Retailers continue to count on Milan as a business powerhouse,and generally say their budgets are modestly up.
International retailers are gearing up for Milan’s spring shows next week, expecting voluminous tops, skinny bottoms, leggings, a bevy of dresses and — most important — lots of order-writing.
Dolce & Gabbana, Pucci, Fendi, Prada, Marni and Giorgio Armani are just a few of the season’s most hotly anticipated shows. While buyers may turn to Paris for more fashion-forward and experimental pieces, they are still dedicating a large chunk of their order books to Milan for both apparel and accessories.
Still, foreign buyers need to choose items carefully as exchange rates continue to bite into their purchasing power. The dollar has weakened against the euro by 4.4 percent since the same time last year, and the yen has weakened against the euro by about 10 percent in the same period.
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“Paris is becoming very important for us, but [Milan] as a single resource is still the largest in terms of overall budget, said Andrew Keith, vice president of merchandising at Lane Crawford, who said Milan accounts for 60 percent of the store’s total buy.
Stefan Asbrand-Eickhoff, buying manager at Düsseldorf’s Eickhoff Königsallee, had a similar plan.
“We have Paris, which is very important for the fashion part. But in terms of real, deluxe ready-to-wear, the business is stronger and more contemporary in Milan,” said Asbrand-Eickhoff, who is dedicating 55 percent of the store’s budget to Milan.
Sojin Lee, buying and retail director for U.K.-based Net-A-Porter.com, said she thinks the momentum toward sack and shift dresses and Eighties and Nineties influences will continue in Milan. She likes the ongoing trend to layer chunky, neutral-hued knits over embellished girly clothes, often in pink, yellow and blue. “There a return this season from last season to pretty,” she said.
Here’s what some retailers expect this season:
Ken Downing, fashion director, Neiman Marcus, Dallas: “Milan is a constant source of inspiration and we look forward to all of the presentations from all of the Italian houses. Neiman Marcus is expecting to see the continuation of dresses as we have seen in New York, also color and metallic, from platinum to bright silver.”
Jeffrey Kalinsky, owner, Jeffrey New York and Jeffrey Atlanta: “I always look forward to seeing what Miuccia Prada is doing, [as well as] Frida Giannini at Gucci. I’m a Marni freak. I’m also passionate about what Tomas Maier is doing at Bottega Veneta. I’ve got a mad crush on what Christopher Bailey is doing at Burberry. We do so much commerce in Milan. Jil Sander is the base of my business and I think what Raf Simons has been doing there is exciting.
“Milan accounts for over 45 percent of our buy. There’s a lot of classifications, not just clothes. Paris accounts for 25 percent and New York, 20 percent. I hope to spend at least as much as I spent last season in Milan. So far the trend is that we’ve been spending more. The apparel and accessory buy is pretty much equal.
“I think we’ll see a whole new vision of fashion in Milan and yet another new vision in Paris. We’ll see silhouettes like skinny pants, shorts and skirts with volume. But who knows what else we’ll see — that’s what’s so great. I’m waiting to be surprised. Miuccia is such a trendsetter herself. She could throw everything up in the air and present something entirely new.”
Cedric Charbit, general merchandising manager at Printemps, Paris: “Italians are doing well for us, especially in the summer. So far, we think spending will be greater than last year in Milan — about 15 percent. Paris is, of course, our biggest budget. Milan is second and New York third. We see dresses that look like tunics and tunics that look like dresses. I expect a Versace feeling everywhere, but very relaxed and young. On the other hand, I hope a modern nomad, like Marc Jacobs presented in New York, will be present too.”
Charbit said he’s looking forward to Prada, Marni, and Dolce & Gabbana for direction, and eager to see the dresses at Alberta Ferretti, Roberto Cavalli, Fendi, Missoni and Pucci.
Haru Suzuki, fashion merchandiser, Barneys Japan: “We are keeping the same budget as last year. I’ll be looking for Jil Sander because last season sales were very positive, so I’d like to see how [designer Raf Simons] is proceeding. As for Burberry, we don’t buy them yet but we liked the pre-collection with its Marine-style striped tops. In Marni’s pre-collection, the dresses were really cute. Everybody is doing dresses, but I would like to see some nice shirtdresses and blouse tops.”
Stefan Asbrand-Eickhoff, buying manager at Eickhoff Königsallee, Düsseldorf:
“Milan is getting more important because the big brands in Milan are getting more important. We’re talking about designer collections like Dolce & Gabbana, Armani — from whom we carry the main line, Collezioni and Emporio — Versace, Gucci, Pucci, Etro, which is a good package, and Fendi, which is getting bigger. And then there are all the classic brands, like Piazza Sempione.
“I think summer will be the high point for dresses and then they’ll start to slow down. [Jeans are] a bit over, and the jeans market may possibly have problems next season.”
Andrew Keith, vice president of merchandising, Lane Crawford, Hong Kong: “We’re looking forward to Prada, which is always interesting, particularly in terms of trends. We want to see what Matthew Williamson is doing in his second season at Pucci. Dolce & Gabbana will be pivotal.”
Keith said he’s eager to check out Alberta Ferretti and Giorgio Armani, which are strong lines for the store, and sees more momentum for baby-doll dresses and ballet flats.
“We’ve been seeing great growth for the Italian brands in our portfolio,” he noted, “and we hope that will continue.”
Akihito Naohara, general manager, luxury brands merchandising, Takashimaya Co., Tokyo: “[Our Milan budget] is up by about 10 percent as we are planning renovations at some stores,” Naohara said. Milan represents 60 percent of Takashimaya’s overall budget, 70 percent of which is devoted to accessories. His top must-see shows are Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, Bottega Veneta and Fendi.
Rosy Biffi, owner, Biffi and Banner, Milan: “My budget is normal, about 10 to 20 percent up from the previous year. I saw some of the New York shows on the Internet and there’s still a big tendency toward volume. We are already selling these looks in Milan. Jackets and blazers are not selling well. It’s not that I don’t want to see them [on the runway], but I’m not going to take them into consideration [for spring].”
Sojin Lee, buying and retail director, Net-A-Porter.com, London: “I can’t wait to see Fendi. I think Silvia [Venturini Fendi] and Karl [Lagerfeld] are doing a fantastic job. There’s been an injection of fun. It’s more relevant. It’s on trend. I always [look forward to] Bottega Veneta. Tomas [Maier] has brought to life what that brand represents. It’s really about the quality and luxury of the products, which speak for themselves.”