WHITE Milano expands its format with the WHITE Village at Milan

WHITE Milano, the premier trade show for womenswear taking place during Milan Fashion Week, has announced an expanded format through the launch of the WHITE Village. Taking place during WHITE Milano from 22 to 25 September, WHITE Village will offer a series of entertainment and business development activities, open to both industry professionals and the public.

This year’s WHITE Milano is expected to bring together over 360 companies and 20,000 fashion industry operators within Milan’s historic Tortona Fashion District, to view the latest SS 2024 collections. Known as one of the most relevant and dynamic events of Milan Fashion Week, WHITE Milano attracts buyers, media and industry leaders from all over the world.

For the September 2023 edition, the focus 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 Radpo.

As part of the dynamic WHITE Village, the Secret Rooms project will return to the event, putting collections from up-and-coming international designers on display. Visitors will be guided through hidden corridors to uncover the Secret Rooms, each made unique by the designers’ artistic interpretations.

In line with its mission to foster a dialogue between the industry and global creative trends, WHITE aims to break down barriers with EXPOWHITE. The specialised showcase will focus on brands and designers from countries that belong to unconventional fashion latitudes, including Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Brazil and South Africa.

“M.Seventy, the company that has been organizing WHITE for more than 20 years, has acquired a unique experience in connecting companies, buyers and the press, supporting and introducing numerous designers from all over the world into the global market. Thanks to the strength of an exceptionally large network, M.Seventy has developed a hub capable of facilitating the introduction and positioning of foreign companies on the international market, through the provision of numerous services; this project was named EXPOWHITE because, in addition to offering the conventional spaces in the salon locations, foreign projects are placed in the outdoor locations inside the Tortona District. Therefore, we are proud to say that EXPOWHITE is having a strong momentum and we count numerous requests for the next editions of the

show coming especially from geographical areas that are considered unconventional for the fashion system. In the post-Covid era, there are many emerging countries that want to bring their culture and know-how to the forefront and consider Milan as the Fashion Week of reference that can offer both visibility and business opportunities,” says Brenda Bellei, CEO of M.Seventy.

EXPOWHITE will also bring back the acclaimed Saudi 100 Brands project, an initiative by the Saudi Fashion Commission that supports established and emerging design talents from Saudi Arabia, who work across the ready-to-wear, modest, concept, premiere, demi-couture, bridal, bags and jewelry categories. The Saudi 100 Brands project showcase will be on display at the Padiglione Visconti (Via Tortona 58) from 22 to 25 September.

Underlining WHITE’s identity as an international fashion showcase, its Daylight Spaces will feature an Armenian prêt-à-porter collection, while the Basement Area will bring back an exclusive space for avant-garde brands outside of mainstream production.

The Lounge will be dedicated to WHITE’s collaboration with Scale7, the first fashion and design business incubator founded by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and M7, Qatar's epicentre for innovation and entrepreneurship in fashion, design and tech. Through Scale7, designers, entrepreneurs and startups can gain support and inspiration on their journey towards becoming recognised and commercially viable brands.

Rounding off the WHITE Village, the Suk project, an open space with a minimalist style, will highlight select brands with unique identities and small, distinctive collections.

For more information, please visit https://www.whiteshow.com/en/.