This week, the Lineapelle New York fair stands as one of the industry’s most exclusive events. From the region, eight footwear component companies, six delegates from Elche, one from Petrer, and one from Villena will join the biannual gathering at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea. The venue sits in the heart of the world’s vibrant contemporary art district, with the fair scheduled for January 31 and February 1. Alicante’s commercial firms will also lead Spain’s presence at the show.
The fair has run since 2001 and draws top European and international manufacturers in leather, textiles, synthetics, and components for footwear, leather goods, upholstery, and car interiors. The high quality and variety of the current collections make it a must-visit for luxury and contemporary brands and designers, as noted by the Association of Footwear Components Companies (AEC).
At the upcoming edition, suppliers will present to U.S. designers fresh offerings for the 2025 spring-summer season. Organizers report participation by 111 companies, with Italian firms representing the largest share at 45%, followed by Brazilian at 12% and Spanish at 9%. Participants also come from Germany, France, China, the United States, India, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Turkey.
In this edition, ten Spanish companies from the sector participate under the Footwear Components From Spain brand, a collaboration within the AEC Sector Plan alongside ICEX. Participating brands cover fabrics, synthetics, tanning, trimmings, and ornaments, among other products. The majority already have a solid United States market presence and aim to strengthen business ties with designers and stylists. The fair remains a leading platform for shoe and leather goods brands in the United States.
Preview of trends
The fair emphasizes fashion-forward stands that showcase the season’s most creative and avant-garde collections, offering a glimpse of what might appear at other major global trade events in the sector.
The event also contributed to the last edition held last February, drawing more than 850 visitors, primarily from the United States and Canada. The United States has the second-highest shoe consumption globally after China, though it is not a major shoe manufacturer; it purchases raw materials for production from abroad.
Sector participants will also attend exhibitions like Premiere Vision Paris and Lineapelle Milan in the near term. In March, specifically on the 13th and 14th, many will be at Futurmoda in Elche, a national industry fair regarded as essential for shoe and leather goods manufacturers due to the broad range of exhibition samples available for building new collections.