Barbara Mannucci, Director, Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale will present “Craft the Leather: Designing means choosing.” At the ‘Leather Supply Chain 2026 – The Great Leather Reset’ Conference on March 11 (pm).
‘Craft the Leather’ is an annual competition organised by the Italian Consortium (Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale) and is aimed at international fashion and design schools where its students will become the next generation of designers and crafters. Each entrant uses traditional Tuscan made vegetable tanned leather provided by the Consortium to create a project using any object of their choosing. The judging of the winning entries takes place at the Lineapelle fair in Milan each year.
Mannucci says “Every project is a position taken. The choice of materials used is not neutral; it determines the environmental impact, the lifespan of the object, the relationship between those who design, those who produce and those who use. All set against the context of climate change, overproduction of non-natural materials and making a design of a product that means taking responsibility for its long-term consequences.”
She will outline the importance of how vegetable tanned leather can be used in a modern world where a high biocontent, longevity and natural beauty can be celebrated in a world of cheap throw-away, fast-fashion synthetic materials.
Born in Tuscany
Born in Tuscany’s renowned leather tanning district, Barbara Mannucci has always been driven by the world of communication. She began her professional journey in the press office of a prestigious cultural institution in Florence, where she developed a strong expertise in media relations and communications.
In the early 2000s, she joined the foreign commercial departments of some of the most renowned tanneries in the Tuscan district, gaining extensive knowledge of leather, its unique qualities, and the complex production processes.
In 2008, she began working for the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale, a not-for-profit consortium, that brings together Tuscan tanneries specialised in vegetable-tanned leather. The consortium safeguards and promotes the ancient tradition of vegetable tanning and the authenticity of 100% ‘Made in Tuscany’ leather products.
Since 2013, she has served as Director, leading the consortium’s strategic development and international promotion activities, while continuing to advocate for the cultural, environmental, and artisanal value of vegetable-tanned leather.
How to register to attend this key event?
International Leather Maker (ILM) and APLF Ltd will host the half-day conference on March 11, 2026 (the day before the start of the APLF). It will feature six oral presentations as well as a panel discussion, focussing on the future trends and direction of the global leather supply chain. The conference will once again take place at the HKCEC (Room N101B), which is the same venue as the show. The APLF show takes place March 12-14, 2026. More information about the provisional conference programme and timings can be
found here.
Click here to register. Tickets to attend are US$140 per person and discounts are available for three or more bookings from the same organisation.
The ‘Leather Supply Chain 2026 – The Great Leather Reset’ conference is co-organised by ILM and APLF Ltd. The lead sponsors are Mindhive Global and Bureau Veritas. The coffee break is sponsored by National Beef Packing Co. ILM and APLF will post more information about the final conference programme in the coming weeks as the final speakers and topics are confirmed.
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