S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No4 April 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- The R-CTFL Masterplan, 5 years on – Part III: It’s not enough to say ‘please buymore from us’, says NCRF.
05 Exports & Trade
- APLF Leather, Materials+, Fashion Access: It was good to be back, exhibitors said.
- Fathima Khan Luxury: Good leads.
- NTE Company: Boost for agents.
- Thurling Investments: In many ways, back to the old glory days.
- Zambezi Grace: Good market for our leather and our bags.
- SAFLEC: As world output exceeds demand, SA is still an attractive source of footwear.
13 Travel Goods
- Growth for top end as business travel returns to normal levels.
16 Profile
- Alfonso Smerilli of Make My Shoes Store Lab and Smerilli Design Manufacturing: Direct to consumer AND supplying mini-chains with European quality footwear.
14 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Shoe brand The Weekend Boot opens doors to its secrets.
20 Influencers
- Beyoncé Bounce: Western boot sales jump more than 20% week over week since ‘Cowboy Carter’ launch.
- UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ‘ruins’ classically cool sneaker, while Barack Obama looked ‘tasteful, playful and on-point’.
23 Trade Statistics
- South Africa: January imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
All China Leather Exhibition (OFC), Arena Trim (04), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Haesloop Agencies (09), Kaytex Belts (12), Leather Finishing Products (15), Leggenda Sport/Diadora (03, 19), Saddler Belts (07), SAFLEC (10), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (14), Seadoone Shoes (06), Shotland Packing (17).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 15 May 2024.
- APLF Leather, Materials+, Fashion Access: Fathima Khan Luxury: Good leads : Exotic leather handbags
Was this your first overseas exhibition? No, I have done 5 other exhibitions, but this was my first time in Hong Kong.Did you do any confirmed business? – No.Did you come away with realistic leads? – Yes, I did.Are your current products appropriate for export? – Yes, they are.Because of your participation at APLF, are th ...moreAPLF Leather, Materials+, Fashion Access: Infix Creations : Handmade handbags
East London, E. Cape, SA – Infix Creations won the best traditional handbag award and was chosen to feature in the trend area, positioning South Africa as a trend leader. This was a very big achievement with world buyers present. ...moreAPLF Leather, Materials+, Fashion Access: Thurling Investments: In many ways, back to the old glory days : Exotic leathers
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – We found the fair to be excellent and, in many ways, back to the old glory days where everybody that we do business with around the globe attended. We had current and past customers visit us from North America, South America, Europe, Australia and of course the East (which included Japan, Korea, etc).T ...moreSAFLEC: As world output exceeds demand, SA is still an attractive source of foowear
SAFLEC executive director Nerisha Jairaj took part in session 1 of the Global Footwear Executive Summit, which covered footwear production and its supply chain.The theme of the session was to discuss the current scenario where the demand for footwear is significantly lower than the available supply, and finding a balance for the supply ch ...moreGrowth for top end as business travel returns to normal levels
George, W. Cape, SA – The luxury end of the travel goods market “is doing better than more affordable alternatives”, FrontierCo group merchandise executive Kennith Barlow said this month.“I know that sounds odd in the present economic climate, and we’re not oblivious to the fact that the target market is a ve ...moreAlfonso Smerilli of Make My Shoes Store Lab and Smerilli Design Manufacturing - Direct-to-consumer AND supplying mini-chains with European quality footwear
Alfonso Smerilli has had a long and varied career in the South African footwear industry and now, just shy of his 52nd birthday, and in a sector which is mostly struggling, he’s embarked on his most challenging role yet – as a factory owner, blazing a different trail.His start in the footwear industry was with a factory owned ...moreShoe brand opens doors to its secrets
Concerns About the Eco-Friendly Footwear Market and Thesus's Unconventional Approach. The Weekend Boot™, retailing at about $200, has sold over $3M worth in 3 years. Made with 96% renewable materials, its maker, Thesus, now reveals the manufacturing process and intellectual property behind the boot to the world. ...moreBeyoncé bounce: Western boot sales jump more than 20 percent week over week since ‘Cowboy Carter’ launch
Quoting Circana, which produces reports on U.S. consumer behaviour, news channel CNBC reported on 12 April that Western-style boot sales climbed more than 20% the week after Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” was released late last month.It said that “though cowboy boots may typify the Western look, other pieces, inc ...moreLook of the Week: The UK Prime Minister just ‘ruined’ this classically cool sneaker
In a graphic demonstration of how one person can be ‘cool’ while another, in very similar circumstances, is ‘uncool’, a report 09 April on CNN contrasted UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with former U.S. President Barack Obama – on their shoes. ...moreThe R-CTFL Masterplan: It’s not enough to say ‘please buy more from us’, says NCRFCape Town, W. Cape, SA – The group monitoring the progress of the R-CTFL Masterplan – the PMO Core – “does not have a mandate to engage with the media”, according to Michael Lawrence, who represents the National Clothing Retail Federation of SA (NCRF) on the PMO Core.He was responding last week to the report ...moreAPLF Leather, Materials+, Fashion Access: It was good to be back, exhibitors said21 businesses from Africa exhibited in Hong Kong in March. Of those, 4 were from Ethiopia and 3 were from Egypt.The SA exhibitors were divided between finished goods exhibitors on a sponsored national pavilion in the Fashion Access hall, overseen by the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC), and 3 leather chemicals and leather ...moreAPLF Leather, Materials+, Fashion Access: NTE Company: Boost for agents : Tanning chemicalsPietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – We had a very successful APLF and were busy on all 3 days. We use these fairs to fly the NTE flag but also to meet many of our agents from the region as travel in and out of Hong Kong is very convenient for them. Some don’t attend ACLE in Shanghai as they see it as a Chinese fair and travelling ther ...moreAPLF Leather, Materials+, Fashion Access: Zambezi Grace: Good market for our leather and our bags : Exotic leathers, exotic leather handbagsUmdloti, KZN, SA – How did you do at APLF? We exhibited as a tannery and as a luxury exotic brand in finished goods. Sales on our finished goods was surprisingly good and we have confirmed orders from Japan, Korea and China for belts, wallets and luggage. We met existing customers for exotic leathers and met new cu ...moreDiadora: An introduction to athleisureAthleisure, transcending traditional fashion norms, resonates with a diverse audience across the globe, symbolising a shift towards versatile attire that effortlessly blends fashion and utility. This cultural influence is mirrored in the broader trend towards relaxed dressing, as seen in the ascent of athleisure. Championing comfort and a ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Others have taken their placeLouis Trichardt, Limpopo, SA – I do think their drop in business is because they have sidelined all the independents. After all, it was the independents that grew the brand, not the chain groups. With this being said, all other companies have taken advantage and grown to another level. One of those is Puma which has grown so much an ...moreSkechers-Shein partnership: Dilution or strategic expansion?
Since 2023, Skechers’ decision to sell on Shein has raised eyebrows. Known for its comfortable, casual, and sometimes athletic shoes, Skechers occupies a market space perceived to offer higher quality compared to Shein’s fast-fashion, low-price model. This move has some analysts worried about a potential dilution of Skech ...moreI’ve ‘filled the gap’, thank youCape Town, W. Cape, SA – L. Cohen Outfitters Est 1912 was the first independent in Wynberg to acquire the Nike brand, a situation that we held for a number of years before Nike's policy changed to supplying numerous stores in close proximity.Those were the good years.The World didn't end when they advised that they would be terminat ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Poor market for sheepskins, hides steadyDialogue with Cape Produce Co. MD Greg FeinbergAre there any issues with sheepskins in terms of quality and availability?Quality and availability are both relatively steady (based on the usual seasonal variations). The primary issues on both lines are market related (demand vs supply) with both Merinos and Dorpers experiencing unpreceden ...moreTLU SA & John Steenhuisen: A positive and constructive conversationTLU SA had positive and constructive discussions with the new Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Tuesday morning.TLU SA attended the meeting this morning alongside other organisations where the main challenges in the agricultural industry were discussed. Steenhuisen welcomed the representatives and immediately addressed four ke ...moreLeather in an evolving automotive market…
Much has been written about the changes that our industry is dealing with, as it undergoes significant transformation to adapt to an evolving market shaped by consumer demand, technological innovation, environmental concerns, and regulation. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- NCC blitz on ‘incorrectly marked’ gloves catches at least 3 importers, potentially threatens much wider group
Importers beware! The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has immense power over the labelling of goods, and it appears to be stepping up its efforts to police labelling legislation.A KZN-based PPE distributor, which has been a regular importer of plain white cotton gloves – 3 containers a year for 10 years, 120 000 pairs per co ...moreHydrogen technology: Compact power plants for green hydrogen
Dresden, Germany (01 July 2024) - Hydrogen generated with the power of the sun could largely replace fossil fuels in the future, helping to lower carbon emissions. In the Neo-PEC joint research project, Fraunhofer specialists have developed a tandem module that is self-sufficient and reliable at producing solar-generated green hydrogen.Hy ...moreUnderstanding the issues using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in OHS
Artificial intelligence is an innovative and transformative technology that has been making waves across various industries & today is the big buzzword in business. But very few of us understand what AI is and means, including OHS practitioners who are starting to use AI in the OHS field.Firstly, the Occupation Health & Safety fie ...more
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