FLORENCE — Boosted by a range of innovative product introductions and increased attention from foreign buyers, spinners showcasing their spring 2017 collections at Pitti Filati were upbeat.
This season, 4,250 buyers attended the three-day fair that closed Jan. 29, 2 percent more than the previous year. Pitti Filati registered an increase in the number of national and international buyers. There were 8 percent more buyers from the U.S. and 5 percent more from Japan, while Russia made a comeback with 50 percent more attendees compared with last year.
“Pitti Filati is a great trade show and here we meet all the most influential buyers of the world,” said Botto Giuseppe chief executive officer Silvio Botto Poala, noting that the U.S., Italy, the Far East, South Korea and Japan are the best-performing markets for the brand. “Since 2014, the situation has been more critical in the Chinese market.”
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Botto Poala also highlighted that in the last year the re-valuation of the dollar has boosted business toward the U.S. and the Far East. He said the company didn’t change prices this season, even if the cost of silk, which the company uses to create blends with wool and cashmere, increased about 15 percent compared to last year, because “wool and cotton are stable.”
With sustainability at the core of its business, Botto Giuseppe, which generates its own power for its factory in Tarcento, continues to collaborate with Maiyet to deliver Fair Cashmere, which is certificated by Cradle to Cradle. This program allows it to obtain high-end cashmere and offers support to Mongolian goat herders in the Gobi desert.
According to ceo Lincoln Germanetti, Tollegno 1900 is also continuing to invest in sustainability, such as water usage, and in new machinery.
The U.S., Japan and Western Europe are the most important areas for the company, which is looking at Madagascar and Vietnam as potential new markets.
For the spring 2017 season, the company introduced “Woolcot,” a 53 percent wool and 47 percent cotton yarn. Comfortable and lightweight, this yarn is perfect to create fabrics used for trans-seasonal pieces. The company also enriched its jersey offering developed in a color palette inspired by the tones of Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Portugal.
Prato-based Lineapiù presented its innovative NeTTA project, developed in collaboration with knitwear company Maglificio Miles. NeTTA — New Technology for Textile Applications — applies 3-D printing technology to fashion. Using the Selective Laser Sintering method, a laser beam hits polymers, melting them into thin layers of plastic powders consisting of polyamide. This technique combines 3-D-printed knitted parts with others manufactured through traditional techniques.
Along with Italy, which represents 50 percent of the company’s business, Lineapiù ceo Alessandro Bastagli said France, the U.S., Japan and Germany are the most important countries for the company.
Cariaggi used cotton from Belize for the “Biarritz” yarn with a fresh crepe-like hand, as well as for the superfine, crispy “Mizar.” Hemp was mixed with cotton and silk for “Capri,” which came embellished with micro sequins, while “Cashemp” had hemp, silk and cashmere mixed to obtain a mélange effect. In addition, linen was combined with silk and a touch of cashmere for “Nilo,” a shiny and soft yarn. The color palette was summery, spanning from cold tones of blue to warm hues of yellow, orange and red.
Zegna Baruffa presented a collection worked in a sophisticated color palette. Research into extra-fine products delivered cotton yarns designed for second-skin garments, while viscose was blended with wool, linen or cotton for an extra soft effect. Linen was also mixed with silk for ribbed knitwear. In addition, the company introduced “Porto Cervo,” a luxury linen, silk and wool yarn available in a color range of bright summery tones.
The spinner also developed a special technology with Turin’s Politecnico University that was applied to wool to manufacture H2Dry, a high-tech yarn for travel wear and activewear. The result is a yarn that makes the garments easy to wash, naturally elastic and fresh. According to the company, the yarns treated with this technology cost about 12 percent more than others.
Biella-based spinner Di.Vè presented a range of cotton yarns spray painted to obtain a striped effect. The company is also focusing on technical yarns featuring 70 percent polyamide and 30 percent polyester and which are available in matte and shiny versions. For a tweed-like effect, Di.Vè introduced the “Nodino” yarn made of viscose and nylon.
“Due to the stagnation of the domestic market, we are trying to enter markets where we are not present yet, including Iran,” said Di.Vé commercial manager Giacomo Biancato.
An efficient stock service and a strong attention to sustainability are the key elements to be competitive on the market, according to Jacopo Bruni, export director at Florence-based Ilaria. The company, which generates half of its business abroad, especially in the U.S., presented a collection of viscose yarns suited to manufacture fabrics used for trans-seasonal pieces.