Alliance France Cuir is once again inviting international players in the sector to gather and discuss CSR issues at the seventh edition of the SLF, the industry’s leading event dedicated to these issues. LUXUS PLUS is once again a partner.
The event is now firmly established in the calendars of leather professionals.
Organized by Alliance France Cuir, the seventh edition of the Sustainable Leather Forum, the industry’s leading CSR event, will be held on Monday, September 8, 2025, at the Maison de la Chimie in Paris.
Among its media partners, LUXUS PLUS will once again be present, alongside FashionNetwork, Ilm, Leather Magazine, Style America, Leather Fashion Design, La Conceria, and World Leather.
Round tables, keynotes, pitches, and other discussions
As in previous editions, many participants are expected to take part in round tables, keynotes, pitches, and other discussions on the theme of sustainable development in the leather industry. In September 2024, more than 400 professionals from the fashion, luxury and design industries, 30 industry experts and 25 exhibiting companies made the trip.
Among the future “exhibitors” at SLF 2025, i.e. service providers able to support companies in their CSR initiatives (material traceability, responsible sourcing, certification, reuse, etc.), 17 have already announced that they will be attending or returning to the event, namely l’Atelier des Matières, l’Atelier Reverdie, la belle empreinte, Carbonfact, Corium, CTC, Elision, l’ICEC, l’ICFA, l’institut d’élevage Idele, Hidexe, Leather Working Group, Prolong, Trustrace, Safe and Wega.
An intensive program of presentations will also take place throughout the day.
Intensive program
To commence, participants will first be welcomed with breakfast.
The introduction will begin in the amphitheater by Christian Buchet, Director of the Center for Marine Studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris, on the theme “The ocean: a key to our future?”.
Payal Luthra, Global Head of the Apparel and Textiles Sector at WWF US, will follow with a presentation on “Fashion and water conservation.” She will raise questions about the current international situation, given that “water is present throughout the textile production chain” and “is used to irrigate raw materials, in the manufacture of fibers, during dyeing, and also in the care of garments.”
A first round of pitches will then take place in the Exhibitors’ Area.
Water, the star of the seventh edition
Then, back in the amphitheater, Kerry Senior, Director of Leather UK, Kerry Brozyna, CEO of Qualus, and Jean-Christophe Muller, Director of Tanneries Haas, will address the topic of “Water at the heart of the leather industry’s concerns.” As water resources become increasingly scarce, they will discuss how the quality and quantity of this material, which is essential to our survival but also an important production factor in leather manufacturing, during breeding and then in the tanning process, are managed by the industry. In short, “what constraints are imposed and what progress has been made by the profession?”
Also in the amphitheater, Grégoire Biasini, communications officer at the International Crocodilian Farmers Association (ICFA), will give a keynote speech on the topic “Crocodilian farming, a model of sustainability?”
The idea is to present how “the industry has built robust standards to ensure the highest sustainability of its practices” for the production of crocodile leather, which accounts for less than 1% of global leather production. Indeed, while this animal species has been “long protected by highly structured international regulations,” “its farming implements an economic model linked to the conservation of wild animals and the preservation of their habitat, wetlands that are conducive to carbon sequestration and biodiversity,” explains the SLF in a press release.
Lunch break and networking
The afternoon slot will provide an opportunity for lunch and networking.
It will also be possible to attend the second session of pitches to discover innovative projects in the Exhibitors’ Area.
Then it’s back to the Amphitheater to hear from Anna Heaton, Head of Fiber and Materials Strategy at Textile Exchange, Benoit Rouillé, Head of Climate Services at Idele, Didier Bastien, Director of Cirveau, and Manon Gauthier, Managing Director of Les Cuirs de l’Ouest. They will discuss the question: “Will changes in the agricultural world (decline in the number of farmers, free trade agreements, decapitalization, meat consumption, changes in animal feed, genetic modifications, changes in livestock, regenerative agriculture, drought, etc.) have an impact on the leather of tomorrow?”
The following topic – “Planet-Score and environmental labeling: where do France and Europe stand on impact and traceability labeling?” – will be addressed in a keynote speech by Sabine Bonnot, Scientific Director of Planet-score.
In the exhibitors’ area, there will be a simultaneous coffee break and Session 3 of pitches.
What CSR approach for sneakers and trainers?
The last conference of the day will be held again in the amphitheater, on a topical subject concerning a large proportion of the footwear in circulation today, namely: “Sneakers and trainers – how are brands rising to the CSR challenge?”. Marie Soudré-Richard, co-founder and President of The 8 Impact, a representative of All Triangles, an experimental laboratory dedicated to footwear, and finally François-Ghislain Morillon, co-founder and manager of the ethical sneakers brand Veja, will attempt to shed more light on the subject for their audience.
With sneakers and trainers now at the heart of sports and outdoor collections, as well as being offered by fashion and luxury brands under the name “athleisure,” the speakers will address specific issues relating to the design, manufacture, sourcing, and end-of-life of these items. Namely, “How do brands or companies integrate a social responsibility approach into innovation, design, and performance, and how do they stay in the CSR race?”
The afternoon will end with a closing speech in the Amphitheater, followed by a cocktail reception in the exhibitors’ area.
Finally, it will be possible to attend the Gala Dinner, provided that you have reserved and paid for your place at the same time as your ticket.
In short, the day, which will allow participants to keep their knowledge of CSR in the sector and their address book up to date, should once again attract many professionals…
Featured photo: © Sustainable Leather Forum
