42nd edition of Milano Unica

Milan, 22 January 2026

 

The 42nd edition of Milano Unica, the high-end fabrics and accessories trade show, held at Fiera Milano Rho from 20 to 22 January, where the Spring/Summer 2027 collections were presented, and which at opening recorded a record increase in European exhibitors (+25%), closed with higher attendance by international buyers. France (+8.5%) and the USA (+13.5%) were the two most represented countries overall. Buyer attendance also increased from: Korea (+10%), Canada (+6.6%), Germany (+8%), and Japan (+2.4%), while Great Britain and Spain confirmed the strong attendance recorded at the February 2025 edition.

 

The traditional opening ceremony on 20 January began with Milano Unica President Simone Canclini inviting the audience to observe a minute’s silence in memory of Valentino Garavani, followed by institutional greetings from the President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana (joining remotely), the Central Director for Exports – ITA, International Trade Agency, Maurizio Forte, and the President of Fondazione Fiera Milano, Giovanni Bozzetti.

 

“The last two editions have delivered the best results ever. Today the show has become an international leader in the sector, and a cohesive team has been formed among all entrepreneurs, effectively coordinated by Milano Unica’s General Manager, Massimo Mosiello, and his staff,” Simone Canclini recalled, adding: “We have two goals. We must engage young people more, because we need their vision and we cannot afford to lose the skills that underpin our success worldwide. We must also communicate more, and better, about our fabrics and accessories to final consumers. Fabrics are the necessary condition for the success of garments. We are leaders as producers of beauty and we are leaders in sustainability,” Canclini concluded, highlighting the importance of the Mercosur agreement and expressing the hope that “the EPR Directive can become law as soon as possible, because recycling represents a Copernican revolution for the supply chain”.

 

Confirming the importance of the link between education and business, Milano Unica has for years been committed to supporting the training of young people, with a view to ensuring continuity across the supply chain, by organising the Back to School event. In this edition, the guest was designer and entrepreneur Giuseppe di Morabito, in conversation with Federico Rocca, Fashion Editor at Vanity Fair, who spoke about his successful experience in today’s contemporary context.

 

“Raw material is everything, like the history or the foundations of a house. Without raw material there would be no ‘after’, just as without history there would be no present and no future. I believe raw material is fundamental, because its importance lies in the word itself,” the designer said, sharing his journey with students in a time of major and complex transformations.

 

The discussion was then led by Nicola Porro, journalist, essayist and TV anchorman, who opened with a conversation with Giuseppe Valditara, Minister of Education and Merit, focusing in particular on the future of vocational training. The Minister recalled the significant experience of the Nordic countries and, in particular, Germany in work-based education, supporting industrial development, and the substantial investments, over two billion euros, approved by the Government to support the digitalisation of schools. Valditara also highlighted the success among young people of the 4+2 technological-vocational training pathway, which has seen enrolments double compared to the previous year, and expressed the hope for ever closer collaboration between schools and businesses.

 

Moderated by Nicola Porro, the debate, at the heart of the opening ceremony, reaffirmed the strategic role of raw material, as well as the major communication effort required to make end consumers aware of its value. Luca Solca, Managing Director, Luxury Goods at Sanford C. Bernstein Schweiz, outlined the global scenario in which made-in-Italy fabrics are competing. The high-end segment is currently strong, but the unpredictable developments of the geopolitical situation should not be underestimated, as it affects stock markets and also influences people with no spending limits. At the same time, in China, the USA and Europe, there is widespread strain on the middle class, which cannot afford to sustain the costs of luxury brands. Looking ahead, in this segment, intermediate price points will win: excellent quality at a more accessible cost.

 

Stefania Saviolo, Professor in the Department of Management and Technology at the Bocconi University, explained the concept of “awareness without competence” on the part of the end customer. The end customer may be aware of quality but lacks the competence to choose a garment, because they do not understand the upstream supply chain, the characteristics of the materials used, and production processes. It is therefore necessary to build consumer trust in the value of a garment, telling the story of the research and work that come before its creation, starting from the fundamental role of raw material.

 

Claudio Marenzi, President of Herno  and President of Montura, instead drew attention to how consumer evaluation has shifted towards the performance of the garment when worn, rather than the quality and intrinsic value of the fabric. Moreover, in Italy it is only possible to produce the high and very high end entirely domestically, whereas premium manufacturing must be done elsewhere, because labour costs in Italy do not allow sufficient margins. To create margins, a 30% cut in the tax wedge would be needed. And let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking that in China or India they cannot make good products, on the contrary, they are very good. We must therefore work on that ‘something extra’ that changes the perception of the value of our product, represented by the love for what we do and the passion of our skilled workforce.

 

Simone Marchetti, European Editorial Director & Editor in Chief Vanity Fair, argued that fashion is under attack. The cases of labour exploitation that have emerged represent only 2% of the industry, but they are damaging the image of the remaining 98%. In this new era, the narrative needs to evolve, including human sustainability and not only environmental sustainability. Italian excellence, he suggested, should be nominated as UNESCO heritage, as part of a new global narrative.

 

Concluding the proceedings, Valentino Valentini, Deputy-Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, stated: “Milano Unica reminds us that without fabric and accessories, luxury and Made in Italy do not exist. They are the essential ingredient, the substance that gives body to style, and in a complex two-year period like this, where markets are slowing and international demand is uncertain, we must have the courage to put the industrial value of the product back at the centre, bringing attention back to real manufacturing. This is why, as MIMIT, we wanted to introduce concrete measures such as the one hundred million euros dedicated to fashion within Development Contracts and the refinancing of the Nuova Sabatini scheme in the 2026 budget, resources that are needed to keep making a difference. But businesses are the protagonists. Against the aggressive competition of global ultra fast fashion we will never win on price, but we will win on transparency, traceability and authentic sustainability. 2026 will be a year of selection, but the Government stands alongside companies to ensure that this selection rewards excellence.”

 

“The atmosphere felt at the stands over these three days confirms the moderate optimism about the positive prospects for 2026 presented at the opening ceremony, although concerns remain about the evolution of the geopolitical context. The widespread satisfaction with the contacts established with many new international buyers commits us to doing even more to strengthen our leadership. This result has been achieved thanks to the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ITA – the Italian Trade Agency, to whom we extend our heartfelt, and not merely formal, thanks. A sincere thank you also goes to our loyal partner Banca Sella and to the invaluable support of Lauretana,” concluded Massimo Mosiello, General Manager of Milano Unica.

 

 

For additional information:

 

Milano Unica Press Office tel. +39 02 6610 1105

Alessandra Ardenzi mob. +39 335 677 46 20

Daniela Scardi mob. +39 3661964979

 

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