The press conference presenting the new features of the upcoming editions of Italian fashion trade shows Micam Milano, Mipel, Lineapelle, The One Milano, Milano Fashion & Jewels and Simac Tanning Tech, was held on a very wet September 5 in Milan. The events are scheduled on September 14-19, in a session collectively labelled ‘Legacy of Style’, defined as “an encapsulation of the vision shared by the many links in [Italy’s] fashion industry supply chain.”

 
The six Milanese shows will feature a total of 2,090 exhibitors, 47% of them coming from over 60 countries besides Italy, giving buyers and visitors the opportunity to discover new products from across the whole supply chain. A sector that, according to the various industry representatives who talked to FashionNetwork.com, is going through a troubled patch.
 
Micam Milano (September 15-17)

The 98th edition of the international footwear trade show will present 921 exhibitors, nearly 50% of them from outside Italy. Among the show’s main sections, Micam X, where international experts will discuss hot topics like AI, new technologies, colours, materials and more; Future Retail, exploring new sales solutions with seven exhibitors, up from four last season; and the Emerging Designer section, featuring 12 names from Italy and elsewhere.
 

“We have always paid special attention to training opportunities for young people. For this reason, the show’s next edition will host a new section, The Micam Academy, in which experts from the Polytechnic University and Ars Sutoria will show a young audience how a pair of shoes is made, from start to finish. Another novelty will be Taste Arena, where ‘cuisine ambassadors’ will prepare gourmet dishes from various regions of Italy,” said Giovanna Ceolini, president of Italian footwear industry association Assocalzaturifici, talking to FashionNetwork.com. As for the sector’s performance, “in 2023 we recorded modest growth at €14.58 billion, but in the first three months of 2024 exports were down 10.3% in volume and 9.7% in value, and revenue decreased by 10.1%. [The sector’s] performance in Europe was on balance stable, losing only 4.7%, but revenue in the rest of the world fell by 15%. We’re hoping to bounce back in 2025, and to this end we’re asking the government to support SMEs on several fronts,” said Ceolini.
 
Mipel (September 15-17)
 
The handbags and accessories sector is experiencing similar difficulties, as Claudia Sequi, president of industry association Assopellettieri and of the Mipel leather goods show, outlined: “[The sector’s] revenue in 2023 was €13.5 billion, including exports worth €11 billion, in line with the previous year. 2024 did not begin positively, with exports down 11.8% and industrial output down 18%. Among the main causes, in addition to the global macroeconomic and geopolitical situation – Russia and Ukraine have always been two key markets for our sector – there are China’s slowdown, with the country trying to favour domestic consumption rather than imports, Germany’s slowdown, and climate change. We need to help companies cope with this by adopting multiple measures: For example, we have asked the government for an extension of temporary redundancy measures, for a moratorium on loans made during the pandemic, and for paying and writing off tax credits. But we also need to think about longer-term solutions to help companies reposition themselves and respond to new market needs.”

 
Mipel’s 126th edition will showcase over 200 brands, 49% of them coming from 16 countries besides Italy, mostly from China, India and Germany. Alongside long-established brands, the event’s Showcase section will present 14 emerging Italian names distinctive for their innovation and research. “As before, the Live Streamer section will feature influencers, especially from Asia, who will be presenting and live-selling some of the products on show. We’ve done a great deal of work on the Trend section: visitors will be welcomed by a sensory journey signposted by scents, summing up everything they’ll be able to find at the show,” said Sequi.
 
Lineapelle (September 17-19)
 
Leather manufacturing show Lineapelle is celebrating its 103rd edition by hosting 1,256 exhibitors (tanneries and manufacturers of accessories, components, fabrics and synthetic materials) on an exhibition area of over 44,000 square metres. Nearly 45% of exhibitors are coming from 43 countries besides Italy, primarily China (for synthetic alternatives), Turkey, France and Spain.
 
“We must bear in mind that Italy accounts for 65% of European leather output and 24% of global output. Naturally, foreign exhibitors – except those from France and Spain – will mostly be concentrated in other product categories. As usual, we will spotlight young talent, by staging runway shows by emerging designers, as well as craftsmanship, with ad hoc workshops, and sustainability, the theme of several seminars,” said Fulvia Bacchi, CEO of Lineapelle and head of Italian tannery association Unic Concerie Italiane, talking to FashionNetwork.com. “Our sector generates a revenue of approximately €4.6 billion, 70% of it through exports. This year began negatively for both manufacturing output and exports, down between 10 and 15% depending on their destination. We have been hit by the downturn in China, which used to be our main market, accounting for some 25% of total revenue. China’s current revenue share is below 10%, and France and other European countries have overtaken it. There are several reasons for this downturn: many labels have reduced their initiatives; consumer purchasing power is slumping; costs are rising and inflation is eroding corporate profits; the Chinese and US real estate markets are in crisis; and, of course, the global geopolitical situation is troubled,” added Bacchi.
 
Milano Fashion & Jewels (September 14-17)
 
The jewellery and accessories industry show will bring together over 650 brands, 50% of them coming from 37 countries besides Italy, including Greece, Spain, France, India, Turkey, China, Brazil and, for the first time, Mauritius.
 
The sector is currently bucking the fashion industry’s trend: jewellery and accessories exports recorded a 1.6% revenue drop in 2023, to approximately €4.5 billion, but this year’s forecast is for exports to grow by 6%, and to grow by 7% for the consolidated 2025-27 period.
 
“We’re working hard on sustainability; fashion is an extremely polluting sector, so we’ll have to get used to lower consumption levels, and therefore lower output, but with higher quality,” said Filomena Sannino, exhibition manager for Milano Fashion & Jewels at show organiser Fieramilano. “The show will feature specific sections on this theme, such as Exploring Sustainable Fashion, which will include exhibitors that are able to create ‘green’ collections, more expensive to produce, but sold at affordable prices. We’re hoping that they will set an example for other companies in our sector: 2030 is round the corner, you have to prepare, even if it isn’t easy for micro-companies. Besides, we will present a project in partnership with Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), showing collections created by 12 IED students using garments destined for the scrap heap,” added Sannino.
 
The One Milano (September 14-17)
 
The One Milano will share the exhibition space of Milano Fashion & Jewels, showcasing women’s ready-to-wear and high-end accessories by some 60 exhibitors, over 50 of them from China, as CEO Elena Salvaneschi told FashionNetwork.com: “China is a market that deserves close attention. In collaboration with the China Garment Association, we have carefully selected companies that produce high-quality items and comply with [EU] import regulations. [The One Milano] is chiefly focused on outerwear and overcoats, so Spring/Summer isn’t our main season, but as always we’ve tried to present interesting novelties.”
 
The sector, Salvaneschi said, has been heavily penalised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine: “[Russia and Ukraine] were two of our main markets. Consumption expenditure in Ukraine has collapsed, while exporting to Russia has become impossible owing to the rule prohibiting exports of products costing more than €300. Another negative element is the recent ban on importing sable fur, which can only be sourced in Russia. Raw fur now has to be processed in Russian tanneries, which don’t have the same quality standards as European ones. Another of our leading markets, Korea, is fortunately doing very well, while European countries are stagnant.” The sector’s revenue grew in 2023, thanks to positive H1 results, but outerwear sales in the first four months of 2024 fell by 20%.