S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol91 No3 March 2025
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- The end for Green Cross: After spending millions to remake it in its own image, AVI pulls the plug on one of the few home grown footwear brands.
07 Export & Trade
- Discussions in Hong Kong: Challenges in the global footwear market amid economic strain, by Nerisha Jairaj.
09 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- NikeSKIMS – A game changer or just smart marketing?
11 Fairs
- Canton: As big as ever.
14 Noticeboard
- Obituary: Howard Patterson-Roberts, a practical joker, honest and generous in all things – except maybe biltong.
Advertisers in this Issue
Arena Trims (06), BBF Safety Group (04), Canton Fair (02), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (OFC), Haesloop Agencies (08), Leather Finishing Products (10), Saddler Belts (05), SAFLEC (07), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (14), Shotland Packaging (12).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 16 April 2025. Deadline for submissions 09 March.
- A fortune later, AVI pulls the plug on Green Cross
Remaining stores to close, wholesale reduced to run out stock ...moreNikeSKIMS — A game-changer or just smart marketing?
Nike and SKIMS are teaming up to launch NikeSKIMS, a new activewear brand debuting this spring. Nike, a leader in sportswear, brings its athlete-focused innovation, while SKIMS, Kim Kardashian’s brand known for shapewear and body-inclusive designs, adds its style and fit expertise.This partnership promises to combine performanc ...moreCanton: As big as ever
China Import and Export Fair, also known as the “Canton Fair”, is the World’s No.1 Expo in terms of scale. Canton Fair will see its 137th session to be held from April 15 to May 5, 2025 in Guangzhou, China.With an exhibition area of 1.55 million square meters, the 137th edition of Canton Fair converges 28,000+ exhibitors ...moreA practical joker, honest and generous in all things – except maybe biltong
Obituary: Howard Charles Patterson-Roberts – footwear agent (22/06/1951-08/03/2025) ...moreChallenges in the global footwear market amid economic strainDiscussions in Hong Kong: At a recent network session with fellow Footwear Council members from a few other countries while at the APLF, the topic for discussion revolved around the almost flat line and dip seen in manufacturing and exports with no significant increase.Of course, the likes of India and a few others commented on thing ...more
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Footwear Industry Articles
- Obituary: Joe McGinley, Conshu (14/04/1936-20/05/2026) He ran an empire, but kept a human touch
Somerset West, W. Cape, SA – Joseph Pascal McGinley, the former Conshu director who died in May, a month after his 90th birthday, was a larger-than-life character who was renowned during his career in SA for his kindness, and who lived life to the full.Born in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland, to Joseph and Madeline McGinley, both doct ...moreNational Leather and General Goods Strategy WorkshopOn 23 June, following months of fieldwork, B&M Analysts (BMA) hosted an online workshop to discuss the recovery of the handbags, belts, travel goods and allied manufacturing industries in SA.The industries, although very diverse, fall under the General Goods & Handbags Sector of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Indus ...moreShlobo Designs: Foreign consumers appreciate handwork and the story behind the brand
Durban, KZN, SA – I’m a native of Umlazi’s K section, but I’ve called Seaview home since 1994.My life has been a tapestry of experiences, woven with threads of resilience, creativity, and unwavering determination. My journey took an unexpected turn when I was retrenched while working for the bank with a wealth expe ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Mobilising Africa’s human resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain
In last month’s edition I wrote about mobilising Africa’s livestock to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain, and this article is focussed on mobilising the human resource that is needed to make the most of the abundant livestock populations in the region.On Friday 12th June, newly organised SARLEN (Southern African Re ...more‘ESG is a global requirement’
Deborah Taylor, Sustainable Leather FoundationShe spoke about the SLF’s role in supporting harmonisation and minimising duplication of effort across the leather value chain, its education and training, development of robust and credible standards, and advocacy of the leather industry.She quoted the first definition of sustainability ...moreNigeria’s Leather Industry: Not a clear picture
Nigeria is widely accepted as having a very large livestock population, but a relatively small tanning industry, much of it concentrated in Kano, producing high grade goat- and sheepskin crust which is exported for finishing elsewhere for use in garments.Recent articles cast some doubt on this, so are Nigeria’s hides and skins: M ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Global stage for occupational safety innovations: exhibitor registration for A+A 2027 has begun
Düsseldorf, Germany – The next A+A fair will be held from 19 to 22 October 2027.Since 16 June 2026 exhibitors have been able to register for A+A 2027. Companies and organisations from around the world are invited to introduce their innovations and solutions for safety and health at work and sustainable prevention to an int ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, too
In March 2025, the Physical Agents Regulations (and their guidelines) and the Noise Exposure Regulations (and their guidelines) of the OHSAct were published, with an 18-month time-period promulgation date to September 2026, allowing employers time to upgrade their Health & Safety requirements to comply with the new published regulatio ...morePerformance testing: Building credibility in the modern apparel and footwear market
The lines between protective wear, sportswear, outdoor apparel, wellness clothing and everyday fashion continue to blur. Consumers increasingly expect garments and footwear to deliver more than style alone. Whether purchasing workwear, running apparel, outdoor footwear, school shoes or everyday casual products, buyers now look for comfort ...more
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