Comment - International Leather Maker

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We need to talk about methane

Redwood Comment

Published: 04 October, 2022

Mike Redwood brings us back to the conversation around methane following some alarming environmental news.

At last, no Covid passes or masks

Redwood Comment

Published: 28 September, 2022

When the Cotance EU Social Dialogue Group looked into the future for the leather industry to 2025 in 2015 the outcome of various studies and a year of meetings around Europe were generally optimistic. With a short ten-year horizon there was not a thought of events such as Covid-19, war in Europe or rupture with China never mind all three.

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Living with alternative materials

Redwood Comment

Published: 22 September, 2022

Mike Redwood considers the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and how emulating her calm, cooperative approach could benefit us all, especially when coexisting with “leather alternatives”.

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Careful consideration before change

Redwood Comment

Published: 14 September, 2022

Mike Redwood reflects on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the long history of tradition in the UK and the need for careful consideration before change change.

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100 reasons to be in Italy this September

ILM Comment

Published: 08 September, 2022

ILM Content Director Martin Ricker looks at the full and varied calendar of events taking place in Italy this month.

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Proper networking is vital to understand your environment

Redwood Comment

Published: 07 September, 2022

Mike Redwood looks at how the networking concept has transformed in the business world and what the leather industry should really be doing to understand the market.

Credit: Erretre

Do computers improve tannery productivity?

Redwood Comment

Published: 31 August, 2022

Mike Redwood questions whether the rise of automation has had a positive effect on productivity in the tannery.

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The many consequences of fast fashion

Redwood Comment

Published: 24 August, 2022

Mike Redwood addresses the effects of fast fashion on society, the environment and the young designers who the leather industry is trying to support.

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The way we work is changing

Redwood Comment

Published: 17 August, 2022

Mike Redwood ponders the changing workplace environment post-lockdown and how this has reached even the tanning world.

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Unexpected disruptive events are now the norm

Redwood Comment

Published: 09 August, 2022

Mike Redwood touches on yet another unexpected disruptive event, which has become a usual occurrence in 2022, and the need to drive leather marketing forward regardless of cost-cutting.

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Do we have the right information on livestock?

Redwood Comment

Published: 03 August, 2022

Mike Redwood looks at the vital connection between leather and livestock, and whether we have the information we need on the livestock industry.

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Promoting leather hand-in-hand with designers

Redwood Comment

Published: 26 July, 2022

Mike Redwood celebrates the recent successes of the industry in engaging designers in the promotion of leather.

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Pandemic repercussions for the South American market

theSauerReport Comment

Published: 25 July, 2022

Ian Banks, Editor of theSauerReport, examines the situation in South America post-pandemic, and how some of the supply chain priorities and business relationships may have shifted.

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Once upon a time

Redwood Comment

Published: 19 July, 2022

In the midst of a heatwave, Mike Redwood considers the concerning state of climate change efforts and the role the leather industry could play.

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Transport tomorrow, problems today

Redwood Comment

Published: 13 July, 2022

Mike Redwood examines ongoing turmoil and uncertainty in the automotive sector and the possible consequences for the leather industry.

Credit: James Waincoat

Cultural barriers to a global industry

ILM Comment

Published: 08 July, 2022

ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth asks whether there is a way for a global industry such as leather to overcome cultural barriers that can hinder our progress.

The fossil carbon industry likes to label livestock as the bad guy.

The catastrophe of Higg

Redwood Comment

Published: 06 July, 2022

Last Autumn over thirty leather industry organisations from around the world agreed to publish a Leather Manifesto, which was sent out shortly before the start of COP-26 held in Glasgow. In the weeks after, a few critical articles were published arguing that the Manifesto had failed to make any impact and animal rights bodies and individuals, not least Stella McCartney, had been able to steal the show.

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Looking on the bright side

Redwood Comment

Published: 29 June, 2022

Mike Redwood takes a breather from the doom and gloom of the world at large and asks what the leather industry can do to bring some positivity to consumers.

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The changing face of Shanghai

Redwood Comment

Published: 22 June, 2022

Mike Redwood reflects on how the pandemic has changed even those parts of the world and our lives we thought were immune to it.

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All that for a drop of positivity

ILM Comment

Published: 16 June, 2022

Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth discusses the recent New York Times article which criticised the Higg Index, and the realities of generating positive press for leather.

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Chrome and the consequences of progress

Redwood Comment

Published: 15 June, 2022

Mike Redwood looks to the past to understand the consequences of chrome tanning in irresponsible hands and why the industry might soon move on.

Map of China's Belt & Road

Global challenges require new approaches

Redwood comment

Published: 08 June, 2022

Mike Redwood examines some of the current challenges facing the leather industry across the globe, from geopolitical conflict to trade shows.

Credit: APLF

What does the future hold for international leather exhibitions?

ILM Comment

Published: 06 June, 2022

After APLF announced a Special Edition show in Bangkok in October 2022 and a return to Dubai in 2023, ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth discusses the implications.

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A better future for cities should involve leather artisans

Redwood Comment

Published: 31 May, 2022

Mike Redwood discusses the possibilities that can be found for makers in a post-Covid landscape with emptier cities and a WFH focus.

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The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

Redwood Comment

Published: 25 May, 2022

Mike Redwood condemns the confusion created by holding outdated leather production methods over the industry’s head long after they’ve been deemed unsafe and replaced.

Credit: Royal Smit & Zoon

Getting your philosophy right

Redwood Comment

Published: 18 May, 2022

Mike Redwood reflects on Royal Smit & Zoon’s 200^th anniversary dinner, and the company’s business philosophy.

Credit: APLF

Discovering a love for leather

Redwood Comment

Published: 11 May, 2022

Mike Redwood discusses the great benefit of activities like the APLF Design-a-Bag Competition in helping people to discover leather and fall in love with the material.

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Why are alternative biomaterials targeting genuine leather?

ILM Comment

Published: 09 May, 2022

ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth asks why alternative biomaterials are choosing to target leather for market share and public perception.

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PEST control for a turbulent world

Redwood Comment

Published: 03 May, 2022

On a global scale, things have only gotten more concerning since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the leather industry must keep an eye on the issues, explains Mike Redwood.

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Opportunities in leather should apply to all genders

Redwood Comment

Published: 26 April, 2022

Mike Redwood discusses the need for more women in the leather industry and the opportunities available.

Credit: Kira auf der Heide

The much needed promotional and educational booklet on leather

Redwood comment

Published: 20 April, 2022

Two weeks ago, the UK based Leather Conservation Centre held its first three-day residential course for conservators since December 2019. It was a big moment as this normally annual course attracts conservators from Museums all round the world.

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Getting younger generations excited about leather

Redwood Comment

Published: 13 April, 2022

Mike Redwood looks to innovative figures for inspiration on how the leather industry can take its messaging to younger generations.

Debbie Burton speaks at the ILM/APLF conference in Dubai.

Decisions on material choice should be based on facts

Redwood Comment

Published: 06 April, 2022

Mike Redwood examines the reasons behind a lack of leather knowledge in the general population and the efforts in the industry to combat this problem.

Credit: APLF Dubai

What did we discover in Dubai?

ILM Comment

Published: 05 April, 2022

The “one-off” APLF Dubai fair is over, and it has thrown up many new questions. Where is the best future home for an international leather industry trade fair? Will we be in Hong Kong in 2023, Dubai or both? There are pros and cons for each, writes ILM Content Director Martin Ricker.

Credit: Yash Jain

APLF Dubai: a moment for conversation

Redwood Comment

Published: 30 March, 2022

As APLF Dubai gets underway, Mike Redwood acknowledges the efforts of key industry figures who paved the way for the leather industry as it is today.

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Kangaroos are better for Australia than cattle

Comment

Published: 23 March, 2022

Industry Consultant Catherine Money discusses the facts that contradict the flawed thinking of animal rights activists when it comes to the kangaroo industry in Australia.

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Leather must stay focused on the environment

Redwood Comment

Published: 23 March, 2022

The war in Ukraine has driven other issues out of the news and redrawn the priorities for business, writes Mike Redwood, but one item that must stay on the agenda for tanners is climate change.

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The need for unity in a time of conflict

ILM Comment

Published: 18 March, 2022

There are many reasons for us all to be pulled apart in 2022, but that means the leather industry needs to fight for unity more than ever before, writes Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth.

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Transforming cooperation in the leather industry

Redwood Comment

Published: 16 March, 2022

The leather industry desperately needs more cooperation and unity, especially when the world at large is so fractured, Mike Redwood comments.

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A truly unwelcome black swan event

Redwood Comment

Published: 09 March, 2022

Dr Mike Redwood examines the potential fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the latest event to shake the world's, and leather's, global trade foundations.

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Heading for a post-globalisation leather industry

ILM Comment

Published: 04 March, 2022

ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth ponders whether globalisation is at an end for the leather industry and what the future might look like.

Credit: Land to Market

The world is short of herbivores

Redwood Comment

Published: 02 March, 2022

Mike Redwood explains why we actually need more livestock in the world, albeit with better and more regenerative management.

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Craft skills vs mass production

Redwood Comment

Published: 23 February, 2022

Mike Redwood discusses how leather, particularly luxury goods, has held out against mass production practices in favour of tradition and artisan skill.

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Savar is a dreadful tale of waste

Redwood Comment

Published: 16 February, 2022

Mike Redwood reviews the situation in Bangladesh and the need for the global leather industry to work in unison to support each other and protect leather’s image.

The colour, softness and versatility of leather

Redwood Comment

Published: 08 February, 2022

Mike Redwood compares the state of the world and the state of leather and finds some common ground for the industry to look to as we promote leather in 2022.

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Is regenerative agriculture a golden opportunity?

ILM Comment

Published: 07 February, 2022

ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth discusses the topic of regenerative agriculture, and the murky waters of an issue that often is not as well defined as it could be.

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Is it time to move on from China?

Redwood Comment

Published: 02 February, 2022

Mike Redwood discusses the APLF’s move to Dubai for 2022, and the wider indications of a shift away from China’s hold on the leather industry in recent times.

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The leather industry is not immune to geopolitics

Redwood Comment

Published: 25 January, 2022

Mike Redwood recalls some of the toughest points in his career, when the necessity of leather work and omnipresent geopolitical turmoil put him and colleagues in dangerous and sometimes fatal situations.

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Fake it to make it is a poor template for innovation

Redwood Comment

Published: 19 January, 2022

Mike Redwood reviews some of the failures in leather’s past, examples of how innovation is never as easy as it sounds, and what this means for the industry today.

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New Year, new leather industry

ILM Comment

Published: 17 January, 2022

ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth examines the challenges we have ahead in 2022 and explains why we have so many more opportunities to take advantage of.

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