Trade shows: a busy early autumn on the horizon

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Aug 25, 2016

A very busy calendar awaits international fashion and accessories buyers in early September, with a series of overlapping events all over Europe. The curtain-raiser will be Munich Fabric Start, which will open on 30th August and end on 1st September. The event will gather together more than one thousand suppliers, introducing some 1,700 collections for the Autumn/Winter 2017-18.
 

Also in Germany, the first Bread & Butter organised by Zalando in Berlin will follow, from 2nd to 4th September, introducing a new format open to the general public.

At the same time, in Paris, Who’s Next – Première Classe will be held from 2nd to 5th September at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre, expecting to host 1,700 exhibitors. The Maison & Objet show is also scheduled in the French capital, from 2nd to 6th September, at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Park.

On approximately the same dates, in Italy though, a long fashion marathon will kick off in Milan, with three trade shows dedicated to accessories. From 3rd to 6th September, two shows will open their doors at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre: the international leather goods show,  Mipel – TheBagShow, and the footwear show TheMicam, both introducing their Spring/Summer 2017 collections. The two events will be hosted in neighbouring halls and await respectively 300 and 1,400 exhibitors.
 
In their wake, from 6th to 8th September, the new exhibition hub located in Milan's outskirts will host 'Origin Passion and Beliefs', a show dedicated to suppliers and manufacturers of high-end semi-finished goods, as well as to small independent artisanal brands. Exhibitors will represent all sectors within the industry, highlighting 'Made in Italy' products.

About thirty companies and fifty emerging designers will be exhibiting, split up in four areas: Leather (apparel, footwear, handbags and leather accessories), Stone (jewellery and accessories), Textile (clothing, knitwear, fabrics, embroidery and accessories) and Technology (patents, new technologies and materials).
 

The show is organised by Fiera di Vicenza, the organiser which already held it twice in Vicenza, northern Italy, and will make its debut in Milan alongside the Milano Unica show. The new show's twinning with Milano Unica, and the latter's relocation from Milan's city centre to the exhibition park in Rho-Pero, where it is scheduled from 6th to 8th September, are the main novelties of the early autumn.

The new location was chosen by the show organisers at the recommendation of the Italian government, which wants top Italian fashion industry events to be more consistent in terms of venues and dates .
 
The European shows' grand tour will then continue with another stage in Germany, from 10th to 12th September in Offenbach, for the ILM-International Leather Goods Fair (ILM Summer Styles- Internationale Lederwaren Messe), an event dedicated to the leather goods industry.