White Milano Opens ExpoWhite, Plans Pre-COVID-19 Attendance Levels
MILAN — The pandemic may have forced White Milano to streamline its events with about half the normal amount of visitors, but now, the ready-to-wear and accessories trade show is coming back in full force.
For this second edition of 2022, “[we] are amplifying even more our reach to international fashion companies. This year we have 400 companies that will present their collections and we are hosting the event in three additional locations,” said Massimiliano Bizzi, president of White Milano, during a press conference on Wednesday.
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Indeed, this upcoming edition running Sept. 22 to 25 will add the Magna Pars Hotel, the Superstudio Più and the Archiproducts spaces to its two existing venues, the Base – ExAnsaldo and the Padiglione Visconti — all located in Milan’s Tortona Design District.
International brands already make up 56 percent of the trade show’s registrations. This, according to Bizzi, “is a sign of how year after year Milan, is becoming more open and welcoming to diverse and young international fashion brands.”
Some of the most-awaited new names that will take part in the four-day event include Simon Cracker, Swarovski, Avant Toi, Maria Calderara, Sophie D’Hoore and Stefano Mortari. In addition, Pierre Mantoux will present the capsule collection developed in collaboration with Carine Roitfeld.
Each of the different locations will be dedicated to themed sections. At its third edition, the Secret Rooms project will host five different emerging designers, each with its own immersive room. The White Cube will be dedicated to new-gen footwear brands, while inside the White Suk, visitors will be able to explore companies with a strong artisanal heritage. The amphitheater space will host talks and workshops focused on themes such as digitalization, greenwashing, innovative materials and technologies, regenerative agriculture and new retail frontiers.
The September edition will also see the debut of ExpoWhite, a new format that will promote the work of fashion creatives from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, the Netherlands and South Africa. This year, the focus will be on Saudi designers via the Saudi100 project supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Fashion Commission, which will present the country’s best talents, 85 percent of which will be women. White Milano’s chief executive officer Brenda Bellei said, “the idea is to have the exclusivity of international brands within Milan,” adding that, “this year in addition to the 30 thousand visitors expected, we will be able to host 150 more buyers from all over the world. This was done thanks to the intervention of the government and the support of ICE.”
After its debut in February, the WSM format dedicated to sustainability will be held for the first time during Milan’s Women’s Fashion Week, with the aim of attracting the fashion crowd that will already be in town for the shows. It is estimated that each women’s fashion week draws around 25,000 fashion operators to Milan.
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