by Zhong Mengxia

Praised the courage and determination of the 207 exhibitors. Approximately 2400 companies， 400 of which foreign， attended the first trade show to open its doors in Italy after lockdown.

Milan， 10 September 2020 – The 31st edition of Milano Unica closed yesterday at Fieramilano Rho， with 207 exhibitors， of which 171 Italian and 36 foreign， showcasing their collections of high-end fabrics and accessories for menswear， womenswear and childrenswear for the A/W 2021 season.

2，400 companies attended the first trade show to physically open its doors in Italy after lockdown. Particularly important， as well as unexpected， was the participation of foreign companies （about 400）. In particular， the presence of American， Japanese， British， English， French， Swiss and German representatives was noteworthy.

“In observance of the safety protocols， thanks to the stringent measures adopted， a bold message of confidence has been extensively shared by exhibitors and buyers and I hope this will act as an icebreaker， contributing to recreating the conditions that promote recovery，” said Alessandro Barberis Canonico， President of Milano Unica.

The traditional opening ceremony held on Tuesday， September 8， was attended by Marino Vago， President of Sistema Moda Italia， Cirillo Marcolin， President of Confindustria Moda， Carlo Maria Ferro， President of the Italian Trade Agency， Luigi Di Maio， Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation， introduced by Alessandro Barberis Canonico， President of Milano Unica.

In his opening speech， the President of Milano Unica had remarked on the exceptionality of the moment in which the 31st edition of the Italian Textiles and Accessories Trade Show has been held and the rather difficult decision to confirm the dates after the postponement of last July. In thanking all the ex- hibitors who， with courage and determination， decided to participate in the trade show， the President had underscored how important it was for the whole industry and beyond， to give a bold message of restart， cohesion and continuity.

“Physical trade shows are fundamental for the textiles and accessories sector， for the very nature of the product， which comes to life when it is presented live"， said Alessandro Barberis Canonico， the President of Milano Unica， who continued by underscoring “that it is of the essence to avoid focusing on the short term， but instead to adopt a long-term perspective and continue to invest in trade shows， keeping an eye on the future scenarios and the potential economic and commercial developments".

“Creativity， innovation and digital sustainability are the pillars we must leverage on with determination， because Milano Unica confirms its status as a point of reference for the excellence of global textiles，” concluded Alessandro Barberis Canonico， the President of Milano Unica.

“The inauguration of Milano Unica at Fiera Milano， on Tuesday， was a sign of restart for the trade show business， thanks to the optimism of the participating companies and the sectors commitment to keep the autumn fair calendar going. Congratulations to the Milano Unica organization，" – added Carlo Ferro， President of the Italian Trade Agency.

Among the main novelties of the trade show worth noting is the further develop- ment of e-MilanoUnica Connect， realized in collaboration with Pitti Immagine， which has made available the experience of its new omnichannel model. The digital marketplace provides an opportunity for participating companies to offer virtual showrooms with different levels of accessibility.

The synergy between Milano Unica and Filo continued also in this season. Filo was present in the Tendenze Area with a selection of exclusively sustainable yarns that are part of the Filoflow project.

“It was a complex edition， not only because there were only two days of trade show to manage. The uncertainties resulting from the global pandemic have put a strain on the organization and preparation of the event. The satisfaction of our participating exhibitors and buyers largely compensates for the dedication and commitment injected by the entire staff of Milano Unica. It was not only an image event meant just to keep the Made-in-Italy flag flying， but also an important moment for making contacts and negotiations. The occasion was exploited also by the Education Committee， set up by SMI and Confindustria Moda， to meet in support of the provision of training for the benefit of the new professional profiles necessary to face global challenges. I would like to extend special thanks to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency which， despite the extraordinary situation， has never failed to provide us with their traditional economic aid and the essential support for the promotion on international markets，" said Massimo Mosiello， General Director of Milano Unica.

Milano Unica thanks also Sistema Moda Italia and the Municipality of Milan for their continued support and Fiera Milano for its precious collaboration. In addition， Milano Unica expresses its gratitude to Banca Sella and Lauretana for their sponsorship.