With “Made in Italy” continuing its reputation as a marker of discernment for global consumers, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is returning to the semi-annual 2025 Chicago Men’s Collective. The trade show will once again be held from Feb. 1-4 at the Merchandise Mart.
With more than 62 of the best in Italian menswear and accessories brands, the ITA will also be introducing 14 new brands into the mix for buyers to discover. And the ITA is continuing to host its trademark lounge front and center at the Italian Pavilion — hosting a complimentary espresso bar and aperitivo with Italian-curated cocktails and bites throughout the show.
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This year, the theme of “cinema” will see the brands celebrate imagery in motion with key menswear content creators attending the show and the ITA hosting a post-show networking event for the sponsored brands and U.S. retail partners.
Beyond the Chicago Collective, the ITA has sponsored more than 70 womenswear brands at the New York Coterie show, swimwear brands at the Miami Cabana show and “Always Be Extra” VIP live model presentation show at the Boom Boom Room in New York to spotlight its proprietary B2B wholesale platform, ExtraITAStyle.
“The U.S. market is vitally important to ‘Made in Italy’ fashion and accessories brands that are seeking real expansion and global brand recognition,” Erica Di Giovancarlo, Italian trade commissioner, told Fairchild Studio. “America is now seeing a major resurgence in popularity for occasion dressing and expert tailoring, especially when it comes to menswear.”
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the 2024 U.S. imports from Italy for fashion and accessories from Q1 to Q3 totaled $8.7 billion — making Italy the fifth largest supplier to the U.S. with a 5.1 percent market share. The U.S. continues to represent the largest non-European market for “Made in Italy” for consumers of fashion products.
Di Giovancarlo went on to note the synergy between the U.S. and Italy, which she said “have never been more aligned” for the current aesthetics consumers are shopping. For retail buyers looking to discover the best-in-the-world quality and expertise that Italian menswear has to offer, Chicago Collective is one of the top buyer’s markets in the U.S. for the ITA to showcase.
The U.S. market continues to be a relevant strategic market for the ITA to sponsor Italian fashion manufacturers in the apparel, footwear, leather goods, skins and furs, textile and yarns, eyewear and cosmetics and jewelry categories — with the goal to continue to promote and expand Italy’s “Made in Italy” share of international trade.
“There’s an incredible cultural change happening in the States right now, where customers are intentionally moving away from mass-production and fast fashion. We continue to see customers that are shopping for investment pieces: quality items with stories from real people and authentic, ethical craftsmanship — that they’ll treasure for a lifetime, rather than something they’ll throw out in a couple years. Over-consumption is thankfully a dying trend, and these values are in perfect harmony with everything that ‘Made in Italy’ stands for,” said Di Giovancarlo.