Sober present or fabulous future?

Sober present or fabulous future?

January is not only the month of fashion events by Pitti Immagine, it is also the start of the winter sales. The combination of these very different occasions in this particular time in Italy has made me think a lot. Italy is experiencing the most difficult economic and social crisis

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Wed 15 Feb 2012 11:00 PM

January is
not only the month of fashion events by Pitti Immagine, it is also the start of
the winter sales. The combination of these very different occasions in this
particular time in Italy has made me think a lot. Italy is experiencing the
most difficult economic and social crisis since World War II; is fashion
capable of staying strong through such tough times?

 

 

Pitti
Immagine produces world-famous fashion events in Florence at venues like the
Fortezza da Basso and the Stazione Leopolda. This year, Pitti Uomo 71 and Pitti
W Donna 7 presented the 2012-2013 fall/winter men’s and women’s collections
with a host of runway events and showroom presentations. With almost 1,000
brands present and more buyers than ever, the fair’s huge success was sealed by
special guest designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli from the
world-famous Valentino, as well as the presence of young French designer
Olympia Le Tan, a special guest at Pitti W Donna.

 

Pitti Bimbo
74 closed at the Fortezza da Basso on January 21 with great optimism too,
thanks to a record turnout and the new styles and trends presented by
exhibitors. Pitti Filati 70 (January 25-27), one of the first and most
important trend and forecasting fairs worldwide, showcased yarn and knitwear
trends for spring/summer 2013 and told the fashion world to ‘look towards 2013
with positivity and optimism.’ The final figures for this fair showed that
attendance reached around 4,000 buyers, the most yet. ‘This was an excellent
edition of Pitti Filati,’ commented Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine.

 

I find the
trends area at Pitti Filati very interesting in light of these difficult
economic times. Fashion is seeking to establish a strong connection with the
simpler, more genuine things in life, and with this goal in mind, the Spazio
Ricerca area at Pitti Filati presented FUTURURAL, focused on the relationship
between people and the rural environment. FUTURURAL is an explicit statement
about the need for top-quality raw materials and honest values, both in life
and in aesthetics.

 

Thus,
overall, Pitti Immagine not only proved its strength and capacity for
innovation, but it is also making an honest effort to support Italy’s
industrial fashion system. So, despite the economic crises, the future seems
bright for Italian fashion.

 

But what is
happening in the real world? Outside the comfortable and trendy confines of the
Fortezza da Basso, Florence, like other Italian cities, welcomed the sales.
Sale season has always been a very big deal in Italy: the sales happen just
twice a year and they are a great opportunity to shop for less. But belts are
tighter now and fashionistas are not spending like they used to.

 

So here are
few rules for shopping during Italy’s sales seasons, the stylish yet
cost-saving, anti-crisi way:

 

1. Make an inventory of your wardrobe
before you go shopping. Don’t buy that jacket or skirt just because it’s cheap;
be sure you can truly use it.

 

2. Look for garments that emphasize your
looks and your curves. If you’re not sure, experiment: try on at least three
styles or patterns you’d not normally wear.

 

3. Have fun with colors and florals, which
continue to be big even next spring.

 

4. Get yourself some fancy Italian shoes on the
cheap before it’s too late!

 

 

 

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