Milanese fashion and accessories show White has confirmed the dates of its next two
editions. It will be staged in phygital format as the WSM (White Sustainable Milano) event from June 19 to 21, during Milan Fashion Week Men’s, and it is set to welcome back its participants in person on September 23-26, in the city’s Tortona Fashion District. The September edition is scheduled to last four days and will include a host of new features, with activities tailored to buyers’ requirements and special projects designed to foster the sector’s revival.
The focus of the show’s June edition, WSM, will be sustainable fashion, linked to the concept of modern craftsmanship. The format will be different from the usual: it will be a “multi-venue event,” with a host of Milanese multibrand stores and venues showcasing sustainable labels and emerging artisans. WSM will be partly staged in physical format (in compliance with health regulations) but will also have a strong digital component, including workshops in which designers will broadcast live-streams or videos of their production techniques from their studios.
“In recent months, we have come to understand what it means not to have a place to meet in person – getting together and connecting creatively and culturally – a place where it’s possible to develop one’s business in comprehensive fashion. The real recovery will start in September, when the vaccination campaign will allow a return to a normal state of affairs,” said Massimiliano Bizzi, founder of White. He added that “our sales team has found that labels are truly keen to meet physically with clients, for whom in turn it is essential to be able to assess a collection in person. A significant number of Italian and international brands have confirmed their presence at the September 2021 edition. This is why we are busy preparing new sessions and special projects, in conjunction with the Milano Love Italy movement, to which White is associated together with Camera Showroom Milano (CSM), the Italian Fashion Chamber and CBI Camera Buyer Italia, with the support of the City of Milan, all working together to promote the economic recovery of Milan Fashion Week.”
In the same collaborative spirit to promote local craftsmanship, CSM and artisanal association Confartigianato have set up a project called ‘Artisan Evolution’, a cross-sectional exhibition platform designed to showcase leading artisanal manufacturers, who will be able to present and sell their products at CSM-associated showrooms from June 18 to July 30 2021.
White’s June and September editions will be staged with the backing of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and with foreign trade agency ICE, in partnership with Confartigianato Imprese and with the support of the City of Milan. “Confartigianato Moda, [the association of fashion artisans], is working on various fronts to help businesses recover from the crisis, and trade shows are among the essential elements for re-launching made-in-Italy fashion worldwide,” said Fabio Pietrella, president of Confartigianato Moda. “This is why we are proud to play once again an active part in the new editions of White, together with ICE and the other main partners representing the fashion industry. These events are tailor-made for Italian artisans and small businesses, a symbol of manufacturing excellence springing from the intersection of innovation and tradition, as well as a prime example of economic, social and environmental sustainability,” added Pietrella.