The 52nd edition of Filo, the international yarns and fibres exhibition, has come to conclusion with positive results. The fair attracted 101 exhibitors and also showed first results for FiloFlow, the sustainability project of Filo which aims at increasing the sensitivity of the companies towards implementation of sustainable textile production processes.
The 53rd Filo edition is scheduled on February 2020.
“The 52nd edition of Filo closes with positive outcome, that should be particularly appreciated since it has been reached during an economic context not particularly favourable. During this edition, 101 exhibitors registered and the number of visitors is in line with the edition held in September 2018. The 52nd edition has represented the opportunity to show the first results of FiloFlow, the sustainability project of Filo. The number of exhibitors who participated (35 per cent) has exceeded our expectations, and this proves the attention of our exhibitors to the issue, often without advertising it,” Paolo Monfermoso, general manager of Filo, stated.
“This is why we have decided to launch FiloFlow, in order to give visibility and enhance sustainable production processes and products carried out by Filo exhibitors. It is the market that requires, with constantly greater insistence, a sustainable and trackable textile-apparel supply chain. And sustainability, as we understand it, should be referred to environmental scope as well as to the social and ethic one and it is a serious and continuous commitment. The response of the companies to FiloFlow project allowed us to detect also the points that it is highly possible to improve and to work on for the future,” Monfermoso continued.
At the request of exhibitors, the workshop of Filo was held in late afternoon on September 25, under the title ‘Sustainability: a virtuous process’. During his speech, Carlo Piacenza, president of the Unione Industriale Biellese, said: “Transparency, traceability, ethics, sustainability are all those factors which contribute to define the added value of the intangible value: an added value which defines the Made in Italy and our excellent textile industry starting from here, form spinning to reach then fashion maisons of world luxury stylists.”
Exhibitors expressed satisfaction about the 52nd edition of Filo.
Vincenzo Caneparo from Davifil said: “The opinion on these two days of Filo is decisive positive. The number of visitors is in line with the trend of previous September’s edition. Our company proposes a wide range of products, each of them is characterised by quality; we also propose recycled yarns and for some years, we have been working on non-dyed waste wool, which gave interesting results. We have participated in FiloFlow, also because we are particularly careful about this theme and we have been investing for some years to reach an increasingly sustainable production’s process.”
Francesco Della Porta from Pozzi Electa opined: “This edition has been very positive. Our company is strongly focused on innovation and clients visit us looking for news, that at this stage is referred especially to sustainability. Therefore, we have noticed high interest for our recycled, polyester and cotton yarns. We have laid down the basis for a new project of a biodegradable polyamide/polyester yarns. To summarise, our company is producing totally in Italy and through renewable energy plants: for us, indeed, sustainability is a concrete and very serious commitment.”
Paola Rossi from Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia remarked: “Our opinion about these two days at Filo is positive, as usual: it is a unique fair within the trade fair panorama. We have received a high visitors’ flow, especially during the first day and especially coming from foreign countries, the US and UK mainly. Clients are orientated on fine yarns: wool and silk, wool-silk-linen and cashmere.”
Annalisa Garizio from Marchi e Fildi also had high words for the show: “This edition has been positive. Especially during the second day, we have registered a significant clients’ flow, well distributed along the whole day. From our side, we continue to do research and innovation, thanks also to our R and D pilot plant, since because we are convinced that just by deeply renewing our collections and our way to produce, it is possible to consolidate our position in the market. This is obviously done without renouncing to our main principles, among them the quality of our products. The same applies to sustainability in textile industry: an increasing awareness of the problem in certainly welcome.”
Francesco Ferraris from Finissaggio e Tintoria Ferraris stated: “For us Filo is an opportunity to discuss together with clients but also with people performing the same job. Not by case, during the two days of Filo, our main clients visited us, a part from being spinning or woollen mills. This is a moment to reflect and it seems interesting that the focus of the last two Filo editions was on sustainability: it is the reflection of a strong change in the market. Participating at Filo enables us to understanding market’s needs, which are the most wanted products.”
Maurizio Mancini from Tintoria Mancini said: “For us Filo is an important fair: here we meet all our clients, some of them are exhibitors too. This is the opportunity to talk with them more deeply and better understand their needs, with products at hand. This edition performed very well, especially during the second day and especially as far as foreign people are concerned, coming from different European countries, from Netherlands to UK. Currently, clients ask for a service which put the district at the centre, which has the potentiality of offering a complete range of solutions if companies work as a team.”
Alberto Gaia from Xinao remarked: “This is our second time at Filo and we are very satisfied, we have created good contacts, not just with Italian clients, but also foreign ones. Italian market for us is very interesting and Filo gives the opportunity to know it even better.”
Dino Masso from Tintoria Finissaggio 2000 said: “Filo for us is a moment to reflect. The trend of these two days is surely positive, with interesting contacts also with new potential clients. There have been many visitors, especially Italian. As far as sustainability is concerned, this is a concept we believe in, as we show through constant investments in our plant.”
“Despite for us summer season isn’t the most significant one, we are really satisfied about this edition, we have entered in contact with new potential clients. Among the visitors, there were many from France, UK, the US, Turkey and Korea. We have participated with enthusiasm in FiloFlow, whose philosophy is totally shared by us,” Laura Mauri from Filatura Luisa said.
Alex Zanuto from Servizi e Seta said, “We consider our participation in this edition of Filo a positive one. The clients, which were mostly Italians, have focused their requests on products which meet some criteria of sustainability. The number of contacts is in line with the edition of September 2018.”
