MILAN — One of Milan’s biggest commercial events during fashion week takes place on Via Tortona at White Milano, a showcase that unites hundreds of women’s wear brands in one district during the frenzy of the ready-to-wear shows. And despite the closing of retail chains worldwide and the shuttering of concept stores like Colette, the fair grew 20 percent in terms of visitors and 31 percent in terms of buyers year-over-year.
“The world is in a phase of political and economic tension and I can’t help but hope our sector will prove resilient despite this tension,” said White organizer Massimiliano Bizzi, noting that political tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, as well as the strong euro, are currently weighing on the minds of many Italian exhibitors. “The euro will definitely impact exports,” Bizzi noted.
The fair, which ran between Sept. 22 and 25, one day more than past editions, hosted a record 26,611 visitors and 532 brands, up from 511 brands in January 2017, during the men’s and women’s fair. Some 164 brands were from abroad.
This season, White expanded its physical parameters with a new area dubbed 31/Archiproducts, a space dedicated to showcasing architectural and sculptural lines like sartorial rtw brand
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