London hosts Craft Week from September 30 to October 10

London Craft Week 2020 takes place from September 30 to October 10 to celebrate makers and materials, from the traditional to innovative for everyone to enjoy, physically and digitally.

There are more than 250 influential brands, independent makers, artists and designers all coming together for a packed programme of exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and talks in 150 locations across the capital and online, set up in various hubs, from Chelsea to Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, to Mount Street and North Mayfair, St James and Pimlico Road. 

All details can be found on the London Craft Week website. 

One of our favourite hubs is the shopping destination and foodie hotspot of Coal Drops Yard just a stone’s throw from King’s Cross St Pancras stations.  During London Craft Week, one can discover design and craftsmanship within some of the world’s most exciting fashion, lifestyle and homeware brands, including Paul Smith and Tom Dixon, in an extraordinary canal-side setting.  

In the Paul Smith shop is a selection of small sculptures by Vic Wright from North West England who studied Fine Art in the University of Humberside and now works in her studio in Manchester.  She typically has an explorative approach to her work, taking the form of casts.  

Using a base of fine casting cement different materials such as metal powders and pigments are added.  When drying this results in different textures, colours and surfaces.

Photos by Lucia Carpio.

In Tom Dixon Studio at their Coal Office headquarters, one can explore the craftsmanship involved in their collections and discover the brand’s latest launches and early designs, including the internationally recognised S chair, celebrating 3 decades of an aesthetic that’s intrinsically inspired by the brand’s British roots, along with knitwear designer Peju Obasa and leather artisans Bill Amberg Studio who upholster the iconic frame in their signature styles.

FAT: humorous silhouettes with a reductionist aesthetic, from TOM DIXON

Tom Dixon's FAT chair range is designed to hug
the body.  It's round and cuddly shape allows
for multiple sitting positions. 

Of course we need to keep our social distancing in place to help avoid the spread of Covid-19, but in doing so we are missing much needed human contact, like not being able to hug our friends, dear ones and peers when we see them.  

Tom Dixon's upholstered FAT chair range on show at Coal Office, the designer's headquarters
in Coal Drops Yard, King's Cross, London.  Photo by Lucia Carpio.

So it is intriguing to learn that British designer Tom Dixon’s new upholstered chair range – FAT – is designed with rounded shapes to hug the body and allows for multiple sitting positions as we are spending more time indoors (for work and for rest) and comfort is of prime importance.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

FAT is available as a three and two-seater sofa, dining chair, counter and bar stool, lounge chair and chaise longue.  They are made from moulded foam with a metal leg available in high gloss black lacquer and made-to-order upholstery. Manufactured in Europe, hand-finished and upholstered by experienced crafts people.

FAT chairs are available for viewing in Tom Dixon’s Coal Office headquarters in London King’s Cross, as well as in his new Beijing shop in China, in the Lounge snf Dining Hall at the Manzoni hub in Milan.

FAT Dining Chairs and FAT Lounge Chairs
in the new Beijing hub in China.  

Tom says: 'For a while, I’ve been wanting to reclaim the word FAT and make it positive again. It’s particularly appropriate for upholstery because what you really want is supreme comfort. The fatness of the curved backrests and the thickness of the upholstery makes FAT a really comfortable series of furniture.'

Tom continues: 'We wanted to make a chair that used the most elementary components to try and reduce the complexity and elements down to the absolute minimum. FAT really has the simplest of legs, but even the legs are fatter than most chairs. This creates a very solid base for the plump cushion, which is completely round. The backrest, which is half round, also allows you to make love chair configurations which are modular, in a way that very few furniture ranges are.'

Premiere Vision Paris announces winners of its first "digital" NextGen Awards.

For more than 10 years, the September edition of Première Vision Paris has traditionally hosted the PV Awards, a yearly event to honor creative and innovative new developments submitted by the exhibitors of the trade fair.  While this year 's physical fair could not take place due to Covid-19 restrictions,  the PV Awards will return in 2021.

However the organisers have been able to host the first edition of the Première Vision NextGen Awards which succeeds the British TexSelect competition (formerly known as Texprint) and was taken over by Première Vision in 2019.  The NextGen Awards aim to reward the textile creativity of students not only from British schools and colleges, but also from design institutes all over the world.  

Disciplines accepted for the Competition are: Prints – Knit – Weaving – Embellishment /Mix Media for either Fashion and/or Interiors.

This first, entirely digital, September 2020 edition was produced in collaboration with the Arts Thread platform which, as organizers of the competition, has announced the winners of the 4 following prizes:

• The Grand Jury Prize: Annika KIIDRON – .Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia

• The Imagination Prize: Jifang ZHANG – Nottingham Trent University, UK

• The Interiors Prize: Netta GETTA – Shenkar, Israël

• The Materials Innovation Prize : Elisa DEFOSSEZ – Aalto University, Finland

For full details of the NextGen Awards 2020 and winners, click HERE.

Premiere Vision Paris' first Digital Show deemed a success . London's Textile Forum is postponed to 2021.

Just when you think it’s safe to go back into the water, the UK Government announces new Covid restrictions which means all exhibitions in the country have been "paused" again probably until next spring at the earliest.  Thus it is not surprising to learn that London’s Textile Forum cannot take place this October, the first time in 18 years that it is postponed.

Meanwhile Première Vision Paris which was held September 15 and 16 as a Digital Show is deemed a success by its organisers, saying the global creative fashion industry were able to come together on its online Marketplace to develop their trading activities, exchange ideas, get inspired and create their autumn/winter 2021-22 collections.  In total some 43,000 products from 1,675 suppliers representing 43 countries were featured online, attracting  19,500 unique visitors from nearly 120 countries, according to the organisers, testifying to the accelerating pace of digitization in the fashion industry.

"This digitization has been strengthening in recent months, a development Première Vision has supported since the launch of its Marketplace in September 2018, and now further contributes to with the DIGITAL SHOW and its dedicated tools and services," they stated.

Organisers said they have been expanding their services and added features on Marketplace since mid-March, allowing "exhibitors" to freely integrate their collections into their e-shops with no limit on the number of products presented, and no obligations in terms of commitment or duration.

Première Vision had the foresight to launch its Marketplace in September 2018 as an additional digital platform to the physical show, which has proven now to be a valuable initiative for the international trading community in these challenging times.  

The Digital Show has featured an interactive catalog, with activated client/supplier contact tools,; an enhanced content to decode seasonal trends to help professionals build collections; as well as a series of digital talks under the banne "The Futures of Fashion" which was participated by 3,635 international professionals sharing ideas and information regarding the industry’s coming challenges.

While the DIGITAL SHOW will remain active on the Première Vision Marketplace throughout the season, the traffic and activity seen on its opening two days demonstrate how clearly this event meets the industry’s new and evolving needs, enabling international fashion industry professionals to continue interacting and developing their business despite the reigning economic and health uncertainty. 

Gilles Lasbordes, Première Vision General Manager, said: 

“The performance of this first digital event are very encouraging and highly instructive. We salute the commitment and reactivity of the industry, which mobilized around the virtual show while reminding us of the importance of the physical experience. See you next February for a spring-summer 22 edition which is already shaping up to be a hybrid show.”

Première Vision reaffirms its omni-channel strategy, strengthening the synergies between its physical and digital events, as the way forward.  The physical event, Première Vision Paris is a lively, inspiring event vital to the creative process and to engaging professionals with each other in understand the season’s new material.  It also acts as a catalyst for the in-person meetings essential to developing and solidifying client/supplier relationships.  Coexisting is the online event on its Marketplace, the DIGITAL SHOW, regarded as an indispensable way to promote the visibility of the exhibitors’ offer to a broader target of international buyers during and beyond the actual show dates.

Gareth Pugh's fashion fantasia: The Reconstruction

While catwalk shows are traditionally part of fashion weeks, often due to the tight schedule, as soon as one show is over, the audience quickly gather their things to go off to the next one, and so on.  During this London Fashion Week, running from Thursday 17th - Tuesday 22nd September 2020, we don’t have that issue and the excitement is much more contained though not lacking in enthusiasm. The schedule has been split into three sections and includes brands showing digitally, physically or both, due to Covid-19 restrictions from government guidelines.  This arrangement has allowed audiences not just in London but from around the world to view the collections online in the comfort of their own sofas or desks, repeatedly as often as they want to see them.

Some designers opt to showcase their creations in a physical space that allows visitors to get a feel for their work in a focused environment.  Such is the case with visionary British fashion designer Gareth Pugh who has launched a major new creative project titled “The Reconstruction,” presented as a ‘visual concept album’, at Christie’s London, opened to paid visitors across London Fashion Week. This marks Pugh’s return to fashion week, built around the designer’s first collection since buying back his trademark in March 2020.

Ticket sales to Gareth Pugh's "The Reconstruction" exhibition at Christie's London is a fund-raising exercise for Refuge – featuring key looks from the designer's collection, accompanied by Knight’s imagery – taking place at Christie’s London across London Fashion Week. Photos of exhibition at Christie's by Lucia Carpio

The installation celebrates the eternal interplay between fashion, music and film, featuring 13 iconic looks inspired by 13 iconic songs.  The collection has been captured in 13 stills and 13 explosive fashion film shorts - shot by globally renowned fashion image-maker Nick Knight. An accompanying series of breathtaking virtual landscapes comes courtesy of pioneering digital artist Jon Emmony.

The body of work features a selection of dramatic sculptural ensembles on display in the dedicated room at Christie’s along with digital slide shows of dramatic images; the result of a series of photo shoots that features an amazing cast of artists, activists and change-makers from across the UK as models for his designs, including Musicians Rina Sawayama and IAMDDB; Artist and activist Sakeema Crook; The Royal Ballet’s principal dancer Matthew Ball; Artist and Performer Jenny Bastet; Dancers Travis Clausen-Knight and James Pett; Model and muse Maggie Maurer; Performers and nightlife icons Finn Love and Georgie Bee; Model Jade o’Belle; And finally, fiercely vocal model-of-the-moment, Georgia Moot.

The whole creative process from producing the fabrics and preparing the materials to the resulting fashion shoots is captured in a feature-length documentary (available to view on YouTube) mixing fashion and entertainment, allowing the audience to view the inspiration behind the collection – fashion’s new “frontierland” , written by Pugh’s husband and Creative Co-Director Carson McColl.

None of the looks will be for sale though. Instead they have been re-imagined via a jersey capsule collection featuring a series of prints designed by Pugh in collaboration with emerging designer Melissa Mehrtens. The limited-edition collection which will launch alongside the art project’s release; sold online (RRP £75) in an exclusive partnership with HIT + RUN - a new online retail platform promoting a zero-waste model.

In support of The Reconstruction, Pugh’s long-standing collaborators M·A·C Cosmetics also has launched a supporting virtual beauty campaign. The project amplifies the artistry within the visual album, as well as the two brands’ shared ideals of culture and community. As part of M·A·C’s commitment to communicating the power of fashion in inspiring everyday beauty, the brand invited five emerging talent and taste-makers, including Ana Takahashi (lead make-up artist) herself, to take inspiration from the original makeup designs and recreate them on themselves, translating them into everyday wear. 

London Fashion Week - September 17th – 22nd: A hybrid gender neutral showcase.

London Fashion Week September 2020 takes place from Thursday 17th to Tuesday 22nd September 2020 as a gender neutral show and includes both digital activations on londonfashionweek.co.uk and physical events, following Government guidelines on social distancing.  

The LFW digital platform, launched in June, continues to serve as the Official Digital Hub and will be freely accessible to everyone, industry professionals and global fashion consumers alike. This platform will host exclusive multimedia content from designers and brand partners, enabling collaboration and bringing together fashion, culture and technology.

This season, the schedule has been split into three sections and includes brands showing digitally, physically or both. 

More than 80 designers including 40 womenswear, 15 menswear, 20 menswear & womenswear and 5 accessories brands are showcased. There will be a total of 50 digital only activations, 21 physical and digital, 7 physical only and 3 designers who will activate through a physical evening event only. 

Now more than ever, the British Fashion Council acknowledges the necessity to look at the future of LFW and the opportunity to drive change, collaborate and innovate in ways that will establish long-term benefits, develop new sustainable business models and boost the industry’s economic and social power. The British Fashion Industry faces enormous challenges due to the impact of COVID-19 and the BFC keeps on calling on Government to support a sector which in 2019 contributed £35 billion to the UK economy and employs over 890,000 people (Oxford Economics, 2020).

Designers, partners and brands come together to share their stories in various forms through collections launches, films, podcasts, conversations, articles galleries. They embrace the cultural commentary and creativity for which London Fashion Week and British fashion are known.

Explore the Digital Schedule HERE.

Photos from London Fashion Week website.

Rest in Peace Sir Terence Conran 1931- 2020

Sir Terence Conran 1931-2020 from Design Museum website.

Here in the UK, the design and creative world would remember Sir Terence Conran  as founder of “the way we live now”.  

Terence Conran, founder of the Design Museum, designer, philanthropist and businessman, passed away on Saturday 12 September 2020. He was 88 years old.

Through a series of parallel careers, Sir Terence Conran had a greater impact than any other designer of his generation, revolutionising everyday life in contemporary Britain.  Alongside design, food was also one of Terence’s great passions and he became a renowned restaurateur.

The London Design Museum has posted on its website a fitting tribute to Sir Terence who was the subject of a monographic exhibition The Way We Live Now at the Design Museum in 2011 to coincide with his 80th birthday.

London Design Festival 2020 12-20 September

 

During London Design Festival 2020 12-20 September, whether you are visiting online or in-person this year, you can enjoy and discover virtual and physical activity including #LDF20 Landmark Project, The Hothouse, from Studio Weave located east at International Quarter London (IQL a new neighbourhood at the heart of Stratford) ; Festival Commission Unity by Marlene Huissoud at Coal Drops Yard, King's Cross;  Connected by 9 designers online and at The Design Museum in Kensington; The Circular Design Project in collaboration with SAP and The Ellen MacArthur Foundation online of daily talks and seminars, along with daily digital tours at the V&A; Global Design Forum, 100 Partner events, across 4 Design Districts, 2 Design Destinations and 2 Design Routes. 

London as a cultural capital and an international powerhouse of creativity in these incredibly challenging times is celebrating as a platform for artists, creatives and freelancers across the design spectrum.

To help you navigate all activations and activities over this period of #LDF20, go to the London Design Festival website.

For London Design Festival 2020 - Tom Dixon presents OCTAGON in Coal Drops Yard, King's Cross.

It's the start of London Design Festival 2020. British designer Tom Dixon opens his headquarters/showroom (Coal Office) in Coal Drops Yard, a stone's throw from the King's Cross station, to display his wide range of creative modern home products.

Tom’s theme for this year’s festival is OCTAGON, which represents the multifaceted and constantly evolving nature of his brand. 

The Coal Office is transformed into 8 different architectural spaces and each area is defined by this year’s hero products. 

Tom says: "So many ideas! So many new stories, new partnerships and ways of making and also a few old ones that we would like to tell our new friends and partners. But how to manage so much content? The answer is OCTAGON...with 8 facets of our hyperactive, constantly evolving brand."

It's an open exhibition for visitors to immerse themselves in Tom's universe.

British Textile Week: a digital showcase of the craftsmanship, creativity and technical skills of the UK textile industry.

Normally the month of September is when top British textile companies would be showing their offering at international apparel fabric trade shows in Europe such as Premiere Vision Paris, putting the spotlight on some of the leaders in British textile industry.  But in the absence of many of such events this season, cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, the UKFT has launched British Textile Week online to provide a digital showcase of the craftsmanship, creativity and technical skills of the UK textile industry.  This digital showcase is valuable resource for those seeking British talent, flair and skills.  The British industry is known for the mills ability to blend creativity with commerciality in printed, woven, knitted and embroidered textile designs.

UK fabrics are highly sought after by the world’s most prestigious designers, tailors and fashion brands as the starting point for their collections.  Exports of  British textiles reach almost every country in the world to the tune of £3 billion.  

Meanwhile UKFT is supporting two of the country's most established fabric producers: Linton Tweeds and Liberty Fabrics who will be exhibiting at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics in China this week, from September 23-25.  This has been made possible through the Department of International Trade’s Tradeshow Access Programme.  China is an increasingly important market for British textile creations.

Linton Tweeds will be exhibiting its innovative collection of fantasy tweed fabrics.  The firm plans to develop the China market further, in collaboration with its local agent.

Liberty Fabrics will also be exhibiting their iconic printed fabric collectio.  They have an established sales office in Shanghai to develop the market further.

The UK’s textile manufacturing sector produces £5.8bn of materials, ranging from the world’s most sought-after cashmere to the finest worsted wool, luxurious tweeds and distinctive tartans. In addition to the world-renowned apparel fabrics that will be featured during British Textile Week, the UK textile industry also produces high quality fabrics and accessories for the home and contract interiors sectors,  plus a wide range of technical textiles and performance fabrics that are used in industries such as medical, defence and aerospace.

There are more than 4,200 businesses manufacturing textiles in the UK – an increase of 12% in the last five years – in a sector that employs more than 64,000 people.

UKFT is coordinating the project, with the support of The Clothworkers’ Company and the Campaign for Wool.

The UK has a strong textile heritage and also a promising future – with more than 4,800 people studying textiles at university each year on courses including textile design, textile technology and textile engineering.

All information on British Textile Week can be found on the UKFT website. 

You can also get inspiration on fabric trends and colour from leading British mills by going to the British Textile Trends for AW 21/22 page.  

Photos by Lucia Carpio: A selection of world class British fabrics on show in the UKFT booth at a recent Premiere Vision Paris trade fair.

Rolling Stones' world-first flagship store opens in London's Soho.

The iconic tongue-and-lips symbol is everywhere so there is no mistaking which rock group this new shop is dedicated to.

The Rolling Stones' world-first flagship store, ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ right in the heart of London’s Soho, at 9 Carnaby Street, is now open.

Created in partnership with Bravado, the store is home to an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages, and features a bespoke T-shirt customisation station. Framed in an exceedingly contemporary red and black shop fit, visitors can explore the diverse product offering whilst listening to tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.

Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company, features all of the hallmarks of the iconic band and includes exclusive new fashion label ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’.  

The band’s continuing album and single releases are at the heart of the shop’s pulse.  Music will be available to buy including the Goats Head Soup album and Scarlet single along with an exclusive 500 copies of the Goats Head Soup 2020 album in the Stones Red colour. 

The store’s windows feature a world first soundwave installation – taken from the opening to the 1966 hit track ‘Paint It Black’. The audio of the beginning of the iconic song is visualised as a soundwave and reinterpreted into a striking red metal sculpture. 

The glass floor features many of the bands lyrics, and the fitting rooms are adorned with iconic album artwork; Exile on Main Street (1972) and Some Girls (1978).   Inside, there is an exclusive and curated mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages. The store also introduces "Stones Red," the official colour from Pantone which is seen in the design elements of the store as well as an exclusive apparel and accessories collection.   Sound, vision, and lighting are key store components.   Five, 90 inch portrait screens display a film made exclusively for the store showing footage across the rich history of the band. Speakers from high end British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins will play tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.  

Exclusive store collaborations include Chateau Baccarat, from French luxury brand Baccarat, a collection of crystal wine glasses, champagne flutes, tumblers, wine decanter, and a beer glass engraved with the Tongue and Lips of the Rolling Stones. Other exclusives include The Soloist chairs and scarves and from premium Swedish raincoat brand Stutterheim there is a handcrafted high quality rubberised cotton raincoat which features the Rolling Stones logo.  More exciting collabs will be announced soon. 

One for superfans are the 10 limited edition signed and numbered framed artworks by John Pasche, the original creator of the iconic Rolling Stones logo, which was first used on the Sticky Fingers LP in 1971. 

The Rolling Stones said:  “Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivalled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

It is a bold time to launch a permanent retail space in London as the Covid-19 has posed a very challenging economic environment that is threatening big city centres.  However RS No.9 Carnaby Street is expected to provide a major long-term boost to music tourism in the capital, as one of the most iconic music British brands and bands of all time, launches this unprecedented experience on London’s historic Carnaby Street in Soho, which has been synonymous with British music culture since the sixties.

Mat Vlasic, CEO, Bravado said:  “With this innovative partnership, the Rolling Stones add yet another cultural touchpoint to their rich legacy. RS No. 9 Carnaby is the result of years of planning and decades of building one of the world's most recognized brands. It creates a destination where fans can connect and immerse themselves in the music, style and spirit of one of the world's most iconic and beloved bands.”

Bravado is a leading global provider of consumer, lifestyle and branding services to recording artists and entertainment brands around the world, and part of Universal Music Group, a leader in music-based entertainment.

Rolling Stones fans not able to visit can also experience it through a bespoke online store and experience which will be going live shortly - https://no9carnabyst.rollingstones.com  

Photos by Sharlotte Ritchie.  Courtesy: THE ROLLING STONES / BRAVADO

Marlene Huissoud's Installation for Coal Drops Yard, London

In this age of crisis, humans are developing individual bubbles where everything seems safer. Amidst this, designers are rethinking their role and how their practice needs to evolve to help support societies remain united, metaphorically if not physically.

French designer Marlene Huissoud has created a Festival Commission for Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, London as part of London Design Festival.  The artwork emphasises the notion of unity and the importance of working together to repurpose and reconsider our shared environments as we emerge from the pandemic.

Titled ‘Unity’, Huissoud invites visitors to stand in a circle 2 metres apart surrounding the installation. Controlled by foot-pumps, visitors will work together in a symbol of strength and hope, to breathe life into the piece. Participants involved will pump the system, slowly unveiling a new form as the installation transforms in shape in front of their eyes: growing, dancing, breathing, and revealing its full potential. If no one is pumping, the installation will deflate and loose its power and vitality. The installation has an intention to send a message of optimism: by standing strong together, we have the tools and power to create a better world and change the system. 

London Design Festival opens on September 12. Tom Dixon showcases OCTAGON at its HQ.

 
This September, British design brand Tom Dixon will unveil OCTAGON at their London HQ. The Coal Office in King’s Cross, will be divided into 8 architectural spaces over two levels: a Pop-up bar, 2 Lounges, a Disco, a Perfumery Lab, a MASS Installation, a Pattern Exhibition and an S-chair ‘Museum’ paying  the world-renowned chair designed by Tom in the 1980’s. The King’s Cross Hub will be transformed into an open exhibition for visitors to immerse themselves in the designer’s universe. A series of physical and digital events will take place throughout the week.

As part of London Design Festival (September 12 – 20), Tom Dixon Studio will be opening its doors for 9 days of virtual and physical events that will include a series of digital and physical talks and workshops open to the public, and with some events by-invitation only.

Italy proceeds with fashion trade events this autumn.

While many fashion and textiles international professional shows, events and conferences in Paris such as Premiere Vision and Texworld are cancelled this September, Italy is going ahead with the majority of its trade shows as planned, with its textile and fashion organisations joining forces with a strong message this autumn, under the headline #StrongerTogether.

Green Label and BIOLINE laces from Iluna Group which
participates in Milano Unica and has a digital presence in other fairs.

Milano Unica for one opens at the Rho-Pero exhibition centre on September 8-9, hosting some 200 exhibitors, nearly half of its usual number.  The event is launching also a robust digital counterpart, e-MilanoUnica Connect, created with the help of Pitti Immagine’s tech know-how. 

Milano Unica’s virtual show will be active after the end of the physical event, from September 10, and will be operational until the next session, in February 2021.

Meanwhile "The Renaissance and Rebirth": the Dolce&Gabbana High Fashion and Haute Couture events took place in Florence as a special project for Pitti Immagine, trumpeting a new beginning for the city, to showcase the artisans and their extraordinary creations.  The title event began on 2 September with a catwalk show dedicated to Haute Couture at Palazzo Vecchio, in the Salone del Cinquecento. Unique and extraordinary pieces were presented accompanied by accessories and objects realized by the craft workshops.  In total 38 Florentine artisans were showcased. The creations made of terracotta, silk, gold, silver, leather, hide, straw, wicker, crystal, porcelain, glass, wood, brocade, feather, beads, semi-precious stones, marble marquetry demonstrated valuable traditions often handed down from generation to generation, yet still relevant today. The focus on Tuscan artisans will continue from 17 to 20 September at the Giardino Corsini, with the “Artigianato e Palazzo” exhibition that has now reached its 25th edition.  

On September 19-22, the Fiera Milano pavilions will host the Homi Fashion & Jewels show. This will be followed by the footwear show Micam on September 20-23, which from September 15 to November 15 will also stage a virtual version, the Micam Milano Digital Show, on a website developed and run by the NuOrder agency.

TheOneMilano show dedicated to fabric, leather and fur ready-to-wear collections, will be for the first time an integral part of Micam as a ‘Special Featured by Micam’ [sic] event, presenting total looks for footwear brands.

On September 22-23, the Mipel leather goods show will be staged at Fiera Milano, while avant-garde fashion show White Milano is scheduled in the southern part of the city on September 24-27, in parallel with the Milan Fashion Week.  The organisers of White Milano have also launched the "Milano loves Italy" project to bring together leading players within Italy's fashion industry spectrum.

Meanwhile the Italian Fashion Chamber (CNMI) has confirmed the Milan Fashion Week will go ahead on September 22-28 in a phygital format, featuring 28 live catwalk shows.

Leading labels showing include  Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Max Mara and Etro will be showing, but not Gucci.  Among others are Boss, Marni, N°21, Calcaterra, Tod's and Sunnei.  Digital additions to the programme will include 24 films, among them those by Missoni, Philipp Plein, Dsquared2, Marco De Vincenzo and GCDS. 

Other European capitals and regions are exercising quarantine measures while Covid-19 cases are on the increase, so buyers and press are curtailing their business travel.  Along with social distancing requirements, this is a very different trading season that would have a long impact on the whole industry and indeed world markets for months to come.

Picture shows a Lace Mask design from the Iluna Group, which recently launched its official website and e-commerce operations as well as  the ilunamasks.com site dedicated to the sale of the exclusive Iluna masks.

Maison&Objet Paris turns Digital 4th TO 18th September

As an unprecedented arrangement, Maison&Objet in Paris will an online event this season due to the French government banning the resumption of events of more than 5,000 people until after 31 October, along with new travel restrictions in many countries and the resurgence of an increased health risk.

The Digital show will start on 4^th September, featuring a comprehensive programme for all those eager to explore new trends, discover new design products and inspirational ideas and allowing international design and creative professionals to make new connections despite being separated by the miles.

The next physical show is scheduled for January 22 – 26^th 2021.