly complex. Rinaldo Rinaldi (University of Florence) stresses that the value of Made in Italy is increasingly shifting from material quality to production process transparency, requiring complete, accurate, and interoperable data across all actors in the supply chain.

The Districts

Valerio Barberis highlights the strategic role of Italian cities, which generate 80% of European GDP. Industrial and artisan districts, such as the textile district of Prato (accounting for 3% of European textile production), should be regarded as circularity laboratories. Dedicated national policies are needed, as current regulations risk hindering the good local practices already underway.

Partnerships for Innovation

Raffaella Arista (Studio Legale Improda) illustrates how patents and partnership agreements are enabling innovation in sustainable materials. A prime example is Orange Fiber, which produces a fabric from the cellulose found in orange juice by-products, already adopted by Ferragamo. Collaborative business networks are also emerging, such as Innovation for Luxury — an open network involving major players including Louis Vuitton — focused on sharing projects around innovation, digitalization, and sustainability.

The Recycling Sector

Attila Kiss (Gruppo Florence) highlights the sector’s challenges: few mature technologies, limited demand, and a prevalence of “down cycling” over genuine recycling, with high costs making recycled materials poorly competitive. Gruppo Florence, with 5,000 employees, aims to drive change through aggregation, material sorting, and creative collaboration with brands. Louis Vuitton also takes a structured approach to circularity: it operates around ten repair centers worldwide, carrying out 500,000 repairs per year, practices eco-design, and has introduced a repairability index (A, B, C), with the goal of having 85% of its collection classified as A or B.

Henkel initiates acquisition of Stahl

On February 4, Henkel announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire the Dutch group Stahl for €2.1 billion. The chemical company employs approximately 1,700 people and reported sales of approximately €725 million in fiscal year 2025.

Majority-owned by French private equity firm Wendel SE (minority shareholders include BASF and Clariant, which together hold 30% of the shares), Stahl is a leader in the field of high-performance specialty coatings for flexible materials, providing solutions to leading brands in the automotive, fashion & lifestyle, and packaging sectors worldwide. The portfolio includes coatings for leather finishing, high-performance coatings for paper packaging, and graphic applications.

Carsten Knobel, CEO of Henkel

“With the acquisition of Stahl,” said Carsten Knobel, CEO of Henkel, “we will further strengthen our Adhesive Technologies business unit in line with our strategic agenda. This transaction will enable us to expand in the specialty coatings category, with a product offering for our core markets and new application segments.”

 

For its part, Stahl aims to further strengthen its focus on the high-performance specialty coatings segment. As for activities related to the tanning sector, it should be noted that Stahl’s wet end division had already been spun off from the group with the creation at the end of 2025 of MUNO, a new independent company based in Milan that presents itself as a global supplier specializing in solutions for the wet end of tanning and is led by CEO Xavier Rafols.

 

 

 

 

 

Rino Mastrotto Rino Mastrotto will save 7.5 million liters of water this year

Rino Mastrotto announces that it will save 7.5 million liters of water in 2026, the equivalent of three Olympic swimming pools or the capacity of 250 large industrial tankers. This is the result of the sustainable “Hearth” line, an innovative tanning process created by the Trissino-based group that reduces water consumption by 91% and chemical consumption by 23%, as well as reducing CO2 emissions by 22%.

The water saving data was announced at Lineapelle, the most important international trade fair in the sector, held at Fiera Milano Rho from February 11 to 13.

The new collection

At Lineapelle, Rino Mastrotto presented its new spring/summer 2027 collection, “Origini,” for the first time. Born from the need to rediscover the beauty of everyday life in an increasingly uncertain and unstable present, “Origini” celebrates a return to the tangible. This season’s inspirations move away from artificial and digital visions to rediscover the warmth and emotion of touch, the breath of matter through light textures that play with light and create timeless elegance. With this new collection, Rino Mastrotto invites us to rediscover our own reality made up of sincere emotions and authentic connections.

With “Origini,” color ceases to be merely aesthetic and becomes a language: a skillful use of shades translates emotions into a profound and vibrant visual narrative. Starting with whites and bleached tones that evoke serenity and light, we move on to blues, light blues, and greens that encapsulate the fresh and regenerating essence of water. Beige, earthy pinks, and khaki create a bridge between the purity of nature and metropolitan dynamism, enveloping the space in an atmosphere of calm and elegance. Browns, traditionally associated with winter, acquire a new softness and sensuality thanks to the summer light, while yellows and oranges infuse the season with a vital energy, vibrant like the sun.

Who is Rino Mastrotto

A strategic partner of leading luxury brands, Rino Mastrotto is based in Trissino, in the province of Vicenza. The Group, owned by the Prada Group, employs over 1,500 people across five continents and recorded a turnover of €327.8 million in 2024.

Rino Mastrotto encompasses numerous companies and brands specializing in the luxury segment. In Italy, in the high fashion sector, Basmar and Pomari, Nuova Osba, Conceria Superior, Tannerie Limoges, Tessitura Oreste Mariani, and Mapel stand out on the international scene as benchmarks in the luxury leather goods, footwear, and clothing supply chain. These are companies of excellence, sought after both for the uniqueness of their products and for their attention to practices.

Rino Mastrotto is also active in the automotive sector with the Italian company Brusarosco and the Swedish company Elmo Leather; in interior design with the Italian division of Rino Mastrotto, the Swedish company Elmo Leather, the North American distribution subsidiary Carroll Leather; and in textiles with Jacqart, the new company created in July 2025 from the agreement between Rino Mastrotto and the Marzotto Group. In addition, the Tuscan company Morelab stands out as a specialized provider of tailor-made services, further enriching the Group’s offering in the luxury sector.

Fashion Link Milano: from 21 February, Fiera Milano becomes the centre of the fashion world

There comes a time when coordination ceases to be a good idea and becomes a necessity. Fashion Link Milano seems to have been born at precisely that moment.

From 21 February, Fiera Milano Rho becomes the beating heart of international fashion: an integrated ecosystem that brings together five leading events — MICAM Milano and MIPEL, Milano Fashion & Jewels, Sì Sposaitalia Collezioni, The One Milano — for a total of 1,777 brands, 45% of which come from abroad. Buyers from Germany, Japan, the USA, India, the United Arab Emirates and beyond: not just a trade fair, but a geography of business.

 

From September 2026, Lineapelle and Simac Tanning Tech will also join the project, bringing the number of events involved to seven. A clear signal: Fashion Link Milano wants to connect not only finished products, but the entire supply chain — from leather to machinery, from tanning technology to shoes on the shelf and bags in the shop window.

 

Among the many new features is the new layout of Hall 5: ‘We have worked, and will continue to do so in future editions, to help buyers discover new products and calibrate their future commercial offerings through fluid, intuitive and immersive itineraries,’ say Giovanna Ceolini and Claudia Sequi, referring to MICAM and MIPEL.

 

Within this huge event, there are also the Mipel Factory and Micam Academy areas, organised by Arsutoria, where visitors and students will experience a real production environment for the first time.

 

Thanks to Fashion Link Milano, the strategic role of already established and appreciated trade fairs is thus strengthened, offering the community of international operators and buyers a hub capable of maximising opportunities and generating new style stories, a real platform for meaningful connections destined to evolve alongside the sector.

 

An entire supply chain, together again. More and more together. This is the added value that no slogan could summarise better than the facts. And the facts will be seen (for footwear and leather goods) from 22 to 24 February 2026.