Interview with Agata Marchetto, Sales Director.
Marchetto Pellami, founded in 1983 and now part of AVA Leather Group, is a company that has evolved over time while maintaining its family-run management and a direct approach to customers. Over the years, the upholstery leather segment has become increasingly central to the tannery’s offering, leading to the development of dedicated solutions for the interior design and contract sectors, where aesthetics, performance and service are more closely intertwined than ever.
Today, its medium-sized structure represents a distinctive strength: the ability to work closely with clients, building strong and long-lasting relationships. “We are structured to support designers and manufacturers step by step,” says Agata Marchetto. “This means providing a highly customized service, becoming part of the projects, understanding their needs and helping to develop the most suitable solution.”
The dialogue with the design world is constant and increasingly direct. Attention to trends, materials and evolving living concepts also stems from a personal passion: “We are deeply interested in design, and this naturally leads us to work more and more closely with furniture manufacturers, collaborating with them in a practical and ongoing way.”
Harmony e Alternative
Within this context, the collections dedicated to interior design take shape, including Harmony and Alternative, designed to meet different yet complementary needs.
Harmony is a semi-aniline bovine leather with exceptional softness and a matte finish, enhanced by a “grip” effect that makes it particularly suitable for comfortable seating and refined interior projects.
Alternative, on the other hand, is a semi-aniline leather with a smooth, silky hand, featuring a natural and slightly glossy appearance, ideal for contemporary design furniture.
Many colors from both collections are available for immediate delivery through the NOW service, directly from the Arzignano facility—widely recognized as the world capital of leather—providing concrete support to ensure speed and continuity for clients, especially in contract projects.
Sustainability and certifications
Sustainability is an important aspect and is addressed in a tangible way: leather is a raw material derived from a by-product of the food industry and is fully valorized, including in agriculture. It is a natural, durable material that combines aesthetic and functional value within a recovery-based logic. This represents a virtuous circular economy model that distinguishes leather from synthetic materials, which are often derived from non-renewable sources. The company also carefully monitors water consumption, operates an in-house wastewater treatment plant, and has installed a cogeneration system to meet its energy needs.
Is leather still perceived as a luxury material? “Leather has historically been associated with a premium positioning, thanks to its unique characteristics such as softness, appeal and durability. However, it is not a material reserved for a few: there are different types and processing levels that make it suitable for various needs and market segments.”
The ongoing dialogue with designers and furniture companies remains central: it allows the company to capture trends and develop increasingly targeted solutions, where service becomes an integral part of the product. Customer focus is also reflected in the certification pathway: “After LWG, we are working towards obtaining OEKO-TEX certification for upholstery leathers, in order to meet the demands of markets such as Northern Europe and Canada, where these standards are becoming increasingly important.”
