Pitti and Fiera Milano launch new "Super" show

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Nov 2, 2012

Announced last September, the partner fair between Fiera Milano and Pitti Immagine is taking shape. This new event for accessories and ready-to-wear aims to "promote an innovation culture for product, focus on new sectors in accessories and mix established companies with emerging brands in original ways while nurturing young Italian designers, inviting foreign talent and staging events related to research," said Pitti Immagine in an announcement.

The result will likely be a consolidation. Florence-based Pitti has been organizing three shows in Milan's via Tortona fashion district since 2006 — Touch! NeoZone and Cloudnine. The three events, which host nearly 170 collections, will probably be phased out and partly channeled toward "Super." On the other hand, Fiera Milano's MI Milano Prêt-à-Porter women's ready-to-wear salon and its 150 exhibiting brands will not be folded into the new event. However, MI Milano will take place during the same timeframe and move into a space adjacent to the new show in order "to leverage synergies."

The first edition of "Super" coincides with the next women's Fashion Week in Milan from February 23–25 in "Padiglione 3," the nearly 10,000-square-meter historic pavilion located on the old Milan fairgrounds and currently under construction. This huge area and Milan's former fairgrounds is now slated to be transformed into a new residential area. The real estate development project is being managed by CityLife, which is financed by various investors including insurers Allianz and Generali. The new "Super" trade show is being organized in cooperation with the city of Milan and in partnership with CityLife.

"This is an innovative project and a new departure from the past in terms of content and strategy. We are currently still defining all the details of the operation," said Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine.

"Discussions are ongoing about the possibility of bringing the new Milan exhibition to North America and China in a few seasons," said Roberto Foresti, international group commercial director at Fiera Milano. However, the goal is firstly to install and stabilize this new fashion trade show in Milan before considering a possible export of the show abroad.