Exceptional edition of Pitti Filati

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Edition 93

30.06.2023

Buyers exceed 3,500, Italian buyers are up by 18%, foreign buyers are up by 17%, the fair records an overall increase of 18% compared to last year. Three intense days in which the design offices of top fashion names and the best international knitwear manufacturers came to Fortezza to discover the most creative yarns and the most advanced stylistic and technological research, expressed by the top players in international spinning and by knitting service companies. Great success and participation also for the events and special projects at the Fortezza.

Pitti Filati is where fashion begins. These three days, have firmly reaffirmed this with extraordinary energy. We have seen it at the exhibiting stands - with the presentation, discovery, and sampling of new yarn collections that we will see in knitwear stores in a year and a half - which have showcased a high level of creativity along with increasingly advanced technological research, and production processes in which environmental respect has become essential. The excellent final attendance figures - we recorded an 18% increase in buyers, gradually returning to pre-COVID levels - once again demonstrate the role of the fair for the spinning sector and the fashion system as a whole. They strongly encourage our exhibiting companies, who deserve all the credit for these results, which will certainly provide momentum in facing the complex dynamics they will encounter in the coming months.

— Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine

The final figures of this 93rd edition (28-30 June 2023) indicate that the fair exceeded 3,500 registered buyers, 48% of whom are foreigners – around 1,700– from over 50 countries. Italian buyers have grown by 18%, while foreign buyers have increased by 17%.
All European markets have grown,
and the United States is doing very well (+13%). As with other Pitti Immagine shows, the most important markets in the Far East - Japan, China, China/Hong Kong, and South Korea, in particular - have returned to significant growth. There are slightly fewer buyers from Russia and Turkey.

The ranking of the top 15 markets most present in this edition sees France in the lead, followed by the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, China, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands, Turkey, China-Hong Kong, Denmark, South Korea, and Portugal.

A leading fair like Pitti Filati goes beyond the scope of business. It is also a fundamental moment of dialogue, knowledge exchange, broadening perspectives, culture, and support for emerging talents. In this sense, I want to emphasize that this edition was also particularly effective in terms of the Research Area - titled Domino, curated by Angelo Figus and Nicola Miller and inspired by the theme Pitti Games - and filled with special events, collaborations, and projects at the Fortezza. From the highly attended Talk organized by the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana, which stimulated a broad reflection on how the industry, as well as the world of high fashion education, must address the new challenge of Ecodesign, to the fashion show by the students of the Master's in Creative Knitwear Design at Accademia Costume & Moda and Modateca Deanna, an impactful show that highlighted the creations of 13 young international designers and engaged the audience. There was also Lineapiù Loves Japan, Lineapiù's project paying homage to Japanese culture and aesthetics, featuring a series of contemporary reinterpretations of the traditional kimono created by students from the renowned Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. Lastly, there was the knitted House of Cards installation, created in collaboration with Modateca Deanna, which welcomed visitors at the entrance of the Central Pavilion.

— Agostino Poletto, General Manager of Pitti Immagine

It is also worth mentioning the success achieved by the vintage operators and the two exhibitions/installations presented at Vintage Selection, also located within the Fortezza at the entrance of Pitti Filati.

A special area of the fair, the Cavedio of the Central Pavilion, also showcased the creations of the 10 finalists of the 14th edition of the Feel the Yarn® competition, dedicated to new talents in international knitwear, promoted by the Consorzio Promozione Filati - CPF. On Thursday, June 29, the award ceremony announced the overall winner of this edition: Chinese designer Dejin Chen, who studied at the Polytechnic University of Milan - School of Design. She presented her creations in collaboration with Lanificio dell'Olivo and will have the opportunity to create a capsule collection in knitted fabric for the Autumn/Winter 24/25 season, using materials provided by some of the partner spinning mills of Feel the Yarn®.