The themes, colours and preliminary basic inspirations for the collections we will see in the markets in eighteen months time, got off to a fine start at Pitti Immagine Filati. The 64th edition (Florence, 28-30 January 2009) ended on a note of confidence notwithstanding the economic problems cutting across the international stage. According to organisers, visitors from industry who attended the show expressed their determination to start production for the coming seasons with a positive attitude.

As could be expected in these catastrophic economic times, visitor numbers were down with the final figures showing that 3,900 buyers attended the fair compared to the 4,700 who came to the last winter edition in January 2008. 37% of visitors were foreigners and 2468 were Italian.

 “During the fair we interviewed our buyers”, says Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine, “Many of whom are the directors of the style bureaus of important fashion companies and fashion labels. They all expressed satisfaction about the exhibitors’ collections and about the investments they made in research, creativity and innovation; the buyers identified these factors as the best tools for getting through these difficult times in the global economy. Of course, we are quite aware that fewer buyers came from the markets where the crisis is more severe – and this because of a tendency to trim travel expenses, however, the exhibitors confirmed the quality of the contacts they made and of the orders they booked during the fair”.          

Some of the foreign markets actually increased in terms of buyer turnout, and these include Switzerland (+ 12%), Holland (+ 2%), Russia (+ 17,4%), Slovenia (+ 33%) and Poland (+ 57%). As to the top 14 ranking countries, Germany is back in first place (with 298 buyers), followed by UK (247), France (138), Japan (94), Spain (90), United States (61), Holland  (60), Switzerland (53), Turkey (40), Sweden (33), Hong Kong (32), Belgium (24), Russia (27) and Austria (21).

Also well received was the show’s new Spazio Ricerca. The title-theme for this edition was Umanize Me – Hurbanize Me - curated by Angelo Figus and Nicola Miller. “We are very satisfied with the innovations we staged for the Spazio Ricerca”, continues Raffaello Napoleone – “involving the entire Cavaniglia Pavilion made it more open and interactive, enhancing its value as an essential tool for understanding future trends”.

The 13th edition of Vintage Selection, was also held at the Stazione Leopolda concurrently with Pitti Filati. The show, which is devoted to vintage fashions and objects, was attended by over 11,000 visitors, many of whom are Pitti Filati buyers, confirming its role as a key event for enthusiasts and for those who research fashions of the past to create the collections of the future.