Under the skin

The Asia Pacific's largest leather and hide trade fair also doubles as a barometer for the state of fashion. Belinda Smart took a reading.

The weather may have been unseasonably cool and damp for an Asian spring, but within the large scale confines of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai, the heat was on.

With three events - the Materials, Manufacturing and Technology (MMT) fair, accessories expo Fashion Access (FA) and global textile and apparel conference Prime Source Forum (PSF) running concurrently under the Asia Pacific Leather Fair (APLF) umbrella - the schedule set a cracking pace.

From March 31 until April 2, more than 2,500 companies jostled to secure new business, while hordes of visitors trudged the venue's seemingly interminable corridors, led on by the promise of trend information, seminars and networking opportunities. The fair also marked a small victory for Australia, with Gold Coast designer Tristan Schultz taking out first prize in the outdoor category of FA's 'Design-A-Bag' competition.

According to APLF senior event manager Perrine Ardouin, such value adding is vital to the fair's success. The proliferation of trade fairs in mainland China, South America and Europe, coupled with the emergence of direct sourcing, means APLF can no longer rest on its laurels.

Victor Topper, managing director of AI Topper, an Australian tanner and exporter of cow, goat, sheep, lamb, pig and kangaroo skins - echoes the view. The company attended as part of a small but intrepid Australian contingent that also included Mimco, Le-Col Leathergoods, the Australian Hide, Skin & Leather Exporters' Association, Serenade Leather, Sarina, Michelle K and Reef Leather. An APLF veteran, Topper recalls headier days when it held sway on the leather and hide circuit.

"APLF has experienced a bit of a demise in recent years. In terms of the sheer numbers of exhibitors, it's much smaller than it used to be."

However if APLF's Ardouin is to be believed, such challenges are merely grist to the mill. Organisers have worked tirelessly, she says, to add compelling fashion content to APLF's offer and drive home the message - with varying degrees of success in the notoriously hard-headed leather sector - that fashionability is important. With economic belt-tightening and the rapid momentum of global fashion forcing companies to focus on accessories as a way of leveraging brand equity, this is the case now more than ever, she says.

According to Australian fashion accessory brand Mimco, APLF has certainly earned its stripes as a source of valuable trend information.

"It may be that we decide to take a different approach from what's happening trend wise, but it's still a very good starting point for us," says Mimco design general manager Cathryn Wills.

Emergent trends this year included exotic leathers with an emphasis on surface interest and natural skin effects, including crocodile, ostrich and alligator. The growth of new technologies has also allowed 'synthetic' to shed its status as a dirty word, she says.

"There are certainly a lot of technically advanced materials out there, although leather is wonderful and will always be our main material." Synthetics specialists are increasingly equipped to make fabrications to order, she adds, promising brands an enviable point of difference.

Brenda Lozada, sales and marketing manager of Serenade Leather, cites APLF's proximity to Australia and broad international perspective as reasons for visiting.

"We attend the fair every year and invariably pick up new business, as well as networking and sourcing new fabrications."

There's a lot more on offer for those who want it however. APLF's Ardouin points out that the March fair devoted an entire hall to components such as buckles, chains, buttons, zippers and studs, reflecting the importance of differentiated accessories to reinforce brand message. The current eco luxury groundswell was also catered to for the first time, in the form of a dedicated zone, she says.

Yet despite APLF's best efforts, it seems the adage that you can't please all the people all the time remains all too true. With what sounds like nostalgia, Victor Topper says APLF is now run "very much as a business", implying a profit-driven approach at odds with a more vibrant yesteryear. As if that weren't enough, Hong Kong is also a "notoriously expensive place to hold a trade fair", he says.

If there's one fashion trend APLF reflects above all others, it's the increasingly tough nature of the business cycle; but despite Topper's caveats, his perennial presence at APLF implies organisers must be doing something right.
"It costs us a fortune to attend. Every year we agonise about whether we should go or not and we're always reluctant. But then every year when it's over we have to admit it was really pretty good."

By Belinda Smart