Lineapelle Milano 2026 merch for leather brands at Fiera Milano Rho

Merch planning for Lineapelle Milano 2026 exhibitors

Dates

23–25 September 2026

Venue

Fiera Milano Rho, Strada Statale Sempione 28, 20017 Rho (Milan), Italy

Lineapelle is the international exhibition dedicated to leathers, materials, fabrics, synthetics and components for footwear, leather goods, apparel and furnishings, organised by Lineapelle and held twice a year at Fiera Milano Rho: the February edition presents trends for the next autumn/winter collection, the September edition the trends for the next spring/summer. It is the global reference for the Italian leather supply chain (the largest by volume worldwide) and for buyers of footwear, leather goods, apparel and furnishings sourcing materials and components.

From the Milan hub, Corp-Merch.IT coordinates the full programme for companies exhibiting at Lineapelle: pre-production art adaptation, district-level producer selection (Santa Croce sull'Arno for vegetable-tanned leather, Solofra for sheepskin, Arzignano for bovine leather, Maniago for blades, Como for textiles, Scandicci for leather goods, Vigevano and Riviera del Brenta for service footwear), a physical pre-production sample and a 48-hour response window from brief to structured proposal. Skin-contact products are sourced from producers with OEKO-TEX Leather Standard and LWG (Leather Working Group) certifications, with an AQL 2.5 quality standard on pre-series production. For companies with Italian VAT registration the invoice goes out via the Sistema di Interscambio (SdI) with 22% IVA applied in EUR; reverse charge for intra-EU buyers, split payment for public entities and Codice Destinatario / PEC for electronic delivery.

Lineapelle lands in the middle of the autumn fashion calendar build-up: heavy traffic on the A4 Milan–Venice and A1 Milan–Bologna corridors, concurrence with Milan Fashion Week Womenswear (September) and other leather-industry appointments. Deliveries to Fiera Milano Rho need to be cross-checked against the dock-in calendar issued by the venue and the courier's access pass. For brands flying into Milan Linate or Malpensa, a buffer at a Milan hotel or at our hub reduces the risk of a missed dock window.

Production and venue logistics for Fiera Milano Rho

Confirm artwork, quantities, packaging and the named on-site recipient before production begins. Stand number, hall and dock-in slot must be checked against the current exhibitor manual issued by Lineapelle and the Fiera Milano Rho dock-in calendar. The Rho complex is organised across several vehicular entrances subject to dock passes during build-up, so dock windows need to be cross-checked with the courier's pass. For leather and material samples that require a cold chain or controlled-environment conditions, isothermal packing and short delivery windows need to be planned in advance.

For an Italian programme routed through Milan, shipments are consolidated at the hub and dispatched by BRT, SDA, GLS or DHL Express Italy with 24-hour windows to the city and surrounding CAP codes, and on appointment for direct deliveries to Fiera Milano Rho. For programmes above 1,000 pieces we offer appointment delivery with phone pre-notice and, on request, on-site set-up by our staff. For clients subject to CSRD reporting (D.Lgs. 125/2024) we provide a sustainability data sheet per PO with Scope 3 CO₂e estimates per GHG Protocol on the Milan–Rho lane and from the named districts.

Brief, art adaptation and production tiers

The Lineapelle programme brief opens with a dedicated kick-off where we collect the visual references, leather and component references (tannage type, finish, colour), the items to be quoted and the quantities per recipient (technical staff, commercial side, hostesses, footwear and leather-goods buyers, specialist press). Corp-Merch.IT responds with a structured proposal within 48 business hours, complete with a physical sample for the most critical pieces (leather swatches, sample cards, small leather goods, gift boxes), technical sheets for serial items and a bill of materials with prices and MOQ by tier: starter (50-249 pieces per code), standard (250-999), enterprise (1,000-4,999), corporate (5,000+). For annual programmes (both editions) we set up a supply contract with per-collection reviews and dedicated volume discounts.

On the artwork side we receive the client's master files (AI, EPS, PDF/X-4, CMYK images at 300 dpi) and manage art adaptation for the different decoration methods on leather, fabric and components: hot stamping on leather (gold, silver, blind emboss), screen printing and embroidery on cotton and textiles, laser engraving on steel for blades and tools, pad printing on metal and plastic components, marking on sample cards and swatches. For graphics that require multiple versions (per recipient, per season) we manage versioning and intermediate approvals. Physical samples are produced and shipped to the client for approval by the fifth week of the brief; for custom small leather goods and leather gift boxes timelines extend by 1-2 weeks depending on craftsmanship complexity.

Standard commercial terms are 30 days invoice date, 10% deposit on first order for new clients, and improved terms after the first 90 days of history. The invoice is issued in EUR with 22% IVA via SdI; for international buyers conversion and settlement in USD, GBP or CHF is available at the invoice-day exchange rate, alongside support for intra-EU reverse charge and split payment for public entities. Corp-Merch.IT is an Italian VAT operator registered on VIES for intra-Community transactions and carries product liability insurance and transport coverage on all lots dispatched from the Milan hub.

Frequently asked questions

Leather certifications, traceability and environmental protocols

For companies in the leather supply chain exhibiting at Lineapelle, technical documentation is as integral to the brief as aesthetic characteristics. We work with Italian producers operating under ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety), and holding the main product certifications required by leather buyers: OEKO-TEX Leather Standard on skin-contact products, LWG (Leather Working Group) with bronze/silver/gold rating for tannery environmental management, ICEC for supply chain traceability, Made in Italy (D.Lgs. 135/2009) for fully Italian batches.

On the chemical side producers comply with Reg. CE 1907/2006 (REACH) with an updated SVHC declaration on substances of very high concern and conformity with Reg. CE 1907/2006 Annex XVII on restricted chemicals, plus the restrictions of Reg. UE 2018/1513 on chromium VI and formaldehyde. For small leather goods (Scandicci, Santa Croce sull'Arno) the producer keeps leather traceability (origin, tannage type, batch, finish) and, on request, can attach provenance certification from non-deforestation-linked farms (for exotic and bovine extra-EU leathers), consistent with Reg. UE 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products.

For clients subject to CSRD reporting (D.Lgs. 125/2024, transposing Directive (EU) 2022/2464) we integrate into the PO a sustainability data sheet with Scope 3 CO₂e estimate per GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain, broken down by material (bovine leather, ovine leather, goat leather, hide, metal components, textiles) and by logistics lane (Arzignano–Milan, Solofra–Milan, Santa Croce–Milan), plus ESRS E1 (Climate Change), E5 (Resource Use) and S2 (Workers in the Value Chain) references for the client's sustainability balance sheet. On request we also include packaging-waste reporting submitted to CONAI for post-consumer material traceability. For extra-EU shipments we operate as AEOF and prepare CMR, packing lists and origin declarations. All invoices are issued in EUR with 22% IVA via SdI and can be settled in USD, CHF or GBP for international buyers.