White Milano Plans ‘Phygital’ Format for September Show
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ITA-LOVE: Ever the vocal supporter of Italian fashion, White Milano is embracing a phygital approach for its September show aimed at shining a light especially on Italian fashion businesses.
Planned for Sept. 24 to 27 at a still undisclosed location in Milan’s Tortona district, the fair will combine the White Milano trade show, traditionally held during the women’s fashion week, with the WSM Fashion Reboot event dedicated to sustainability – originally scheduled for June and then postponed due to the pandemic.
The trade show organizer sealed a partnership with Best Showroom, a new network of 50 Italian showrooms to install the “Milano Loves Italy” project aimed at supporting local small-and-medium sized enterprises and brands, in response to the disruptions caused by COVID-19. International brands will also be welcomed.
“By joining forces with different entities, we will be able to express our strength and leadership in the fashion sector. Union makes a difference, with the common goal of supporting Milan and Italy,” said Massimiliano Bizzi, founder of White Milano.
“The collaboration between White and Best Showroom represents a strategic asset I had been looking for for years and which came to life at this particularly tough time,” added Bizzi. “What happened should foster the value of Made in Italy and push us Italians to bank on Milan, triggering international buyers not to miss the city’s fashion weeks.”
The show format will encompass a range of physical and digital presentations spotlighting local and international fashion companies with a focus on Italian firms. Both White Milano and Best Showroom will debut their business-to-business digital platforms offering buyers a chance to review and purchase the collections also remotely. Best Showroom’s digital showcase is called Showbox WX and was developed by Italy’s tech specialist WX Italia.
The trade show is backed by MAECI and ICE, Italy’s trade agency, which are supporting the visits of local and foreign buyers, in addition to Milan’s municipality and Confartigianato Imprese. The latter has been involved to foster the visibility of fashion SMEs representing 99.6 percent of the country’s businesses, according to Giuseppe Mazzarella, president of the association’s fashion branch.
“We’re enthusiastic about all the initiatives that are supporting Milan and helping the city to maintain its key role in the international fashion system after four months of forced halt due to COVID-19,” commented Cristina Tajani, Milan’s fashion and design city councilor. She added that establishing synergies among the different stakeholders is “pivotal in promoting the beauty and quality and in putting sustainability, craftsmanship and welfare at the center of the conversation for a restart of Made in Italy.”
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