White Milano Closes With Uptick in Foreign Visitors
MILAN — The vibe was positive at White Milano, the four-day trade show dedicated to small and medium-sized fashion enterprises, despite the current complex international scenario.
Closing here on Sunday, organizers registered 300 exhibitors, of which 45 percent were from outside Italy, and a 7 percent increase in foreign attendees — particularly from Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria — contrasted by a 12 percent drop in Italian visitors, bringing the total attendance to 15,602.
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The trade show took place in the Tortona Fashion District and adding to the buzz was the excitement surrounding The Circle, a new initiative by White Milano bringing a selection of brands into top Middle Eastern stores.
The Circle’s strategy seeks to extend its reach beyond traditional trade show events and to launch a series of international initiatives, according to Brenda Bellei, cofounder and chief executive officer of White Milano. “Supporting the fashion industry with innovative retail activities and exclusive events in strategic markets alongside the fair is important,” she said.
This led to the creation of The Circle in collaboration with Monica Sarti, creative director of the brand Faliero Sarti, and introduced with an exclusive dinner at the Portrait Hotel during Milan Fashion Week.
Thanks to an agreement with Al Malki Group, a key player in the Middle Eastern fashion sector, and RLC-Retail Leaders Circle Global Forum — a gathering of global retail leaders, policymakers and innovators based in New York — White Milano is entering a new dimension. According to data provided by the trade show, based on research from CRR-Centre for Retail Research and consultancy firms S&P Global, JLL and Alpen Capital, the Middle Eastern retail sector is projected to grow at an annual rate of 10.6 percent from 2023 to 2028, increasing from $309.6 billion in retail sales in 2023 to $486.9 billion in 2028, largely driven by the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets.
In light of these projections, White Milano launched the partnership, which brings a selection of brands into direct contact with consumers through a permanent presence at Westerly, a store in Riyadh controlled by Al Malki Group. Additionally, three stores are set to open within the Jeddah Yacht Club, along with three pop-up shops between October and December at Ether in Abu Dhabi, Wild Fabrik in Dubai and 51East in Doha.
“White Milano remains our core focus, but this synergy is crucial in establishing a two-way exchange. On the one hand, brands selected by general manager [Simona] Severini gain direct retail exposure in the region; on the other, local designers interested in our supply chain — fabrics, leather and accessories — can source materials for their collections,” added Bellei.
Reflecting on the Milan edition, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, Severini said that “for some seasons now, we have observed signs of a luxury sector crisis, prompting buyers to seek different products for their clientele. We have therefore presented a selection of brands that embody the concept of ‘New Luxury’ — high-quality, non-mass-distributed items with well-calibrated pricing. Buyers responded positively, showing a concrete interest in placing orders here for their boutiques.”
Among the collections that drew interest from international buyers — such as those from Bloomingdale’s in the U.S., Le Bon Marché and Samaritaine in France, Takashimaya in the Far East and Chalhoub in the UAE — were Front Street, a brand inspired by a vintage family archive of about 15,000 pieces; Tramarossa, 3×1, and Shaft Jeans for premium denim; Bombo Studio, known for its tailoring-inspired shirts, and Artico and Olivia V., which represent the resurgent leather and fur segment, blending natural fur with cashmere and wool.
Meanwhile, within the Secret Rooms — White Milano’s research-driven spaces hosting emerging designers — streetwear silhouettes crafted with traditional materials from Danish brand Renè, and Oh Carla’s Italian collection of made-to-order, stock fabric-based pieces, garnered buyers’ attention.
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