Gilles Lasbordes (Première Vision): ‘High-end leather products require a clean and traceable production chain’

The international sourcing trade show, Première Vision Paris, which is scheduled to take place from February 6 to February 8, 2024 at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, will highlight the leather industry through its entire production chain. Gilles Lasbordes, managing director of the event, explained to FashionUnited why traceability is a key element in elevating any industry.

Will Première Vision Paris February 2024 revisit the leather sector?

Seven French companies will be presenting the upper end of the leather industry, for which the subject of eco-responsibility and traceability is very important. Upstream of the leather goods manufacturers and tanners, there is everything that goes on in the production chain. We'll be showcasing companies working to improve the quality of hides, animal welfare and environmental issues.

These challenges begin at the breeding stage and are closely linked to rural life and the income of farmers who have between 100 and 160 animals. The better quality of the hides will be addressed at the show, as well as the diversification and improvement of farmers' income (honey, silk, etc.)

Is Première Vision Paris February 2024 a new kind of agricultural show, with calves and cows?

No (laughs), but we will demonstrate how the industry functions. In addition to fashion professionals specialising in leatherwork (Tannerie Roux, Guyard Chesneau, etc.), the event opens to a variety of stakeholders encompassing the entire production chain: from agricultural experts to environmental specialists and innovators in new technologies. This holistic approach, conceived and developed in collaboration with the French Federation of Tannery Mégisserie, reflects Première Vision's commitment to creating inclusive dialogue, thus fostering innovation within the leather industry.

FashionUnited has previously written about the agricultural association Domaine des Massifs, which collaborates with farmers and breeders to add value to the materials produced by the animals for the industry, such as leather and meat. Will you collaborate with this structure?

Yes, we will leverage the network of the Domaine des Massifs. The need for luxury to design high-end products requires ensuring that the production chain is clean and traceable. To assure the delivery of the necessary quantities, the rate of grade one (first choice) must be as high as possible. It's essential that industry players lead the way in transparency, as done by, for example, Supima for cotton or Woolmark for wool.

Why focus on leather during the spring/summer 2025 collection presentations?

It happened naturally. We started last July with companies like Dassault Systèmes or Microsoft showcasing their new technology in traceability.

Is this initiative an extension of the ‘Better Way’ sustainable sourcing programme, a concept started last season, now joined by the Manufacturing and Smart Materials sectors?

We are addressing the ‘Better Way' programme in stages, as it is quite extensive. It took us time to develop the questionnaires that we submit to our Manufacturing exhibitors.

What will this practically entail?

This means that the guide and tools we will provide to buyers for visiting the show, from an eco-responsible perspective, will include exhibitors who have responded to the manufacturing questionnaire. One industry remains to be addressed: Accessories. We've saved the most challenging for last, as Accessories is a very diverse sector, comprising metal, plastic, glass, etc.

Première Vision Paris February 2024

Première Vision Paris February 2024 will bring together more than 1,200 international exhibitors (spinners, weavers, tanners, designers, manufacturers of accessories and components, garment makers) to showcase the spring/summer 2025 collections.

The show will feature nine universes: Yarns (yarns and fibres), Fabrics (fabrics), Designs (textile design and creation), Accessories (accessories and components), Manufacturing (ready-to-wear clothing), Manufacturing Leather (ready-to-wear clothing, leather goods, leather shoes), Smart Creation (technical and technological innovations, eco-responsible materials), Maison d'Exceptions (exclusive know-how) and Leather. It will also include dead stocks, notably with the arrival of L'Atelier des Matières, and a programme of conferences that can be discovered on the Première Vision website.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.FR. Translation and edit from French into English: Veerle Versteeg.