UK partners to launch International Centre for Leather
Northampton’s Institute for Creative Leather Technology, the Leather Conservation Centre and the International Museum of Leathercraft are proposing to launch an International Centre for Leather, details of which will be available at the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE).
Positioned as a global Centre of Excellence, the UK-based centre will bring together education, research, development and innovation, conservation and heritage, creative fashion and design.
Rachel Garwood (pictured), director of the University of Northampton’s Institute for Creative Leather, said: “The close juxtaposing of all the aspects of the supply chain means that each will be enriched by the others, allowing new relationships and creative ideas to be generated. In this way, those activities will be future-proofed.
“The proposed centre will become the world’s ‘one stop shop’ for information, insight and inspiration, making Northamptonshire the most important global source of leather and leather related information.”
The city has been integral in providing education in the leather industry, and is home to many of the UK’s leather footwear brands and manufacturers.
Representatives from the University of Northampton will attend the ACLE (August 31 to September 2, in Shanghai) at stand E1/B27b.
