Milano Unica Postpones Dates Due to Coronavirus Outbreak
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NEW DATES: Italian textile trade show Milano Unica is the latest fashion-related event to be postponed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The event, originally slated to run July 7 to 9, is now scheduled for Sept. 7 to 9 at the Milano-Rho fairgrounds. Textile companies will present their fall 2021 collections.
“The reasons behind the decision to postpone the usual July edition [of the fair] stem from the complexity of the domestic situation and the international evolution of the outbreak, in addition to the indisputable difficulties in producing the collections and the efforts made by many [exhibitors] to reconvert their productions to provide personal protective equipment,” commented Alessandro Barberis Canonico, the newly appointed president of Milano Unica, adding he hopes the decision will contribute to overcome the health emergency.
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Earlier in the week, Barberis Canonico told WWD the fair’s board was also concerned “about the impact that [the emergency] will have on our clients as they might still be unable to travel.”
As of March 31, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide reached 787,631, according to a Johns Hopkins tally, 101,739 of which are in Italy.
“In this crucial moment we’re all asked to halt our pace and our habits, in addition to acknowledging the extraordinary efforts we will need upon recovery, which I wish is going to be rapid and productive,” said Massimo Mosiello, the fair’s general director.
As reported, in February Milano Unica hosted 477 exhibitors and saw a 2 percent contraction in the number of visitors compared to the same edition in 2019. According to preliminary figures released by Confindustria Moda, the textile industry generated 7.57 billion euros in revenues last year, down 4.7 percent compared to 2018.
September is rapidly shaping up as a busy month, with the men’s edition of Milan Fashion Week to be held concurrently with the women’s shows from Sept. 22 to 28 and the 53rd edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna taking place Sept. 3 to 7.
Meanwhile international eyewear trade fair Mido is sticking to its show dates, already postponed last month to July 5 to 7, while Milan’s international furniture and interior design trade show Salone del Mobile has canceled its annual edition due to the health emergency. The next edition of the event will now take place from April 13 to 18, 2021.
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