Measures adapt to the consumption, fashion and luxury crisis as well as the complex geopolitical situation and change from pure branded and collection platforms to large, proactive showrooms that are committed to promoting labels at home and abroad. So also the White Milano, which ended in the Tortona fashion district in Milan on Sunday and whose efforts also focus on making concepts such as inclusion and sustainability tangible.
For example, the presence of several Indigener Canadian designers is an example: inside, coordinated by the Indigenous Fashion Arts (IFA) from Toronto, a non-profit organization that supports indigenous peoples and communities that work in fashion, craft and textile industry.
One of the designers present: Inside, Justin Jacob Louis was united in an elegant urban style with his label of the same name, the past and present. The designer, who has been presenting at New York Fashion Week for two years, is inspired by the folklore of the peoples who live on the Battle River in Alberta and from the Language Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) of the Samson Cree Nation.
The creativity of Scott Wabano with his brand 2Spirit Cree from the fields of Mushkegowuk and Eeyou iStchee combines traditional stories with modern design and proves that fashion is a “mighty instrument of representation, resistance and change”, as he even explained during the presentation at the white on the white last Friday. With his completely gender and inclusive brand, Wabano encourages people to celebrate their uniqueness and at the same time appreciate the cultural heritage of the indigenous communities.
“For Canada as well as for Italy, the expansion of trade and investments strengthen the economy on site, promotes art and culture and supports small and medium -sized companies that are the engine for innovation and employment in the fashion industry,” explains the Canadian ambassador in Italy, Elissa Golberg.
“Indigenous women, young people, small entrepreneurs: inside and members of marginalized communities are often underrepresented internationally. With the white we want to give you a voice and space, “added the ambassador, emphasizing that this project with the white part of a comprehensive program of the Canadian government was to reconcile with the indigenous peoples.
From young niche and craft brands to international, gender and sustainable labels
At the fair, on which over 300 brands, 45 percent from abroad, presented their collections for autumn/winter 2025/26, Italian niche labels such as OH Carla were also represented. “Our brand is fully handmade in our studio in Milan and follows a couture and sustainability approach that enables production with zero environmental pollution,” emphasizes Claudia Nesi, which was founded in 2020 together with Carlotta Bolddracchi the brand, which uses recycled fabrics, remnants and stocks, compared to fashionunited.
The label mainly focuses on the production of unique and custom -made products, which can be reproduced again and again with available fabrics in relation to the model. “The main construction technology of the OH Carla garments enables us to produce without waste and create tailor-made clothing, whereby we are constantly experimenting with new fabrics and shapes,” adds NESI.
Carolxott comes from a tiny island with only 69 inhabitants in Estonia, founded by Cärol Ott. “Our creations tell unique stories about life on the small Estonian islands. My parents moved to the island ten years ago, and since then I have constantly observed the people, traditions and living conditions and have learned history. These small islands contain valuable stories that I would like to tell with clothing by translating them into cuts, colors and textures, ”says Ott.
The collection also includes hats, hats and scarves made of wool in pastel colors that are knitted by the local population. “In winter it is very cold, you stay at home and knit while the tourist arrives in summer: the scenario changes inside,” adds Ott.
Oversized and genderless suits, jackets made of furniture fabrics, but also from Italian fabrics or Japanese cotton, offers Renè, a Danish brand that was represented at the trade fair in Via Tortona. “Our brand researches how clothes interact with movement and attitude and adapts to different body shapes, age groups and genders,” founder Jens Skov Østergaard told fashionunited.
The brand was founded in 2021 and is based in Copenhagen. “Our design approach questions norms by combining oversize proportions and architectural silhouettes with inspiration from Asian and Scandinavian aesthetics. We only use high -quality materials, including Italian woolen, Japanese fabrics and fabrics from the Danish company Kvadrat. Our goal is quality and craftsmanship that combines traditional tailoring with a contemporary and gender -free perspective, ”says the designer.
“We dream of creating a gender -free fashion brand that combines sustainable production practices and craftsmanship from all over the world with innovative presentations and a community that promotes free self -development and celebrates human diversity.” The prices range from 269 euros for pants over 239 euros for oversize shirts up to 379 euros for dresses.
If you leave the “Secret Rooms”, the area of the White Milano, in which these young, international brands are presented, you meet the Italian label Skills Milano, the timeless elegance with clothing that envelopes the body with elegant lines. The collection offers harmonious volume, versatile blazer, pants with variable fit and skirts that play with classic and asymmetrical models.
On Front Street, tradition and innovation combine with the second line Opus Florentium by Front Street to clothes that speak of individuality. The latter is an independent Italian brand that was created from the passion for vintage clothing. All garments are handmade and refined in Italy, which guarantees “Made in Italy”.
The most recent edition of the White also housed Teclor, a Japanese brand for measure suits; The essence of the tailoring mixes with the latest technology and develops products with attention to detail.
Among the designers: inside from Spain, which were supported by ICEX España Exportación e inversion, Custo Barcelona, who chose Milan for the presentation of the new collection, was also inspired by the fantastic landscapes of his creative director Custo Dalmau. The clothing is characterized by an aesthetic that is reminiscent of classic architecture and at the same time combines materials such as wool, silk and recycled functional substances.
The Label Our Shift, based in Copenhagen, uses fabrics of camping tents. The mission of the brand under the creative direction of Milan Flíček is to produce high-quality clothing and accessories from discarded fabrics such as event banners, merchandising articles, promotional items, tents and residues. The result is a playful, but still precise collection of hooded jackets and pants with contrast -colored pockets.
White “exports” the brands of the fair abroad
The fair founded by Massimiliano Bizzi was selected by the Almalki Group to open a pop-up store in the Westerly department store in Riad. This pop-up store will be open until May 2025 and will present the creations of some of the companies represented at the trade fair, including Faliero Sarti, La Milanesa, Flabelus, Niluu, Pahiesa Formentera, Naira Khachatryan, Bokja and Tanoura.
An agreement was also signed in Riyadh an agreement with Panos Linardos, the President of the RLC Global Forum. This partnership aims to promote global growth and expansion of the brands selected by White as part of the Circle project, which was launched by Brenda Bellei and Monica Sarti, the creative director of Faliero Sarti.
“With the Circle project, we want to select a group of small and medium-sized companies that are known to the inside of White and support them to open up the sales channels in the Gulf States, where the strategic partnership that has just been closed offers us a preferred channel,” explains White CEO Brenda Bellei. The cooperation aims to open business opportunities for companies not only in Saudi Arabia, but also in the neighboring markets up to Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.
This article previously appeared on fashionunited.it and was used with digital tools translated.
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