The President of The National Chamber for Italian Fashion introduces  2012’s  trends

Mario Boselli, appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro in 1990, Commandeur de l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur in 2002 and Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in 2007, is unstoppable in his quest to enhance the Italian Fashion Industry.

What are your impressions on the latest Milan Fashion Week?

It went better than expected. We were very confident on the logistics concerning schedules, quality of the collections and organisation. Our major concern was that the breakdown of the last sales would affect negatively the general atmosphere. But in the end it didn’t, actually the response was excellent also through the international media, plus we were blessed by the sunny weather. Everything turned out for the best, from the fashion shows, to the press venues and the collateral events. Also the chosen location of the Castello Sforzesco proved to be victorious, as it fitted the requirements of an outstanding setting and a handy location to reach either on foot or by car.

Is it difficult to preserve Made in Italy with the rise of Chinese manufacture, especially during this time of crisis?

Those who have been loyal to Made in Italy have coped. Others have tried to be cunning producing their clothes in China without tagging at all the provenience of manufacture, but selling the clothes with prices of Italian sounding. As a consequence buyers have lost affection and trust towards certain brands and have stuck to cheaper ones, that are reliable and coherent in presenting their product. Slyness doesn’t pay off on the long run for any kind of brand. The Chamber of Italian Fashion’s auspice is that the obligation to put the hallmark of origin for non-EU countries will assert itself.

In your opinion how will recession influence the world of fashion?

The companies that are suffering the most are the small ones that deal with raw materials and not the actual finished garments. Whilst the companies who take care of the final product, and have a strong identity, possibly worldwide, still get along fine. As concerns the economic trends of consumers the year 2011 has closed with an increase of 5,5%, but we expect 2012 to close with -5,2%. This means that  Italy will not repeat the unpleasant situation of 2009.

How is Milan’s new municipality interacting with initiatives related to the world of fashion?

The first edition of Milan Fashion Woman has been useful for the municipality to figure out how complex this industry is, and the requirements it takes to obtain successful outcomes. I may say the overall interaction of the institutions has definitely improved from the past years.

Italy is often reproached for being a gerontocratic country, for instance also in the world of fashion it is rare to hear about young talents, what advice would you give to young people who would like to become fashion designers?

This is the core subject of Italian Fashion: we still have first generation designers. They are great under all aspects, finance, popularity, power and age. We need a new generation of creative people, but I understand the difficulties in breaking through, for the market is packed with designers and the means required to invest in a new business are incredibly high. Nevertheless the National Chamber for Italian Fashion is, without a doubt, the institution in the entire world that provides the greatest help to young people. Three are the main projects dealing with this:

Fashion Incubator: is a project that supports the start up of fashion companies, leading through training, promotion and communication.

Next Generation: is a competition with the aim of finding a new generation of fashion designers below the age of 30. The Italian Chamber of Fashion offers the winners a free production of 12 outfits and a group fashion show where they can be seen during Milan Fashion Woman.

New Upcoming Designers: is an initiative that supports the presence of young creativity within Milan Fashion Woman, giving the opportunity to international designers, who are already established in the market, to present their own collection on easy terms, during Milan’s Fashion Week with a group fashion show organised by the Chamber of Fashion.

What is 2012’s must have?

I’ve noticed that nowadays men seldom wear neckties, well, I couldn’t do without them.

by Chiara Spagnoli

Related Images: