The 2026 Union Showroom & London Tour: Each Year More Exciting than the Last (Part 1 of 2)

It still feels like it was just the other day, even though it has already been more than six months. Once again, Y’2 Leather exhibited at the Union Showroom in Berlin, Germany, held from January 18 to 20. In this two-part series, I’ll share our experiences at the exhibition, along with our business trip to London.

When we attended the Union Showroom for the first time last year, we had no idea what to expect, like the scale of the event and how many product samples to prepare. And once we were on our way, we ran into all kinds of trouble, like flight delays and cancellations, so needless to say, it was all quite hectic. This time, however, we knew just what to prepare and arrived without any major incidents.
Last year, it was just me (Takao) and Chisato from the sewing team (who has lived in the U.K. before). This time, we were joined by Charlie, a new American staff member at Y’2 who started last October. The powered-up team allowed us to have in-depth, meaningful conversations with buyers from across Europe.

Our display space was in the same location as last time, in the central atrium on the first floor. The organizer once again graced us with the most prominent spot. They set up two tables for us, saying “We know you’re going to get really busy again,” where Chisato and Charlie each took their place to talk shop with the visitors, while I moved between them offering my input as needed. Even with this three-person formation, we were incredibly busy and didn’t even have time for a lunch break! LOL!

Last year, most of the dealers we got to know were first-time contacts, so we took the time to explain the ins and outs of the Y’2 brand in addition to the individual products. This time, we set up an appointment schedule to reconnect with those dealers who started carrying our products after that first meeting, as well as our long-standing dealers.
We thought that scheduling appointments in one-hour intervals would give us plenty of time, but in reality, we never had any time to spare. If anything, we often found ourselves running short on time. Compared with last year, the European dealers had developed an even stronger appreciation for Y’2, and we were delighted to hear so many passionate messages from them.

Here are just a few of the comments we heard: “We started carrying your products for the first time last year, and they sold really well. This year, I want to see a wider range of items!”
“So many more customers are learning about Y’2 over social media, and we’re getting requests to carry even more!”
“I bought one jacket for my personal use, and wear it all the time. I’ve fallen completely in love with it!”
It really came across to us that the dealers themselves genuinely love Y’2 and are naturally spreading the word about the brand. Hearing each and every one of their comments was deeply moving.

Although we prioritized the Y’2 booth was primarily intended for our existing dealers, many new buyers also managed to find time between appointments to come and talk to us because they were interested in the brand.
As many of you know, Y’2’s manufacturing process, from leather tanning to cutting and sewing, is supported by the hands-on work of highly skilled craftsmen. Naturally, this limits our production capacity, and if we were to increase production without restraint, we would no longer be able to maintain the quality of our products.
For this reason, we are not currently accepting new dealers. Nevertheless, we were happy to take the opportunity to talk with everyone, regardless of whether it would lead to a business relationship.
What left the strongest impression on us was the overwhelming enthusiasm of the buyers from every shop—including buyers from shops that already carry Y’2. They took an interest in us not simply as a business, but as people who create the Y’2 brand and its products, and they were eager to learn more about what we do.

And so, the whirlwind of the Union Showroom came to an end. Our new Type-II Jean Jacket (featuring lower pockets) and our newly developed Faded Horse leather were both very well received. Softer leathers also remain popular in the European market, including Steer Roughout, Horse Nubuck, and Steer Oil.
Although this was only our second time exhibiting, we heard comments such as, “You use leather from a wide variety of animals, and even among the horsehide leathers alone, you have everything from rugged, hard-wearing leathers like Eco Horse to soft, silky leathers like Oil Soft.” We strongly hope to continue participating in the Union Showroom so that more European customers can gain a deeper understanding of the wide range of leathers and products we offer.
And now, leaving Berlin behind, we headed for London. We’ll share that part of the journey with you another time. Thank you for joining us!