Italian luxury brand Ferragamo says it can map the country of origin for much of the leather used to make its footwear and handbags, a first step in traceability according to experts.

The announcement comes during a wave of European Union sustainability rules that are increasing pressure on fashion brands to account for materials in their supply chains.

The fashion house has been issuing sustainability reports for more than a decade, but the 2025 report, released on March 31, is the first containing figures on material traceability – notably for leather, which experts say is harder to trace than textile fibres such as cotton.

“We have been using leather in a more sustainable way,’’ says James Ferragamo, the brand’s chief product officer and grandson of founder Salvatore Ferragamo. “I think it is one of the more sustainable materials in my point of view.”

Most of the tanneries working with the brand “control their water, have fair treatment of the workforce, monitor their supply chain ensuring that they’re buying leather from those who are not deforesting, and taking the right approach also in terms of breeding and animal welfare”, he adds.

Traceability of materials is considered a first and necessary step for the fashion industry, which is facing a new EU framework that will require brands and their suppliers to ensure the items they produce are sustainable from the drawing board to end-of-life disposal. Precise terms are still being defined, and compliance will be phased in over the coming years.