Italy news and archive

How the Italian menswear sector has fared as Pitti Uomo kicks off the buying season

Pitti Uomo, the Italian menswear trade show that kicks off the buying season, opens the doors of its 106th edition in Florence today. Here, nearly 800 menswear brands are set to present their collections for spring/summer 2025, 44 percent of which will descend from abroad. Among the special events are shows by guest designer Marine Serre and...

Fashion

'Market of Fakes' in Naples, capital of counterfeits and Camorra

As top brands like Gucci and Prada prepare to report billions in sales this month, luxury fakes on the streets of Naples are also yielding a jaw-dropping cash stream -- for the mafia. The teeming southern metropolis is ground zero for Italy's estimated 6-7 billion euro (6.5-7.5 billion dollar) counterfeit market, where fake handbags, sunglasses,...

Retail

Primark to invest 50 million euros into Italian retail network

Budget retailer Primark has said that it will be investing 50 million euros into its Italian retail footprint, with five new stores to be a part of the expansion plan. The news was shared by the director of Primark Italy, Luca Ciuffreda, who said in an open letter that the move will take its retail network in the region to 20 stores over the...

Retail

Europe's online shopping surges 42 percent, with the Italian market valued at 5.8bn euros

In 2022, online fashion purchases in Europe surged to 42 percent of the total market, reaching 5.8 billion euros in Italy, an 11 percent annual increase, according to Netcomm. The rise of mobile devices, brand websites, apps, reviews, and various e-commerce channels has fueled clothing purchases online, with nearly half of fast fashion retailers...

BusinessFeatured

Italian men's fashion exports skyrocket

Exports of Italian men’s fashion concluded 2022 on a high note, showcasing robust growth, according to data released during a press conference for Pitti Uomo 104. The Confindustria Study Center for Sistema Moda Italia revealed that exports from January to December 2022 saw a remarkable increase of 24.7 percent compared to the previous year,...

Fashion

Tullio Buzzi Institute in Italy and Manpower launch training courses for the textile sector

The Italian technical industrial state institute Tullio Buzzi (ITS) in Tuscany has signed an agreement with US staffing company Manpower to launch training courses for the textile sector in Italy. The initiative is part of a broader collaboration agreement with the aim of supporting the employment of young people and providing the skills...

Retail

In Italy, 70,000 stores at risk of closing

The heart of Italy’s fashion sector is its once thriving independent retail businesses, where boutiques in even the remotest village offer the latest fashions and a unique mix of multi-brands. But one year into the pandemic the devastating impact of store closures and restrictions see Italian retailers dealing with one of the highest closure...

Retail

H&M to permanently close 8 stores in Italy

Fast fashion retailer H&M is to permanently shutter eight stores in Italy, which collectively employs over 200 workers. It currently operates 181 Italian stores. As retailers across the country plan for re-opening, H&M confirmed in an email two stores in Milan and a third in Bari will not reopen when Italy exits lockdown on May 18. A further...

Business

Gucci's ArtLab to reopen

Fashion production is beginning to restart in Italy as the country slowly begins to lift coronavirus restrictions. The company has signed an agreement with trade unions to reopen Gucci ArtLab on April 20. ArtLab is home to Gucci's leather goods and prototype productions. “Since the beginning of this emergency, before it was officially defined as...

Retail

Italian fashion brands ask for rent suspesions

Confindustria Moda, an organization representing the Italian fashion industry, has asked commercial premises landlords to put lease payments on hold for retailers. The appeal was due to the coronavirus crisis, which has left Italy as one of the hardest hit countries in the world by the global pandemic. Total number of cases in Italy are only...

Retail

Uniqlo to open first Italian store

Japanese retailer Uniqlo has confirmed that it will open its first Italian store in Milan in September. The 16,100 square foot store over three floors will be located on Piazza Cordusio, a short walking distance from Piazza Duomo in Milan’s city centre. The flagship will officially open on September 13 and will offer LifeWear for men, women,...

BusinessFeatured

Sales, employment and profits growing in the Italian fashion sector

Italy is long renowned for the quality of its craftsmanship, especially when it comes to clothing and leather goods. As a result, one third of European fashion giants either is Italian or operates in Italy. But how are those companies doing? To find that out, local investment bank Mediobanca analyzed the financial results of 163 fashion...