MILAN — Amid a complex international scenario, White Milano organizers continue to look beyond the realm of the traditional trade show paradigm, strengthening its partnership with Middle East buyers and brands.
The four-day trade show dedicated to small and medium-sized ready-to-wear brands opened Sept. 25 and closed Sept. 28.
Organizers registered 364 exhibitors at the show’s Via Tortona space. About 55 percent of the brands were from outside Italy, up from the 45 percent registered a year earlier. The number of visitors fell year-on-year to 14,412 from 15,602. But the number of foreign buyers rose 7 percent, with a marked increase from the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, where White Milano’s owner, M Seventy, has long been active. There was also strong attendance from Spain, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with an uptick in Japanese buyers. By contrast, Italian visitors declined 11 percent.
Related Articles
Smaller Budgets, Curated Selection
You May Also Like
For Dubai-based concept store Ether, which has a mix of moderately priced fashion-forward accessories, home and lifestyle brands under its umbrella, White Milano’s array of brands are the right fit for its core customer looking for price points under $300.
“As a Middle Eastern buyer, we’ve identified a number of brands that could perform well with our demographic. While our budget has slightly decreased, we’re still actively seeking out new and unique brands interested in exploring this market — particularly those open to working with us on a consignment basis,” said Reschmika Nag, Ether’s business development manager, adding that the store is open to brands with the aesthetic and quality similar to upscale brands like Zimmermann and Pucci.
Poland’s largest luxury store Vitkak was focused on making careful selections, in an unpredictable macro economic climate.
“Our budget is in similar level compared with last season. We are still looking for new brands and try to create trends in Poland and show the best brands that fashion can offer. At the same time, the situation on the planet is not stable, so we are making all decisions more carefully than in the past seasons,” Alan Wojcieszak, a visual merchandiser from Vitkac, told WWD.
Fresh, International Brands
In terms of brands, White Milano showcased a roster of spring and summer collections in which Saudi Arabian designer Tala Abukhaled was in focus. Abukhaled is the founder of Riyadh-based Rebirth, which recently positioned itself as a prêt-à-porter brand and blends luxury with a bohemian aesthetic. Abukhaled said she’s focused on propelling her resort and ready-to-wear collections in Europe. “White is the right place for me to meet European buyers,” she said, noting that she first showcased at White Resort in June and attracted a strong interest from top buyers.
Abukhaled was positioned in the Secret Rooms section, along with Clara Pinto, a designer that specializes in wool from the U.K.; Carolxott, a futuristic brand from Estonia; Renè from Denmark, and Colombia’s Maz Manuela Alvarez, who presented her sustainable collection alongside a capsule designed with Adidas Colombia, and which was shown for the first time outside the country.
Since the Saudi Arabian Fashion Commission launched its first commercial wholesale event ever at White Milano in 2022, the ties between M Seventy have become increasingly stronger. Massimiliano Bizzi, president and cofounder of White, said the Gulf states are driving growth in international markets. “It’s work we have been pursuing for some time and we will continue on this path, exploring regions where demand remains strong.”
New Alliances
Alongside the trade show, the RLC (Retail Leaders Circle) Global Forum was held at the nearby Mudec, Milan’s museum of culture. The invitation-only event was RLC’s inaugural fashion summit, focusing on retail dialogue, insight and innovation, in partnership with White Milano.
Among the top speakers at the event was Michael Chalhoub, Chalhoub Group’s chief executive officer. Chalhoub Group is the leading luxury partner across the Middle East and the CEO told the crowd that the company is focused on the upcoming opening of a distribution center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to satiate the growing appetite for luxury goods. He said the new distribution center will cater to major cities like Riyadh and Jeddah, but also secondary cities in the Gulf nation where ultra speedy deliveries are on the rise.
“With e-commerce, we managed to cater to our customer in a glimpse of time,” he said, noting that for Level Shoes shoes, for example, the group ensures a 90-minute delivery in Dubai and Riyadh.
The event’s key topics were new geographies and demand flows, AI tech, supply chain resilience and value and influence in a high-tech economy. Among the 200 attendees, executives of global brands, senior leaders in retail, luxury and beauty and investment and private equity were in attendance.
“We have an obligation to innovate and bring new names into the fair,” said White Milano and M. Seventy CEO Brenda Bellei.
Other top brands at the fair included Ballantyne, founded as a knitwear company in Scotland in 1921, which took part in the fair for the first time. As part of White’s Showroom Connection initiative, the brand showcased its Kate bag, which was generated using artificial intelligence. The firm is now owned by Italian entrepreneur Fabio Gatto, who acquired it from Italy’s Charme Investments SCA in 2015.
In terms of trends, Wojcieszak said he found unexpected fabrics, blended textures and detailing echoing the nuances of nature. “Brands made a big step to be closer to nature… in my opinion, we all need it,” he said, noting that store’s customers are looking for natural materials with a subdued color palette. “They left logomania a bit, and are looking for simple items with a twist of fashion.”
The next White Milano will be held Feb. 26 to March 1 during the fall ready-to-wear season.