MILANO UNICA : The number of international buyers, especially from the Far East, looking for new products and inspirations expressing quality, elegance and creative sustainability, has confirmed the success of Milano Unica as an international event showcasing the excellence of Made-in-Italy products
The 37th edition of Milano Unica closed successfully. A total of 4,701 companies visited the Italian textile and accessories trade show, up 16% over the July 2022 edition. 1,583 foreign companies (+26%) and 3,118 Italian companies (+11%) visited the booths of the 562 exhibitors that presented their Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collections of high-end textiles and accessories for womenswear, menswear and kidswear from July 11 to July 13, 2023, at Fiera Milano Rho.
Exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the increased number of international buyers looking for women’s collections.
“The overall increase in the number of buyers, particularly from Japan, China and Korea, and the important confirmation of American participation, along with the positive results of the first quarter of 2023 recorded by Made-in-Italy textiles in the premium and luxury segment, suggest that strong growth has returned and is focused on a fundamental theme for Milano Unica. Elegance and quality are, in fact, the key characteristics of our event,” commented Alessandro Barberis Canonico, Milano Unica’s President.
“In addition to China’s growing numbers, the significant increase in the number of buyers from France is also worth noting,” he concluded.
Final data confirmed the positive trend of foreign companies participating in the event, both in terms of absolute values and percentage growth. The U.S. ranked first with 165 companies (+2%), followed by Great Britain with 122 companies (+28%), France with 117 (+52%), Japan 100 (+94%), and Switzerland 110 (+16%). Germany confirmed its presence with 93 companies, Spain 87 (+34%), South Korea 65 (+100%), and the Netherlands 48 (+33%).
The participation of 97 companies from China and 24 from Hong Kong is also worth noting.
Last but not least, it should be underscored that, if we rank the top 20 countries in terms of number of visiting companies, Europe, excluding Italy, made for more than 60%, the US for about 15% and the Far East, including Australia, 22%.
Renewal is the message of this edition. The exhibitors’ proposals are aligned in terms of quality, offer and creativity. The new tailoring codes with larger volumes and more relaxed shapes favor the fabrics created by Milano Unica’s exhibitors, with a reinterpretation of classic canons expressing a “Smart-Sartorial” style that meets today’s needs of elegant-casual contemporaneity.
The current increasing demand for formalwear demonstrates a growing focus on elegance exuding from the worldwide explosion of made-to-measure offerings.
The return to elegance also has a strong ethical role.
In fact, the Sostenibilità Creativa area, with its sustainable-only samples, changed its name to reflect the priority needs of companies looking toward a future that has less impact on the environment.
Timeless quality promotes durability and re-use in line with consumer trends – buying less, but buying better – while reducing environmental impact.
In his videomessage at the opening ceremony, the Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Production, Adolfo Urso, recalled, among other things, that “Know-how is at the heart of Made-in-Italy excellence, a distinctive element of our creations and a great competitive advantage for Italian companies.”
“In this edition of Milano Unica we focused on the core values of sustainability and quality development of services dedicated to exhibitors. We have been rewarded by the general satisfaction of the participating companies and the increased number of international buyers. The success achieved spurs us to look ahead and offer even more.
And we will do that starting from the upcoming edition of Milano Unica Shanghai, scheduled for August 28-30, 2023, within Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. 41 exhibitors will participate in the event organized by the Italian Trade Agency ITA, which, along with the unfailing commitment of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has always supported us in developing an industry increasingly committed to joining forces,” concluded Massimo Mosiello, General Manager of Milano Unica.
