Dear Shaded Viewers,
Fashion weeks move quick and this season a little quicker with a shortened Milan Fashion Week. White Man & Woman ended wth the catwalk success of POAN and Wood Wood supported by the new WHITE and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana collaboration. Top international buyers were there like: United Arrows (JP), Printemps (FR), Boon The Shop (Korea), Galeries Lafayette Beijing (China), Bergdorf Goodman (USA) and many, many more.
The new formats of the trade-fair have brought new attention, like SHOWROOM CONNECTING WHITE, a bridge project that connects brands, showrooms and buyers via a marketing and dedicated communication asset. Among the participants in this brand new initiative were Casadei, nodding to the markets fascination with see now/buy now were capsule collections: Fragiacomo, according to whom WHITE is, “the best showcase has to exhibit style and quality products ”, Vic Matié, L’autre Chose, Amen. Mono-brand as well as multibrand showrooms like Massimo Bonini with Gedebe, winner of the June 2017 edition of Ramponi Award; Elisa Gaito with Smarteez; Showroom NYKY with Momonì, 88 Showroom with Sartorial Monk and Showroom Point with Mr. Mrs. Shirt have all joined the show.
Another initiative is Friends of WHITE, an international exhibiting project with Baltimore Studio and The Alphabet.
With teamwork as the operative word here, AHEAD – Athleisure for the Future curated by Tomorrow, the international showroom based in London supported protagonists in this segment: GEYM, Sapopa (previously WHITE’s special guest), Ports 1961 X Everlast, 42|54, EXKITE, Particle Fever, Charli Cohen, C-CLIQUE, Ultracor, Maria Ke Fisherman, Monreal London, NO KA’ OI. The format was curated by Alfredo Canducci, Sales and Business Development Director with Tomorrow Ltd. The photography show – specially shot by WHITE – enlivened the installation, and is now ready to set forth to reach Paris to enhance the Ville Lumière’s headquarters.
If that is not enough excitement there is WOW, International Scouting Area which put the focus on a group of designers like: Arrabal, Frolov, The Am Crew, Heliot Emil, Hymski, LAT, Letasca, Muet, Sobec Rebuild, Julia Seemann. The project’s retail partner was H Lorenzo, Los Angeles cult store.
As noted by the title: WHITE Man & Woman, this season there is a focus on previewing woman’s wear. Nehera, Slovak brand Special Guest at ONLY WOMAN, and AALTO, Finnish label, by now a constant presence at WHITE. The womenswear preview area has grown both in terms of value and of quality thanks to the presence of iconic brands like Cacharel, VA Victoria Andreyanova, IBlues, P.E Nation and of showrooms like Six London, footwear brands like Markus Lupfer, Opening Ceremony, Swear London and TOGA PULLA.
As you know Korea has been a bit of a buzz for the past few years and WHITE decided to shine a light on Korean creativity with 20 top brands, among them: Dozoh, D-Antidote, Abrahm K, NalProject, Contempoh, ATMSTUDIO and 1LStudio.
There were three special exhibitions : in the framework of the project “Tradition, Value, Beauty”, Albini Group showcased White Essentials, Style and Matter of the White Shirt, an emotional and sensorial path encompassing – among others – designers like Fabio Quaranta, Vittorio Branchizio, Shirtstudio; the Talent Network Premio Ramponi, focused on the dialogue between design and production, lent new blood-life to the talent of Alberto Zambelli, Francesca Castagnacci, Francesco D’Amico – DAMICO MILANO, Linda Calugi with Twins Florence and Laura Bihl with Sainte Courtisane. Don The Fuller showcased its iconic denim brand’s heritage with Denim backstage… how it’s made, an exhibiting path conceived to provide an insight into the denim manufacturing processes, both live and through images.
And of course A Shaded View on Fashion cannot overlook the importance of the Beauty and Glasses areas that have made a well honed selection of cutting-edge brands that represent the latest news in both mens care and beauty and of course…vanguard eyewear.
Humanity is not forgotten with all of this fashion, the project For Marche-Food For Good, was conceived and launched by Map Communication to foster awareness and to help the businesses in Central Italy that were hit by the earthquakes. Biological wine producer Ciu Ciu has also been a WHITE partner for several editions. A bridge is being built between wine and Made-in-Italy fashion and design and it is assuredly a big success.
Later,
Diane
