Tuscany leather crisis spreads as Florence workers strike

Production workers in Tuscany are preparing to strike on July 9 as calls for a restructuring of the supply chain landscape escalate, according to FashionUnited. The strike reflects a deepening crisis in the region's leather goods sector: local trade unions report that 830 leather goods companies in the province of Florence have closed since 2019, displacing around 7,000 employees.

The scale of the contraction is significant. Tuscany has long supplied the raw materials and finished components that feed Milan's fashion houses and the broader Italian luxury sector. The loss of nearly one-third of Florence's leather manufacturers in seven years signals a structural break in the supply chain that no single brand can easily circumvent.