Is turning increasingly white with the expansion of Tortona 31|Opificio and exponentially international focus
With 4 locations, one of which a factual district, and a brand mix including 562 exhibitors, white has chosen Fiorucci as special guest of the show, A.F. Vandevorst as special designer, which is going to celebrate its 20th anniversary at the tradeshow. The new location Tortona 31| opificio has undergone a major expansion and is now fit to accommodate showrooms, like Ilaria Nistri’s, Forte Forte’s and Fila’s, the latter is also in Milano Fashion Week’s calendar. On Show a panorama of consolidated maisons, international brands, the best Made-in-Italy craft businesses, as well as an area dedicated to cutting-edge Belgian Fashion in collaboration with flanders district of creativity.
From September 21st to September 24th 2018, WHITE is all set to turn the Tortona Fashion District white and further the show’s expansion under banner of quality, thanks to the development of the hub in Tortona 31 | Opificio, a venue consisting of a number of stand-alone locations, used for the first time by WHITE during the fashion week so as to forge a path unique in its kind, which will host pop-up stores, special areas, and international research, as well as the showrooms of labels like Ilaria Nistri, forte_forte and Fila. A datum that confirms WHITE and the Tortona Fashion District as the most dynamic and vital hub during Milan’s fashion week. The district is now a must-see scenario, WHITE has relied and bet on since the very onset by investing on it with a ground-breaking approach: its success has also been confirmed by the fact that, after having explored a number of locations, other players of the sector are now making their comeback in via Tortona. Today WHITE – the tradeshow under the aegis of the Municipality of Milan – consists of four locations, a fitted surface of approximately 22.000 square meters, 562 brands (375 Italian and 187 international), among which 243 new entries in the locations Tortona 27 | Superstudio Più, Tortona 31 | Opificio, Tortona 35 | Hotel NHow and Tortona 54|Ex Ansaldo: the expansion of the exhibiting area goes to show that businesses, insiders and buyers increasingly view WHITE as the landmark marketing- oriented platform for consolidated businesses and cutting-edge brands alike. The 4-days programme (from 21st to 24th September) is confirmed, as is the important synergy with the city of Milan and Camera Nazionale della Moda, to make the Milanese fashion week more and more international and rich in events.
«WHITE has been evolving in terms of numbers year after year: today the number of exhibitors, both national and international, amounts to 562, a growth that keeps consolidating itself among fashion business insiders and on the media too, which deem WHITE as the preeminent event to make the most of the creativity of many businesses and young designers. Here talents are given a chance to experiment with their ideas and new style codes and turn them into market as well as style opportunities. A promotion path that has been launched also thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of Milan - so the Councillor for Fashion and Design of the Municipality of Milan, Cristina Tajani. This year - Councillor Tajani goes on to say - thanks to the second edition of “Milano XL” and its six installations, we are furthering the diffused focus on the Made in Italy, aiming to tangibly and inventively promote the image of Italy and of the Italian fashion system: from fashion to cosmetics, from eyewear to jewels, from textile to footwear, down to the universe of the accessories».
«Over the last couple of seasons Milan and WHITE have been growing considerably - so Massimiliano Bizzi, founder of WHITE – thanks to the initiatives and activities organized with a system-like approach, like the project Milano XL and the synergy among the trade-fairs, organized at short intervals one from another. The path undertaken by WHITE is important and it keeps yielding substantial results for the fashion businesses as well as for a sector that is so vital for the Italian economy».
Starting from Milan, but with a global stance, WHITE has chosen Fiorucci as Special Guest of the tradeshow: a wholly Italian story, which began in Milano in 1967 with the inimitable Elio Fiorucci, the “champion of democratic fashion”. Thanks to his free spirit and passion for art, Fiorucci revolutionized the fashion scene. In 2015 the brand was acquired by Janie and Stephen Schaffer, who has decided to bet on the label’s core values - irony, Italian heritage, contaminations with art and music - through a multi-channel strategy, which commenced with the opening of the awards-winning Flagship store in the heart of London’s Soho. The new creative direction of the label has already captured the attention of several international celebrities, like Will.I.AM, Brooklyn Beckham, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Kourtney Kardashian, to mention just a few. For the first time since the re-launch, Fiorucci is again protagonist in Milan with an evocative special area at WHITE, in Tortona 27 Superstudio Più, where the new S/S 2019 collection is much awaited by international buyers and press alike. The surprises do not end here through. A Fiorucci Pop-Up Store (open to the public) will open in the location of WHITE Tortona 31 | Archiproducts, where it will be possible to purchase the A/W 2018 collection, featuring bright holographic fabrics combined with jersey, vinyl, denim, t-shirt and oversize sweaters with the print of the brand’s iconic cherubs.
«Fiorucci is the first lifestyle brand and concept store bringing together music, art and fashion under one single big brand. With the first legendary opening of the Fiorucci store in Milan, we are proud to partake in White show to bring the label back to its heyday» so Janie Schaffer, owner of the brand Fiorucci. Massimiliano Bizzi, founder of WHITE stated: «Just like Fiorucci, WHITE was born in Milan with the goal of bringing fashion to the people via an unconventional and free format and approach. Not only are we paying tribute to a great innovator, who has always inspired me with his ground-breaking vision, we are also thrilled to be able to contribute to the re-launch of the label and its comeback, which starts right here in Milan, at WHITE».
Project Showroom Connection
WHITE’s Showroom Connection is the project designed to connect and promote, within the show, the businesses and their showrooms. White has always aimed to be a hub and a hotspot bringing together brands and showrooms, offering targeted marketing, i m age as well as on line and offline communication services, three fresh interpretations of a trade-fair that is no longer purely a fair.
The format, hence, is back with a more strategic approach. Some of the brands that have joined the project, the likes of Fioucci, Fila, Liviana Conti and TPN and TPN X Lotto, are going to be the protagonists of an innovative exhibiting concept. A special art direction of the venue within the show curated by the stylists and visual artists of Vogue °Shareable, the special unit of Vogue Italia, will bring to life outfits fashioned b y mixing the garments and accessories of the brands with an editorial cut, well-suited to the digital world. Had hoc photo-shootings and highly emotional digital communication on Instagram, the social media par excellence, which has become a vital tool for the fashion maisons.
WHITE’s Special Project is the Belgian brand A.F. VANDEVORST, on show with their new collection within a special area at Tortona 27 | Superstudio Più, while at Tortona 31|Archiproducts the duo from Antwerp will showcase a special installation and pop-up store (open to the public) to celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary. It all began back in 1987 in Antwerp, when An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx met on their first day of school at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. At WHITE Milano, for their anniversary – also celebrated with the publication of ENDE NEU, a retrospective book narrating the history of the maison - A. F. Vandevorst are putting on show an emotional area conjuring up their aesthetics and passion for visual arts, where the audience will be able to purchase a capsule collection of t-shirts, bags and apparel. Furthermore, the brand – thanks to the backing offered by WHITE – is in CNMI calendar on Saturday 22nd September at 5pm.
Tortona 31 | Opificio has seen a noteworthy expansion thanks to the mix of consolidated companies and cutting-edge brands. In addition to that, the venue is all set to host the showrooms of the likes of Ilaria Nistri, forte_forte and Fila, made famous in the ‘70s and ‘80s by several sports champions, today back in the limelight. All these businesses have chosen the Tortona Fashion District for their showrooms, which will stay open during the fashion week as well as during the sales campaign. Again in Tortona 31|Archiproducts the special area in collaboration with the Dutch tradeshow MODEFABRIEK, which is bringing to Milan a selection of their most representative brands, like Femmes Du Sud, Ruigrok Vd W, Maium, A.Bostroem, Daily Paper and Kings of Indigo.
Lucel van den Hoeven, CEO of Modefabriek, commented: «We are truly happy to collaborate with White. The initiative perfectly integrates itself with all our projects like Modefabriek, our international fashion tradeshow in Amsterdam, and Denim Days, our traveling festival dedicated to denim. We believe that this collaboration represents an approach to develop interesting business opportunity for the future. This is the reason why we are pleased to collaborate with WHITE and bring to Milan the brands from the Netherlands, where they are bound to meet a keen and international audience ».
Under the banner of international scouting activity, the spotlight on Belgian vanguard fashion with the
Special Project “The Belgian Focus”. In synergy with Flanders DC - Flanders District of Creativity - the Belgian platform that supports and promotes young creative labels, WHITE is going to host a careful selection of seven brands from Belgium, making up a heterogeneous and comprehensive womenswear offer, from apparel to footwear, from leatherwear to lingerie and jewelry. The “The Belgian Focus” protagonists are: Ophelia Lingerie with her sustainable underwear, Morobé, the luxury label of street-couture footwear shoes; the exclusive textile prints by Marylène Madou; the smart, functional and sustainable design of Lies Mertens bags; the colourful, ethnic hand-made apparel by Mooiloop; the minimalist yet innovative design of the jewels crafted by Studio Collect; Helder Antwerp’s versatile creations.
Lastly, at Tortona 31, a zoom in on Italian expertise with the area Interspazio, which hosts Sharra Pagano, emblem of Italian style and legendary jewelry brand founded in Milan in 1969 by Lino Raggi. A further focus on craftsmanship at Showroom 31, dedicated to the Made in Italy, with Daniele Amato’s evening footwear and accessories brand, the hand-processed sneakers by Fabiano Ricci, down to the luxury blouses of the brand Pourquoi me by Elena Montagano.
«Our expansion strategy continues on many fronts - so Brenda Bellei, CEO of M.SEVENTY – thanks to ongoing investments, as it occurred in June, the extension of the venues in the Tortona District, and, most importantly, the implementation of January 2019’s edition. We are developing interesting international collaborations with first-class partners, and renewing, also in 2019, our partnership with ICE - Agenzia, Confartigianato Imprese and Conf. Export, so as to bolster business opportunities for the Italian enterprises, by promoting the turnout of prominent international buyers and, first and foremost, by encouraging the presence of the firms that we are currently endorsing on the international marketplaces».
HIGHLIGHTS ON THE LOCATIONS OF WHITE MILANO Tortona 27 | Superstudio Più
The location that has embodied the heart of WHITE since its very inception is all set to host important Special Rooms zooming in on highly creative and marketable brands. The September edition of WHITE sees the return of AVAVAV, with their innovative and sustainable formula See Now Buy Now, dedicated to B2B and B2C and focusing on exclusive collections capable of merging essential Scandinavian design and made-in-Italy distinction; Attic and Barn’s classy collections combining demi-couture, comfort and elegance; Faliero Sarti and his strictly Italian history of excellence; OOF and their creations based on functional reversibility to offer utmost comfort and urbanwear flair; Pierre-Louis Mascia and his artistic poetry printed on garments and superior lifestyle creations; Sofie D’Hoore with sustainable luxury creations endowed with a modern-day twist, outstanding in terms of quality, owing to sophisticated sartorial construction, and yet absolutely essential; Stefano Mortari and the contemporary flair of his sartorial, truly minimalistic and smart outfits; the labels sharing an advanced contemporary style, brought to us by the international showroom Six London, namely Blue Roses, Dorateymur, Leandra Medine, Martine Rose, Nicole Saldana, Rombaut, Toga Pulla, Toga Virilis. Among the comebacks, Rouge Margaux, brand launched by Cem Cinar, WHITE’s Special Guest in the February edition. WHITE is also going to parade Caterina Lucchi, renowned Italian leatherwear brand, and Liviana Conti. For the first time the project Showroom Connection takes place in the September edition too, so as to promote, through a state-of-the-art digital project, the brands and their showrooms. Among the showrooms, Baltimora Showroom, which this edition is showcasing new labels such as Ca&Lou, Andamane and Vision of Super. Superstudio Più is going to host the installation of the brand WRÅD, a project focussing on sustainable innovation, which also partook in the June edition of WHITE and has been selected by Camera Nazionale della Moda as one of the finalists of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards 2018. Last but not least, the artistic, yet absolutely wearable knitwear by Laura Theiss, down to French designer Valentine Gauthier’s sophisticated apparel.
Tortona 27 | Basement
A scenario with marked underground streak, the Basement is the location bringing together urbane and highly eclectic brands, translated into collections featuring experimental and vanguard mood. Rouge Margaux, formerly WHITE’s Special Guest, is back at the Basement and, on the wake of the previous edition’s success, has decided to rely on Milan to keep bolstering their brand-awareness internationally. Plus a number of consolidated names like the modernist aesthetics of Barbara Alan, resulting from sartorial deconstruction and innovative experimentation, seamless and rich in fluidity; Boboutic with their sculptural knitwear; the premium fabrics turned into capes, covers, hats, bow ties, ties and waistcoats; Vald Agency with a selection of international apparel and accessories brands like Henrik Vibskov, Beira (Brazilian unisex label established in 2015), Aesther Ekme and Lærke Andersen. Made in Italy and sartorial flair from avant-garde labels like Ibrigu and Un-namable, down to the accessories and jewels designed by Simona Tagliaferri.
Tortona 27 | WHITE Beach
On the first floor, at the art point above the entrance of Superstudio Più, an important new addition of the September 2018 edition of WHITE MILANO: a whole area dedicated to the “Summer Mood”, consisting of a composite and transversal brand mix, designed to offer a wide range of goods, from swimwear to sandals, from beach towels to espadrilles. Refinement, creativity, trendy twist, premium quality and accessibility, these are the guidelines shared by the protagonists of this section, among which: Beliza Swimwear, the swimwear line that seamlessly combines the chic allure, creativity and comfort of premium Italian and French materials; Elina Linardaki, the made-in-Greece sandals, unique in their kind as they are hand-crafted by leather good manufacturers and richly decorated with the finest and colourful hand-made decorations; Los Trapitos al Sol, Carolina Sanchez’s swimwear brand evoking the colourful energy of the founder’s native Colombia, as well as the vigour of the travels in Latin America, the European flair of first-rate and painstakingly selected fabrics, and the Italian excellence of the production workshops; Nude Beachwear, made-in-Italy swimwear featuring alluring femininity, seducing irony and contemporary style; Obistudio with their espadrilles manufactured according to the most ancient manufacturing tradition, sporting a sophisticated, contemporary twist; the innovative sustainibility of the luxury swimwear by Und Swimwear, reversible bikinis, swimsuits and beachwear designed with special care for the female silhouette and created with fibres derived from reprocessed plastic materials; the vegan beach footwear by Paanda Original 100% Made in Italy, recyclable and re-generable; Sun of a Beach, with their collection of towels hand-made in Greece, unique in terms of quality of the materials and creative flair, so much so that they have inspired a line of accessories with holiday mood.
Tortona 27 | Lounge
In the heart of TORTONA 27 | Superstudio Più, WHITE Lounge showcases a selection of apparel and accessories brands focusing on Italian know-how: Cotone® Made in Italy, with their outfits and beachwear made of anti-allergic, vegan cotton; the colourful, hand-made sneakers by Duca d’Ascalona; the elegant and premium couture and prêt-à-porter by Giovanna Nicolai; the tattoo jewels by the Sogni di Lulù; the resort-wear collection by Marybloom, where impalpable fabrics encounter embroideries, passemanterie and crochet; Sel Dì with silk t-shirts decorated with exclusive prints; the feminine allure, the classy creativity and the timeless excellence of Sergio Amaranti’s footwear.
Tortona 27 | Inside WHITE
At T27 | Superstudio Più, INSIDE WHITE, area dedicated to new international brands and up- and-coming labels, to which the tradeshow represents an important show-window allowing them to dialogue with insiders and trend-setters alike. Each edition, the Inside White Award honours the collection that can best merge creative flair and marketability. Among the brand on show: Jiwon Yun, French label that matches the masculine sartorial minimalism of the suit with a perfectly feminine silhouette; Le Rú, the young brand by the two sisters Federica and Doris Ruscio, combining precious materials and timeless allure with a contemporary twist; the slow luxury of NO/AN, with handmade bags that overcome the seasonal style concept to embrace the sustainibility of timeless aesthetics; Soi Paris, Paris-based brand featuring off-beat prints on the silk of stylish, highly feminine garments; STMA, the young label founded by Stefania Marra, combining formality an underground mood for a “New Fem” upshot, a new-found femininity.
Tortona 27 | WHITE Beauty
THE area of the show where the search for style and trends focuses on beauty: a selection of Italian and international brands showcasing a preview of their artistic perfumes, body care, make-up and lifestyle products. Luxury, sensorial refinement, uniqueness, these are the distinctive traits of the artisan perfumery brands on show, among which: Step Aboard Milano, the young Italian perfumers that have elected WHITE as their debut showcase for their line of perfumes, an invitation to an extraordinary and sensorial journey in the capital of Lombardy; Goldfield & Banks with their precious, unisex fragrances resulting from pure Australian fragrances; the perfumes by Jeroboam with their Esperanto names, as international a language as the language of seduction; the rich, intense, heterogeneous contaminations of the fragrances by THoO The House of Oud. Luxury, naturalness, innovation, this are the distinctive traits of Asian skincare brands like: Aromatica with their blend of cosmetic, aroma-therapeutic blends; Benton, drawing inspiration from the surprising youth of Benjamin Button for their healthy products; Klairs, merging natural simplicity and high efficacy; PACKage’s face masks with emotional packaging.
WHITE Glasses
The venues in Tortona 27 and Tortona 54 also offer a careful selection of eyewear brands. A path of excellence winding through the eyewear universe with creative research, premium manufacture and innovative vision, conceived to complete the accessories’ offer. Among the labels on show:
//DELIRIOUS with their no-logo luxury glasses. Featuring premium materials, outstanding craftsmanship and minimalist design, they are the winner of the 2018 edition of the contest Who’s On Next? in the accessories section; EoE Glasses, the Swedish brand that creates collections matching the understated made-in-Sweden flair with the wild Nordic beauty and the pioneering experimentation of the organic frames; the bohemian-chic freshness of the French eyewear label Pâquerettes Paris; Spektre Sunglasses and their perfect mix of street-style and made-in-Italy panache.
Tortona 31 | Opificio
This new area features a variety of venues consisting of stand-alone locations in different sizes, which are very popular during the Salone del Mobile, and are going to be used for the first time by WHITE during the fashion week to create a path unique in its kind, which moves away from the typical trade- fair experience. At its third edition, Tortona 31 has considerably grown and expanded across three locations, thanks to a variety of special projects and to Fiorucci and A.F. VANDEVORST pop-up stores, which are open to the public. In Archiproducts, alongside the special collaboration with the Dutch tradeshow MODEFABRIEK, which showcases a selection of Dutch designers, there is the cutting-edge area with the Special Project “The Belgian Focus”, in synergy with Flanders DC - Flanders District of Creativity. WHITE parades at Archiproducts a careful selection of seven brands from Belgium, making up a comprehensive and heterogeneous womenswear offer, from apparel to footwear, from leatherwear to lingerie, down to the jewels.
Great focus on Made in Italy firms too, emblem of Italian excellence, in the areas Showroom 31 and Interspazio, down to the showrooms of Ilaria Nistri, forte_forte and Fila.
Tortona 35 | Hotel Nhow
A vanguard scenario for contemporary and timeless collections, a well-balanced brand mix of apparel and accessories, Italian and international brands, consolidated labels and upcoming names, all sharing special care for the quality-price ratio. On show international names like YAYA and labels combining design and fashion, like Vila, 4ALL and Y.A.S – Your Apparel & Style. The September edition also incorporates an area dedicated to Latvian fashion with a top-notch selection of brands from a still little-known fashion scene. Supported by MAGNETIC LATVIA, national brand from Latvia, with which the Investments and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) cooperates to promote the national talents on the international marketplaces, Nolo, Keta Gutmane, Zigi and Burbur will be on show at WHITE MILANO.
T35 has been hosting for several editions Ramponi Award, which, through Talent Ramponi, supports the most gifted designers, by assisting them during the presentation of their creations and providing them with an opportunity to interpret the universe of Ramponi and all its facets. The champion of the 11th edition is Kiko Kintanar, born in 1993, originally from the Philippines, who makes the most of the eco-sustainable and natural materials of Astarte, newly acquired by Ramponi.
The location in Tortona 35 also includes the section WHITE BIJOUX, area dedicated to jewels and precious accessories: a selection made in synergy with Birik Butik, online scouting platform for cutting-edge bijoux bringing together a wide range of international and independent jewelry brands and designers, featuring creative concept and premium artisan manufacture. Among the names showcasing their outstanding creations: Aka Jewellery, with the dualism of their jewels, simultaneously artworks and accessories, featuring minimalist aesthetics and functionality; Bjorg Jewellery, whose creations made of raw precious stones on metallic surfaces are an ode to imperfection and natural inspiration; the jewels by Fabio Cammarata with sharp focus on the levity of the materials and architectural volumes; the precious wearable artworks by Lora Nikolova; the bijoux by Nadine S, made according to the traditional know-how of Vicenza, designed to convey elegance, irony and emotion; Noshi with their contemporary jewels, drawing from the ancient art of origami; Patricio Parada’s exceptional pieces merging the lightness of lace with the solid texture of precious metals.
Tortona 54 | Ex Ansaldo
The industrial archaeology of Ex Ansaldo is the ideal scenario for apparel and accessories labels featuring smart identity. Here, a stylish, gritty, feminine and transversal range is organized in a path that encompasses the Yellow Area - dedicated to creative, fun and colourful collections - and White Studio at Casabase - displaying the new generations of Italian prêt-à-porter. Tortona 54 also parades businesses that are now hitting the international fashion scene, like Essentiel Antwerp, with their iconic flowery and graphic prints, which today can boast as many as 55 flagship stores across the globe. 5PREVIEW have chosen WHITE to celebrate their anniversary, Gabs are going to parade their new Origabs project, Roy Roger’s, AYBI, Green Factory, Hanami D’Or, to mention just a few. Lastly, Les Néréides Paris with their artistic bijoux, NIÙ (meaning nest in the dialect of the region Friuli, but also new, if read in English), with a made-in-Italy total look drawing from countless travel experiences translated into silks and printed cotton, wool and ethnic jacquard; last but not least, hippie-chic style with Parisian allure of the accessories by French brands like Petite Mendigote.
Tortona 54 | WHITE STUDIO
The rooms of Residenza Casa Base showcase the new generation of the Italian ready-to-wear, with the likes of Silvio Betterelli, Samboue, Cettina Bucca, 3941 Milano, Beltepà, Caterina Moro and Lucrezia Kauffmann. As in the previous editions, each designer is matched with an important Italian store, which acts as their ambassador and promotes their collection. This edition sees the participation of top-notch retailers, such as Penelope from Brescia, Bernardelli from Mantua, Nugnes 1920 from Trani, Degli Effetti from Rome, Gaudenzi from Riccione, Stefania Boutique from Matera, Tiziana Fausti from Bergamo and Lugano, Vitale from Crotone, Franz Kraler with shops in Dobbiaco and Cortina.
For more information:
Raffaella Imò
Responsabile Ufficio Stampa e P.R. WHITE
Ph +39 02 34592785
E: raffaella.imo@whitepress.it
