by+Flora

Anticipating dates

Milan， 27 June 2017. “Todays press conference was called to mark a special and pleasant occurrence. The textiles and accessories industry has risen to the challenge launched by Milano Unica and Milano Unica thought it important to underscore it through this event. The successes achieved thanks to the sharing of intents and innovative strategies should be communicated to the public， because they represent a triumph for the entire system， for all those who believe in the importance of this exhibition made by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs， as a significant moment of contribution to the entire industry and not just as an initiative primarily focused on profits； businesses that have chosen to come back or participate as exhibitors for the first time in this first world preview of textile and accessory collections. Milano Unica has continued to make every effort to make it possible for exhibitors to prepare their very best collections for the event，” said Ercole Botto Poala， President of Milano Unica.

What is the rationale behind this decision？

Both experts and those who are familiar with participation in trade shows know very well that the exhibition in July （July 11 - 12 and 13 at Rho Fiera Milano） is a challenge to face modernity and serve the industry， on one hand， and， on the other， poses a risk vis-à-vis tradition. Yet， the great success obtained by exhibitors and， above all， by top end customers of the small and special Prima MU， along with the surveys conducted across users reinforce the idea that it is high time to anticipate times in the market. This goes hand in hand with the steady changes we are currently experiencing in the fashion world and is meant to transform Milano Unica into the most futureoriented trade show.

Growth data

Participants grew at a double digit rate， unprecedented and exceptional these days： in July 20% more businesses for a total of 77 exhibitors and， also， 5 textile designers will participate in the trade show. This testifies to an important growth in womenswear （+29%）， contributing to creating a balance between menswear and womenswear exhibitors in the trade show. Accessories remain strong， with exhibitors increasing by 19%.

Why do we have a need to anticipate dates， who is supporting it？

The international fashion market is sending out ongoing and steady signals of change. For this reason， it is necessary to more efficiently respond to the quick changes imposed by e-commerce， the anticipation of collections in the shop windows， the new “see now buy now” formulas and timing for the presentation of the collections. This is also why the Italian National Chamber of Fashion through its President Carlo Capasa， Sistema Moda Italia with its President Claudio Marenzi and Tavolo della Moda are all in favor of the organization of an anticipated trade show of excellence.

Reinforced marketing structure and strategic communication

Since its onset， Milano Unica has successfully defined itself not only as a moment of commercial promotion but also as a marketing moment aimed at promoting the entire sector of textiles at the international level， as a key component of the excellence of the Made-in-Italy production.

The evolution of digital technologies， the exponential growth of the communication channels， their increasing convergence， the cultural changes among consumers and， also， the changes in the industry itself， have made it necessary to further reinforce the strategic marketing and communication structure of the Italian Textile and Accessory Trade Show.

To this end， starting from the XXV edition Maurizio Ribotti has joined Milano Unica， reporting directly to the General Director Massimo Mosiello， as Head of strategic marketing and communication.

Trade show previews

The trade show will feature several moments dedicated to various aspects of the world of fashion： from high end production – with the presence， for the second edition within Milano Unica， of Origin Passion and Beliefs– to the international dialogue with the traditional Japan Observatory and Korea Observatory， from the new entries like the textile designers to fashion press， trend books and models， the desks dedicated to the students of Polimi and comON， the designers of The Fabric Program（in collaboration with CFDA， the US Chamber of Fashion） making their selections， to Vintage. On top， with the confirmation of the “coolest” Trend Area and Video， the highly imaginative Area Sintesi： flagships of a top notch trade show， capable of highlighting and transforming the key dialogue between businesses upstream and downstream the supply chain， between tradition and the digital world.

The event

The Milano Unica ON Tour event deserves a special space， as it will be dedicated to Italian creativity， textiles know-how， good taste and sartorial style： the origins， the roots are in the soil， they come from the people， they are in the air. Milano Unica presents an Italy that is famous worldwide， beloved by many， through a new experience and new flavors， all to be tasted. This event will give a boost of energy to the XXV edition， the one of the new： “O sole mio” summer fashion， the colors and fragrances of the Campania region， its people and their spirit.