(by Elisa Cecchi).
The government of Premier
Matteo Renzi has pledged 260 million euros to promote fashion
events in Florence, Milan and Rome - the three Italian cities
hosting biannual fashion shows and trade fairs.
Deputy Economy Minister Carlo Calenda made the announcement
on the opening day Tuesday of the 87th edition of the Pitti Uomo
men's wear trade show in Florence, which runs through Friday.
Funding will help to promote Italian-made fashion and
textiles, and re-launch Rome's biannual haute-couture shows as a
talent-scouting event for up-and-coming Italian and
international talents.
"This will be the strongest year ever for Italian fashion,"
Calenda said.
"The government has approved an overall plan for 'Made in
Italy' worth 260 million euros, or six times more than the
average invested over the past five years," he added.
"Fashion is one of the sectors in which the government
invests more, to help it become more internationally
competitive, said Calenda.
Funding will particularly target "fairs and initiatives
that have an international following".
The Italian men's wear sector picked up in 2014 after
several negative seasons with final data on turnover expected to
confirm a 1.2% growth rate, or slightly over 8.6 billion euros,
according to data released on the eve of Pitti Uomo by the
organisation Italy Fashion System (SMI), which follows the
sector's producers.
Men's wear exports grew 5.1% last year, for a total of 5.5
billion euros.
SMI expects the positive trend to continue this year,
driven by exports.
Orders placed for spring-summer 2015 men's wear collections
showed an 8.5% growth for international buyers and a 2.3%
increase for national buyers, according to SMI.
The president of Pitti Immagine, Gaetano Marzotto, noted
that there are an estimated "one billion new consumers in the
world that desire Italian-made accessible elegance" with Pitti
Uomo providing a major attraction this year.
Renzi's cabinet also means to promote Pitti Bimbo, the
children's wear edition of the trade show. to ensure the
Florence event becomes "a world destination" for men's and
children's fashion, the deputy economy minister said.
In addition, Calenda announced the upcoming makeover of
Rome's bi-annual couture week in order to revive the fashion
event mainly as a launching pad for young talents.
The Italian capital's fashion shows already include the
high-profile Who is On Next? talent-scouting competition
organized by Vogue Italia and AltaRoma, the institution in
charge of the Rome shows.
"If Rome will have the courage to become the place where
new talents are tested - not just Italian ones because this is a
ridiculous and provincial vision, (then the government) will
fund AltaRoma, which will become the hub for the development of
new talents," said Calenda.
AltaRoma, which is chaired by Silvia Venturini Fendi of the
Fendi fashion house, risked folding in December over lack of
funding.
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