The White Milano trade show, which ran from Sept. 22 to 25, 2023, evolved its expo model inaugurating a new format, the White Village, the first "post-fair" with the mission of sharing, networking, and creating projects capable of engaging a wide audience and textile industry companies. The project proposes various activities during the event.

The upcoming edition, under the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ice-Agency for the Promotion Abroad and Internationalization of Italian Companies and with the partnership of Confartigianato Imprese, offers a selection of more than 360 brands and all kind of novelties in its locations of via Tortona 27, 54, 58 and at the Mudec Museum. White's locations spread across the Tortona Fashion District area will be populated by around 20,000 fashion industry operators looking for the latest spring-summer 2024 collections.

For the September 2023 edition, the focus of the White's campaign communication is on the importance of natural impulse as opposed to rationality. The theme “The Instinct Factor” is intended to revive the value of primal instinct, in the age dominated by artificial intelligence. The campaign images were entrusted to the lens of photographer and artist Arash Radpour.

White reconfirms the Secret Rooms project, consisting of five secret rooms in which as many new-generation international talents will show new collections. The confirmed designers have been selected after a careful scouting made by White's team, led by general manager Simona Severini, following precise criteria that favor independent creativity, a strong aesthetic, and conceptual impact. The protagonists of the five Secret Rooms will be Alberto Ciaschini from Italy, Risa Nakamura from Italy, of Japanese origin, Samanta Virginio from the UK, of Italian-American origin, Studio Pansters from the Netherlands and Toton from Indonesia.

White's mission of expanding and breaking down barriers by fostering fluid communication between the market and creative realities around the world led to the realization of Expo White, revealing the potential of creatives from Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Brazil and South Africa.

Expo White will be once again the showcase for the Saudi 100 Brands project, the Fashion Commission’s program that promotes one hundred fashion designers from Saudi Arabia working in ready-to-wear, couture, cosmetics and accessories (shoes, bags and jewelry) sectors. Several established designers will exhibit their collections at the Visconti Pavilion in the Tortona 58 location from Sept. 22-25 in conjunction with White.

Also of note ten South African designers that will be proposing their idea of fashion with the intention of opening up to new markets, will be Abantu, Connade, e.g. Jewellery, Floyd Avenue Apparel, Inga’s Africa, Laani Raani, Sash South Africa, Lizah Chanda Crochet Collection, Shweshwekini Active Wear, and Wanda Lephoto.

The event will also host a selection of ten Spanish designers thanks to the collaboration with Icex España Exportación and Inversiones, a fruitful partnership that began in September 2017 and continues today with names like Chie Mihara, Clo Madrid, Flabelus, JCPajares, Lavina Peswani, Lola Casademunt, Lola Cruz, Pahiesa Formentera, Surkana, and Yerse.

The various locations of White in the Tortona Fashion District, will gather the new collections of many brands that faithfully attend the show season after season as well as many new entries, with the aim to support the new fashion generation and realities committed to sustainable creativity. Among the novelties stand out Mrs. Keepa, Mes Demoiselles Paris, Gava's bags, the new open innovation of Gavazzeni, whose first fruit was the Vitto Bag, designed to resemble a soft pillow. The showcase won’t be missing “wearable art” by Japanese brand Bunzaburo, which specializes in “shibori,” designer Judy Sanderson's sustainable creations made in Portugal, the eclectic and contemporary capsule collection of vintage by Frida.

In the Basement area the brands that devote their creativity to research will present their collections, like Costaiia, a Mexican brand that produces made-to-order garments. White renews the collaborations with big names with a very defined and recognizable brand identity such as Avant Toi, which will be presenting its collections in the Loft space. While the space named Lounge will be the location dedicated to the collaboration between White and Scale7, the first Fashion and Design business incubator founded by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) in partnership with M7. The ten designers exhibiting inside the Lounge will be Dana Riad, Drizzle, Fursan, Harlienz, Hissa Haddad, Irreplaceable, Lin, Marpholio, Jwahr and Maryam Al Darwish.

The selection will be enriched by the collections of brands with a more commercial appeal and a fresh and playful style, such as the bathing suits and T-shirts of Mimi à la Mer, the Greek clothing line of Aether Coocu Resort and the hyper-colorful and embroidered collection of Xiwikj.

And finally, always of great importance is the Suk project, an open space with a minimalist style, where a selection of brands with small collections characterized by a well-defined identity will be displayed. Among the brands on display in the Suk are WS& and Karla D’Oliveira bags, Midorj’s jewelry, Marianna Mazza’s footwear and many others.

White Milano
Sept. 22 to 25, 2023
Tortona District
via Tortona 27-45
20144 Milano

For more information visit ww.whiteshow.com

Photo: Risa Nakamura. Courtesy of White