White's Massimiliano Bizzi says Milan should become European fashion capital

At the press conference to present the next edition of the White show, scheduled for February 22 to 25 on Via Tortona in Milan, the founder and creative director of the event, Massimiliano Bizzi, conveyed a strong message to the fashion industry Italian and the public authorities of the country.

“It is a time of great change and fashion must adapt to be increasingly relevant. We need to innovate and demand more, also from public institutions, to achieve greater international prestige,” Bizzi stated at the conference.

“After the pandemic, only a handful of small-scale fairs are held in Paris. In this context, Milan has the potential to attract a much larger number of foreign visitors to its commercial events, becoming the European fashion capital. The White show contributes with the introduction of new complementary projects to its B2B format, such as Expo White and White Village, the latter designed to attract both locals and tourists,” added Bizzi.

Also at the conference, Alessia Capello, councilor for economic development and employment of Milan, stated that “fashion is the country's second industry and has a great impact on the city of Milan, which is home to 3,000 fashion companies, 600 showrooms and the entire fair sector. During Milan Fashion Week, shops of all kinds sell 10% more than usual and fashion and design also have a positive effect on tourism. Thanks also to these two sectors, Milan welcomed 8.5 million tourists in 2023, a record, one million more than in 2019.”

It remains to be seen whether, as Bizzi hopes, Milan will be able to surpass other major European capitals, Paris in the first place, and become the main center of the fashion world.