This edition also confirmed White Milano as a platform that gives visibility to fresh, avant-garde brands and craftsmanship. At its opening last Thursday, Matteo Zoppas, president of the Italian Foreign Trade Agency (ICE), explained his agency’s efforts. This is dedicated to the promotion and internationalization of Italian companies of all sizes and to finding solutions.
The efforts were evident in encouraging the participation of many buyers in the Milan White trade fair, which ended on Saturday in the Tortona district. In addition, the path for large, small and medium-sized companies to go abroad has been made easier.
Projects whose raison d’être lies in sustainability, as well as historical labels like Gattinoni, brought a breath of fresh air. The Italian fashion house is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year and has chosen the trade fair founded by Massimiliano Bizzi to relaunch its ready-to-wear collection.
Over 300 brands represented
“The February edition is all about innovation. It confirms the fair’s ability to evolve and respond visionarily to the needs of international buyers, whose number has doubled thanks to the support of ICE. In this context, the format proves to be solid and forward-looking. It fully expresses its vocation of dialogue between research, design and quality,” commented Bizzi.
For example, the Parisian brand Lucille Thievre, founded in 2021, combines design, research and quality. It is characterized by its jersey processing and creates draping that follows the body lines instead of restricting them. This creates a natural silhouette. As designer Lucille Thievre explained to FashionUnited, “Jersey is not only an ideal fabric to enhance the female figure, but also features a comfort and fit that make it suitable for different seasons.”
The designer studied at the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) in Paris, where she refined her understanding of technology and silhouette. She gained her first professional experience at Hermès and later at Givenchy. There she perfected her craft before founding her own fashion house in 2021.
Her work has won several awards: in 2019 at the Hyères Fashion Festival and in 2024 as winner of the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris. The designer’s intuitive, material-oriented path, rooted in cross-generational savoir-faire, forms the heart of her eponymous fashion house.
The Boucharouite project is completely geared towards sustainability and creates colorful and very chic babouches. The project emerged from a series of collaborations between designer Calla Haynes and various craftsmen. It pursues three goals of sustainable design: reducing waste by recycling textile scraps, supporting craftsmanship and creating beautiful, timeless objects that carry on traditions and ensure their survival.
Calla Haynes is driven by a passion for finding solutions to make the fashion and textile industry more circular. She wants to educate consumers about production practices, consumption and the importance of supporting independent artisans.
The sustainable Babouche slipper line embodies conscious design and celebrates Moroccan craftsmanship. Each pair is handmade and unique, created by upcycling vintage Berber carpets. The shoes are an expression of color brilliance and attention to detail and are available in a variety of colors and textures.
From Morocco to Lombardy: Ella Lago di Como is an Italian brand that presented its new collection for fall/winter 2026/2027 at White Milano. The project was created on the shores of Lake Como. The focus is on Cariaggi cashmere, which is one of the best qualities on the international market. It is processed in Italy and enhanced by combining it with fine leather and fur inserts. These are selected based on structure, softness and appearance.
The colors are reminiscent of the depths of Lake Como in the colder seasons: intense blue tones, mineral grays, stone nuances, forest green and metallic reflections that are reminiscent of the light on the water.
Another trademark of the collection is silk from Lake Como, an expression of a textile tradition that is unique worldwide. In addition to knitwear and outerwear made from cashmere and leather, there are also hand-painted unique jeans. Each painterly intervention is unrepeatable and transforms denim into an exclusive artistic canvas. “We focus on personalization so that customers can choose and order the motif they want,” Laura Zancanella, founder, chief executive officer (CEO) and creative director of the brand, tells FashionUnited.
From cashmere to furs from Olivia V. The fur label focuses on young, wearable cuts and colors. Designed for city life, the garments combine fur with technical materials and evolved streetwear shapes.
The color palette combines natural tones with urban accents. Milky ice, chalk beige and volcanic gray form a neutral and elegant base, perfect for reversible garments and layering. Bolder accents like synthetic moss and satin copper add a technical and contemporary touch. Deep tones such as glossy ink, aubergine and cocoa provide intensity.
Susan Fang uses experimental materials; another international brand selected by the White Milano team for the “Secret Rooms” — exclusive, curated spaces that showcase new talent. Founded in 2017 by the eponymous designer, the brand is characterized by an ethereal aesthetic and the fusion of craft and technology. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Fang designs collections characterized by experimental fabrics, sculptural techniques and emotional narratives.
There was also a “Secret Room” for the Mii brand. It combines Indian craftsmanship with French elegance and celebrates handcraft and bright colors. Old craft techniques such as embroidery, weaving and block printing are reinterpreted using natural materials such as cotton, silk, wool and cashmere.
Ballantyne was among the other brands represented at the trade fair in the Tortona district. The brand returned to the White Milano with the ‘Kate’ bag, this time in a small size.
For the first time at White Milano was La Stramberia, a Tuscan brand founded in 2007 by Simona Maggi. The brand founded in Pietrasanta presented its signature hat collection for Fall/Winter 2026/2027.
The new products include hats that cover the head in a fine cloud of merino wool and angora. A chin strap made of Bohemian crystals makes it even more elegant. “You can wear them under more structured hats like a fedora or a felt hilton to better protect yourself from the cold, or they can be worn alone,” explains Maggi.
This article was created using digital tools translated.
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