
Collaboration in a fragmented world
Mike Redwood returns to the theme of collaboration in 2023 and takes a look at some of the moving parts in the global leather industry that are working towards or against this goal.
Read more...Mike Redwood returns to the theme of collaboration in 2023 and takes a look at some of the moving parts in the global leather industry that are working towards or against this goal.
Read more...In this week’s Redwood comment, Mike Redwood looks at the role of AI and how it can be used to understand and analyse data, to help us consider how the leather industry and the world in general are evolving.
Read more...Mike Redwood discusses the need for the global leather supply chain to continue investments in ESG despite rising costs.
Read more...Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth reviews some of the top stories and topics from the ILM website throughout 2022.
Read more...Mike Redwood asks whether we should accept shoes that disintegrate after a few years or opt for well-designed footwear made with leather that can be easily maintained and repaired.
Read more...Mike Redwood looks further on than 2023 and asks what resolutions the leather industry can make going into the new year.
Read more...Mike Redwood ends the year with a word of caution and a call for the leather industry to stick together against the problems of 2022 and those ahead.
Read more...Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth examines the concerns around the rise of meat alternatives and the reality of the situation.
Read more...Following on from the recent ILM podcast covering the LHCA’s visit to COP27, Mike Redwood asks why the wider industry is not making the same effort to engage and promote leather.
Read more...Mike Redwood discusses the recent Balenciaga scandal and the consequences of marketing products without thought.
Read more...Mike Redwood discusses the problem of endlessly chasing growth across industries, and how the leather industry can embrace slow growth for success.
Read more...In this latest column, Mike Redwood discusses the importance of historical figure and tanner Tom Poole on the occasion of his 256th birthday.
Read more...Dr Luis Zugno discusses why it is important for the leather sector to present itself in the right way – as a safe and responsible industry.
Read more...Mike Redwood discusses the need for the leather industry to get its messaging in front of consumers through the right channels.
Read more...Mike Redwood looks at the attacks on the credibility of Professor Frank Mitloehner and how this reflects issues facing the meat and leather industries.
Read more...Mike Redwood looks at how the luxury industries have adapted over time, and the many challenges they face on the horizon.
Read more...Mike Redwood reviews some of the ongoing issues in the automotive industry and why now is the time to fight for the use of leather.
Read more...Mike Redwood ponders the importance of location for the leather industry from tanning clusters to trade fairs.
Read more...ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth reflects on the adaptability of the tanning industry and the need to be open to working with other materials.
Read more...Mike Redwood discusses how important it is for the industry to be open to the public and to those who wish to learn more about the process of leather making.
Read more...Mike Redwood brings us back to the conversation around methane following some alarming environmental news.
Read more...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.
Read more...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”.
Read more...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.
Read more...ILM Content Director Martin Ricker looks at the full and varied calendar of events taking place in Italy this month.
Read more...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.
Read more...Mike Redwood questions whether the rise of automation has had a positive effect on productivity in the tannery.
Read more...Mike Redwood addresses the effects of fast fashion on society, the environment and the young designers who the leather industry is trying to support.
Read more...Mike Redwood ponders the changing workplace environment post-lockdown and how this has reached even the tanning world.
Read more...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.
Read more...Mike Redwood looks at the vital connection between leather and livestock, and whether we have the information we need on the livestock industry.
Read more...Mike Redwood celebrates the recent successes of the industry in engaging designers in the promotion of leather.
Read more...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.
Read more...In the midst of a heatwave, Mike Redwood considers the concerning state of climate change efforts and the role the leather industry could play.
Read more...Mike Redwood examines ongoing turmoil and uncertainty in the automotive sector and the possible consequences for the leather industry.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...Mike Redwood reflects on how the pandemic has changed even those parts of the world and our lives we thought were immune to it.
Read more...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.
Read more...Mike Redwood looks to the past to understand the consequences of chrome tanning in irresponsible hands and why the industry might soon move on.
Read more...Mike Redwood examines some of the current challenges facing the leather industry across the globe, from geopolitical conflict to trade shows.
Read more...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.
Read more...Mike Redwood discusses the possibilities that can be found for makers in a post-Covid landscape with emptier cities and a WFH focus.
Read more...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.
Read more...Mike Redwood reflects on Royal Smit & Zoon’s 200th anniversary dinner, and the company’s business philosophy.
Read more...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.
Read more...ILM Deputy Editor Tom Hogarth asks why alternative biomaterials are choosing to target leather for market share and public perception.
Read more...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.
Read more...Mike Redwood discusses the need for more women in the leather industry and the opportunities available.
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