Understanding Leather

Leather is both a luxury and a practical product.  It remains as popular as ever: indeed, even more so.  In difficult economic times leather remains an 'affordable luxury'.  Yet it is not fully understood, even by many in the industry.  Salespeople, merchandisers, designers, even senior management of leading brands with leather products forming a major part of the product range know little about the production process.   A series of courses, originated in Hong Kong, have proved overwhelmingly successful in teaching participants how to evaluate the raw material, understand the production process, and use leather to best advantage.   'Understanding Leather' is the title for a series of one-day seminars organised by APLF  in partnership with BLC, the world's leading leather technology house.  They have proved extremely popular, with dates for additional seminars being added constantly.   The manufacturing process is explained, and the world's key producing areas are identified, with pros and cons for each area explained.  The delegates handle many different types of leather and, by the end of the day, are able to assess many aspects of leather for themselves: such as type, product suitability, price level, etc.   Testing leather for performance (to ensure customer satisfaction) is explained – both how to do it and what standards to expect.  Restricted Substance testing is one of the hottest topics in many areas of production and leather is also experiencing a growth in Restricted Substance List (RSL) requirements.    The seminars are conducted by Barry Wood, from BLC, who has over 30 years' experience in the business.  In a straightforward non-technical manner, in a style widely praised for being easily understood, he provides useful tips on how to meet increasingly stringent requirements - and what to look for if there are problems.   A NEW COURSE   Understanding ECO Leather is a brand new course. Many companies are seeking a competitive advantage in the market place and Mr Wood explains the key points to look for and consider when introducing the concept of an ECO product.  The situation is not as straightforward as many think, with no simple answer to what ECO leather is, although several key pointers are examined. POPULAR DEMAND The success of 'Understanding Leather', and the positive response to 'Understanding ECO Leather', has led to demands to extend the number and location of future courses. In addition to Hong Kong new events are scheduled for Shanghai and Guangzhou in China, and Kuala Lumpa in Malaysia.   For the full schedule and details, please click here.   If you wish to contribute to the APLF News, with your experiences in the industry, your observations, or general thoughts on the direction the industry is going, we would like to hear from you. Email: aplf-news@aplf.com How long has your company been attending APLF? If you wish to be involved in the celebration of the 25th anniversary of APLF, we would like to hear from you. Email: aplf-news@aplf.com. Subject Headline: APLF 25th Anniversary