Dusseldore, Germany -Leather is the choice material for fashion designers this summer, and butter soft napa leather is the season's biggest hit. The latest shows in Milan and Paris suggest the love affair with leather will continue into autumn.

But there is one issue: The recent mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth crises have made raw material increasingly scarce at a time when it is most in demand.

The German specialty journal "Textil Wirtschaft" recently warned that the disease "is threatening the leather industry."

It said customers are paying nearly three per cent more for spring and summer collection shoes and will face higher prices in the autumn.

There is certainly no lack of choice. Leather designers are falling over themselves with new innovations. British designer John Rocha has painted mini-skirts with broad strokes.

"Leather is in principle being used to make any garments of clothing, and that is new for a material that until now has rarely been used for anything beyond jackets, trousers and skirts," said Elke Giese, chief designer for the German Fashion Institute in Berlin.

Top designers' passion for leather is also trickling down into the mass market. This season's favourites are short, tailored jackets with zips, cropped trousers and tight knee-length skirts.

The fashion themes from recent seasons, sensuality and luxury, are reviving the passion for leather.

"There is a trend towards sensuality. Everything to do with the skin and naturalness is in great demand," said Munich designer Doris Hartwich.

While black and brown are traditional colours, this summer leathers are venturing into natural and pastel colours, even bright reds and violet.

Men's fashions, which are generally more reserved, are appearing in variations of beige, olive green, royal blue and dark red. "But most of what we have sold is black," said Hartwich.

"A lot of people see leather jackets as an investment for a number of years, which is why they prefer neutral colours."

Because of the leather shortage, the industry is pinning hopes on synthetic leather-look fabrics.

Synthetic leather lookalikes also have other advantages: They are washable and often elastic.