XL EXTRALIGHT® is making a highly anticipated return to Lineapelle, the leading international trade fair that shapes the future of the leather accessories and footwear sector. For its 107^th edition, Lineapelle adopts the theme “The Unbound”, a bold cultural and stylistic challenge designed to transform perceptions of the entire production chain. By embracing a more open, connected, and pattern-breaking approach, this edition positions itself as a laboratory of innovation, aiming to overcome current economic constraints and foster creative freedom across the industry.

Visually, “The Unbound” is symbolized by a purple apple, an imaginative twist on the universal emblem of knowledge. The unexpected color represents a gateway to the new and the possible, subverting traditional perspectives and responding to a constantly evolving global market. This visual metaphor sets the stage for a search for new models of vision and creative freedom.

For the Spring Summer 2027 season, the Lineapelle Fashion Committee has translated the concept of “The Unbound” into trends for 2027, summarised under the title “Overview Effect”. The term refers to the cognitive shift experienced by astronauts when they observe Earth from space. It indicates an “overview” that enables one to distance oneself from the familiar in order to rediscover the world in a new way. The search is for an unconventional, nuanced and imperfect kind of perfection. In terms of materials, this translates into colours that have never been seen before, unusual combinations, and a strong focus on textures that evoke positive emotions and a sense of well-being.

For the Spring Summer 2027 season, our Footwear Design Director at XL EXTRALIGHT®, Mauro Nappo, talks us through the creative process behind the collection, his strategic choices and his reflections on this theme.

XL: The slogan “The Unbound” positions the fair as an innovative laboratory for the entire supply chain. If you had to capture the essence of this collection in just three words, what would they be?

MN: Freedom. Versatility. Attitude.
Freedom of thought and design. Versatility as the ability to cross product categories, functions, targets and styles without losing identity. Attitude as a way of being in the present, of reading the times we live in. Design does not remain suspended: it takes shape, measures itself against the market and is brought back down to earth through experience, consistency and control.

XL: “The Unbound” is all about disrupting the status quo. What was the greatest challenge you faced in breaking away from traditional patterns?

MN: The challenge was to subtract, not add.
The aim was to free ourselves from formulas that work, but which, precisely because of this, risk becoming predictable. “Unbound” means lightening the project’s load, allowing only what is necessary to emerge. Breaking a pattern does not mean denying it; it means going through it and overcoming it. I tried to lighten both the materials and the thinking.

XL: What new perspectives or inspirations most shaped your approach to this collection?

MN: Inspiration often comes from places far removed from the product itself, but ultimately, it always comes back to the body, movement and real-life use. I don’t seek an effect, I seek a recognisable attitude. I am interested in things that are essential yet full of identity: a continuous dialogue between rigour and instinct, and between control and imperfection.

XL: How has your personal journey as a designer influenced the creative direction of this collection?

MN: My career path has taught me to strike a balance between vision and responsibility.
I have worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from highly conceptual and experimental projects to highly structured companies focused on the high-end market. Today, I feel the need for a more considered approach to design, one that makes an impact without being overbearing. This collection is precisely the result of this balance.

XL: The “Overview Effect” is central to this season’s vision. How did this cognitive concept shape your choices in style, materials, and colors for Spring Summer 2027?

MN: The “Overview Effect” encourages us to adopt a broader, more detached perspective. This is necessary to avoid becoming prisoners of our own experiences. Stepping back allows us to be surprised again. This gives rise to colours that are deep rather than loud, materials that promote well-being and surfaces that engage the sense of touch. It is a search for imperfect perfection, more human and less glossy.

XL: Let’s talk about innovation. In what ways does this collection express “boundlessness” through new technologies or materials, and what motivated those choices?

MN: To me, technology should be both invisible and decisive.
XL EXTRALIGHT® offers a rare level of design freedom, combining lightness, performance and versatility with a commitment to sustainable design. This enables formal and functional boundaries to be transcended. Technology becomes a conceptual tool, serving the idea rather than flaunting it.

XL: What kind of feedback have you received from international visitors about your most daring, “unbound” proposals at the fair?

MN: I could sense a great deal of curiosity and attention.
The more “unbound” proposals were regarded as credible rather than just stylistic exercises. When a project is coherent, even the most daring elements cease to seem provocative and instead appear natural.

XL: Looking ahead, what trends do you believe will shape the coming season, and how do you see the luxury sector evolving toward 2027?

MN: I see a significant reduction in superfluity.
The direction is clear: more thoughtful and emotional products, and less noise and more substance. The focus is on comfort, durability, environmental responsibility, and a new idea of luxury linked to real experience.

XL: As XL EXTRALIGHT® is an ingredient brand, empowering creativity behind some of the industry’s leading products, what would you say to emerging designers and visitors about the vital role ingredient brands play in shaping the future of fashion and innovation?

MN: Ingredient brands are the silent backbone of a product.
While they are not always visible, they determine everything: performance, comfort, sustainability and identity. Increasingly, they also become the surface, the visible part. Understanding their role enables designers to work with greater depth, responsibility and awareness.

As the conversation draws to a close, it becomes clear that XL EXTRALIGHT®’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and creativity is at the heart of our collections.
The “Unbound” theme, together with the vision of our Footwear Design Director, signals a future where boundaries are continually reimagined, and where XL EXTRALIGHT® continues to play a key role as an ingredient brand, inspiring what’s next!

Mauro Nappo

Mauro Nappo is Design Department Director at Finproject S.p.A. and leads the creative direction of the XL EXTRALIGHT® footwear division.

His experience ranges from conceptual and experimental projects to highly structured industrial systems in the luxury sector. He approaches these diverse contexts with a rigorous design approach, defining an essential language in which identity, function and innovation work together.

He is a university lecturer in Fashion and Footwear Design. Teaching is an active observatory on the present, a space for discussion with the new generations and a training ground for the designers of tomorrow.

The roadmap of the XL EXTRALIGHT® Team is to lead a new design phase to strengthen the brand’s identity and open up new opportunities through innovation and targeted experimentation.