Arsutoria Studio
Arsutoria Studio

Fashion: against the crisis, politics must play its part

‘The time has come for politics to give the right answers to the fashion sector. The right answers to our artisans for what they do with their hands, their head, their heart. And for what they create, the pride of Made in Italy all over the world,’ said CNA national president Dario Costantini speaking at the “Dialogue on the fashion sector” held in Rome in the CNA auditorium on 12 March. Costantini emphasised the specific weight of artisans and small businesses in the country’s system and highlighted their role in innovation as well, pointing out, for example, that one third of small businesses use artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, the laws are not adapted to the changing reality and the framework law on craftsmanship dates back over forty years.

The national president of the CNA then highlighted the energy problem: ‘We do not like the energy decree,’ he reiterated, ‘which excludes more than one million companies from the bill cuts because they have an installed power of less than 16.5kW. Businesses that already find themselves paying many tens of points more for energy than their European competitors’. And we do not like ‘that camouflaged tax represented by insurance contracts covering damage to property directly caused by natural disasters and catastrophic events. Not only does this measure in several cases fail to protect against the consequences of disasters, but in one month it requires almost four million companies to take out particularly complex policies, with respect to which operating procedures were only provided at the end of February’.

The two-year period 2023/2024 was very tough for the fashion industry, which lost 9.7% added value against -1.9% for the manufacturing sector and reduced its workforce by 3%. The bad patch has actually been going on since well before that, it burst more than fifteen years ago, at the time of the financial bubble.

It is difficult to make predictions at such a complex time from a geopolitical and economic point of view. Certainly, to try to imagine a desirable future for the sector, one must take into account certain negative elements. Fashion is a labour-intensive sector (and therefore with low margins), it suffers from a high presence of irregular activities, it is faced with the progressive ageing of the Italian population which weakens the domestic market. But there are also some strengths of the sector on which to build. The appreciation for Italian professionalism is global, especially for the high end and higher added value. The duties announced by the US are frightening, but on the other hand, exports to other important areas of the world, from Asia to the Gulf countries, are growing.

‘Italian fashion has a future and continuity,’ said the president of CNA Federmoda, Marco Landi, ‘we remain Europe’s manufacturing industry in terms of quality production, we must preserve this heritage. Italian companies can continue to be protagonists on international markets. To do so, they must be put in a position to invest. We therefore call for an industrial policy that allows this. Today we also need support on the liquidity front, so we call for measures for a credit policy to support the Italian fashion system’.

ASSOMAC Around the World: Italian technological excellence goes round the globe

Assomac renews its commitment to promoting Italian leather, footwear and leather goods processing technology on international markets through the ‘Assomac Around the World’ programme. The initiative, dedicated to strengthening the internationalisation process of companies in the sector, joins the promotional strategy and activities implemented by the ITA Agency, communicating the value of the Italian sector in the main world markets. In the first half of 2025, the Confindustria association will be present at the most important trade fairs, offering member companies the opportunity to present their technologies and develop new collaborations

After the first appointment at the India International Leather Fair (IILF) in Chennai, held from 1 to 3 February, the tour continued in Milan, where Lineapelle, a reference event for the global leather and fashion industry, was held until 27 February. March was then the turn of the APLF in Hong Kong (12-14 March), followed by the Mega Leather Show in Pakistan (11-13 April).

 India emerges as a strategic market, with a 17 billion euros leather sector and Italian machinery exports growing by 42.15%, while in Hong Kong, Italy confirms its leadership in the supply of components for tanning machinery and in Pakistan the Mega Leather Show offers new opportunities in a rapidly evolving $874 million market.

Assomac at IILF
Assomac at Lineapelle
Italian companies at APLF


ANPIC and the MUSA Design Fest

ANPIC – one of the most important international trade fairs for the leather, footwear and leather goods industry and with over 45 years of experience – marked a milestone in its evolution by putting design and fashion at the centre of its spring-summer 2025 edition with the MUSA Design Fest.

Fernando Padilla Padilla, president of APIMEX, emphasised the importance of this transformation, highlighting that ANPIC no longer seeks just to stay in the market, but to lead it, set new trends and project Mexico as a leader in global innovation. ‘The offer is driving the trends. Our exhibitors are the true agents of change, who through materials such as leather, fabrics, synthetics, laces, buckles, hats and more, define the identity of the manufacturers,’ said Padilla Padilla.

The addition of the MUSA Design Fest aims to connect suppliers, designers and creatives, creating a unique space for collaboration, innovation and original product development and involves over 60 selected companies from sectors such as leather goods, footwear, hats, textiles, leather, furniture, interior design and technology.

A key element of MUSA Design Fest is the focus on trends for spring-summer 2026, enabling participants to anticipate, design and plan their business strategies. This trend preview will help designers and manufacturers stay ahead of the curve, aligning their products with what will shape the future of the industry.

The event will also feature lectures and insights on key topics such as the power of the digital community for brand positioning (Ale Vintage), new trends for spring-summer 2026 (Erick Pérez Sandi) and the sustainable future of leather in fashion (Karina Díaz, director of Mercedes Fashion Week Costa Rica).

In addition to showcasing products, ANPIC 2025 will focus on generating synergies between all players in the value chain. From designers to suppliers to manufacturers, everyone will have the opportunity to interact in an environment that promotes innovation and collaboration.

The event will not only provide a platform for product presentations, but also an opportunity for participants to receive direct feedback and establish new business relationships that will strengthen the presence of Mexican industry internationally.


White Milano: the internationalization of ‘new luxury’

In the just-concluded February 2025 edition, the show gave space to a selection of 300 brands that WHITE defines as new luxury (in the proportion of 55 percent from Italy and 45 percent from abroad), also from emerging markets, demonstrating how the event is increasingly the global benchmark for innovation, creativity and elegance in curating fittings. On the visitor front, the benchmark event for women’s boutique fashion welcomed a 7 percent increase in foreign buyers thanks to intense and targeted promotional work in international markets, while the domestic market was affected by the industry’s difficulties and recorded a 12 percent drop. In particular, White’s ambassadors in the world are the Gulf and Middle East countries, South Korea, Japan, South America, Canada, Northern Europe, DATCH Area, Benelux, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Turkey and Africa.

The initiatives concretized through the CIRCLE project, in partnership with Monica Sarti, have been highly appreciated: a wide-ranging vision of the future that saw its beginnings with the signing of the MoU with Retail Leader Circle, a point of reference in the Gulf and Middle East countries. Thanks to the launch of this project, WHITE will have a permanent presence in Riyadh with the AlMalki Group for brand selection at WESTERLY, opening 3 stores in the Yacht Club in Jeddah, two pop-ups with events from October to December at Ether in Abu Dhabi and Wild Fabrik in Dubai, and last but not least a pop-up at 51East in Doha to be opened also by year-end 2025.

WHITE, thanks to its many international initiatives, thus represents an authentic intercontinental crossroads where buyers, designers, media and industry professionals meet to chart the new routes of contemporary fashion.

As for the brands that have captured the interest of the media, there are the protagonists of the Secret Rooms: five international designers-YID’PHROGMA (China), MAZ Manuela ALVAREZ (Colombia), CAROLXOTT (Estonia), OH CARLA (Italy) and RENÈ (Denmark).

Thanks to the alliance with Confartigianato, we also report the participation of 24 selected companies with entirely Made in Italy artisan DNA: BLUI, DLB, DOUUOD, MA’RY’YA, MAURIZIO MASSIMINO, PINTORIE, PS DON’T FORGET ME, SCAGLIONE, SHE’S SO, 12PM, ARRON, FRANCESCA BIANCHI DESIGN, FORNARI, LABELLE, LE DAF, MONTE SPORT, PASSION BLANCHE, REPTILE’S HOUESE, SALCE 197, SHOTO, SILVIA GNECCHI, VIPERA, VIVYINROSA and RELEASE DISTRIBUTION.

A number of foreign designers presented new additions to their collections representing their country’s creativity: from Spain, thanks to ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, an organization that supports Spanish companies in the internationalization of their business, participated 814 EZCARAY, ASPRÓN STUDIO, AUGUSTA, CUSTO BARCELONA, FLABELUS, HENRY HARROWAY, NKN NEKANE, SKATÏE, SKFK, SSSTUFFF, SURKANA, THE EXTREME COLLECTION and YERSE. From Armenia, on the other hand, comes the shortlist of creatives presented by the Fashion & Garment Chamber of Armenia, with co-financing from the Private Sector Development and TVET South Caucasus Program and support from GIZ Armenia on behalf of the German government: ACHE BCN, ANKASA, BOYAKHCHYAN, TAT MNOYAN, MADE_VEL_E, MOMENTS OF WHITE, NIKOLYAN, SHABEEG, THE WORKSHOP YEREVAN and Z.G.EST.

The next event is set for June 21-23 with the 2026 summer collections.


Enterprise Japan: urban dynamism and upcycling event

Enterprise Japan, a brand of trainers Made in Marche with strong ties to Japanese culture, introduced the first day of the 107th edition of Pitti Uomo with the performance-event Upcycling, The performance of Authenticity.

At the Teatro Niccolini in Florence, the city’s oldest theatre, a true spectacle of the brand’s manufacturing culture was staged, including live performances and video installations. The team of artisans from the Marche headquarters of the Eli Group – a production pole of excellence in the sector, capable of guaranteeing a 100% Made in Italy supply chain, to which the brand is headed – lent itself to an evening in which Leonardo Conti’s direction and Luca Pedrini’s DJ set gave life to a performance in which the public also interacted with the 17th-century spaces of the theatre.

Inspired by the ancient Japanese rural technique of Boro Sashiko, where recycled fabrics were used to mend worn-out kimonos, Enterprise Japan presented a limited edition capsule that assembles remnants of Furoshiki fabrics – drawn pieces of cotton, traditionally used for carrying objects – with Olona canvas or denim finishes to “dress” the core model of the upcoming FW 25-26 collection: EJ JUPITER ROCKET.


The flavour of the autumn-winter 2025 collection by Enterprise Japan redefines the concept of contemporaneity, revolutionising the iconic shapes that have codified urban style and rekindled the most classic outfits, presenting the three flagship models: Egg, Run and Jupiter. The trainer, which has always been a symbol of energy and movement, here wants to slow down the pace, guided by the awareness that excellence comes not only from skill, but also from time and care.


Pollini P-Ride

Technology, quality and comfort define the three models in this collection inspired by trail running footwear, with an ultralight, cushioned sole made of EVA and a tread with special grip, designed to ensure traction, flexibility and durability. Each model in the P-Ride capsule is numbered and offered in three colorways – white, black, teal – embellished with thermo-adhesive graphic motifs and contrasting orange grosgrain details. The Pollini P-Ride capsule will be available at Pollini boutiques, on the official pollini.com e-store, and in an exclusive selection of Italian and international multi-brand retailers.


The luxury comfort of Pantofola D’Oro

For next winter, we find in the collection a reinterpretation of the classic Penalty model, which retains the original design enriched with a leather upper and suede inserts and featuring the three-star logo, embossed in relief. The model features a contrasting color scheme and a light rubber sole, making it versatile and perfect for any everyday occasion. Also new is Terrace 2.0, inspired by 1980s terrace-wear, combining heritage with a minimalist, international aesthetic. The upper, made of leather and suede with hand-padded details, features a hot-stamped three-star logo. The flexible sole and longline shape make it ideal for contemporary, comfortable style.

Penalty
Terrace
Terrace


Lyle & Scott:  spokesman for the British lifestyle

Born in Scotland in 1874 to masters of high-quality knitted underwear, Lyle & Scott continued to produce high-quality men’s and women’s knitwear into the 1920s, leading to collaborations with some of the world’s most renowned brands, including Michael Kors, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Dior. The iconic golden eagle, on the other hand, was born in the 1960s, following a gentleman’s agreement with the equally iconic Gleneagles golf club, and the knitwear legacy has led to the development of golf and casual wear and accessories since the 1980s. Up to the present day, which sees the Lyle & Scott brand firmly established on the world stage, with a focus on Europe and, more recently, Asia, an emblem of the British lifestyle, championing equality and diversity.


V°73: homage to the Serenissima

Venice is always the leitmotif of V°73 but in the FW2025 collection it is the protagonist in an unusual key, in that of the history of its women, always remembered for their independence and personality. Three moments characterize the collection. The first has a city mood, with comfortable bags for everyday life that stand out for a continuous research of materials and technologies, without ever losing sight of the Venetian tradition. The second part of the collection enhances Venetian embroidery with a boho and original twist, underscored by a mix of new materials such as three-dimensional matelassé made with a cork bead and then heat-sealed. Custom-made charms and chains brighten up the models giving an ironic and playful touch. Finally, we find the “eco” strand, declined in almost cotton-like fabrics and with careful attention to every detail and to the combination with natural materials. Completing the wide range of proposals are a capsule of pashminas and some footwear to create a total look, such as ballerinas and the ankle boots to match with the teddy bag.