While Milano Expands Globally Through International Initiatives

NEW DEALS: White Milano, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, is pushing its boundaries with new international initiatives.

The ready-to-wear and accessory trade show, which will run from Feb. 27 to March 2 in the Tortona fashion district, in collaboration with AlMalki Group, a leading distributor in the Middle East, will launch in February an exclusive pop-up store in Riyadh.

The store will be open until May 31 and will carry six international regular exhibitors at the trade show such as Faliero Sarti; Flabelus, a Spanish shoe brand, and Niluu, a silkwear brand based in Miami, among others.

In order to continue expansion in the region, a new agreement was recently signed between Retail Leaders Circle and White Milano, during the RLC global forum held at the beginning of February in Riyadh. Brenda Bellei, chief executive officer of White Milano, and Panos Linardos, president of the RLC global forum, sealed a strategic partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding to promote the global growth and expansion of the brands selected by White Milano.

This collaboration, presented under the White Circle, a project led by Bellei and Monica Sarti, aims to expand international and traditional distribution channels not only in Saudi Arabia but also in Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Also, it intends to allow White’s brands to consolidate their presence in new markets, reaching an increasingly wide audience by expanding in key geographic areas with growth potential.

The fair, which will comprise around 300 brands, of which 45 percent are international, will continue its partnership with Confartigianato Moda, which will support 25 medium-size companies that will showcase their collections. Spanish designers will be on display thanks to the collaboration with the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade ICEX, which started the partnership with White in 2017. Five new contemporary brands will be presented within the Secret Rooms project and a delegation of Canadian Indigenous designers will return to White Milano, coordinated by Indigenous Fashion Arts from Toronto, supporting fashion and textile brands by Indigenous peoples and communities.