The second day at Pitti Filati, edition number 95, was also good, which opened with mixed feelings for the 31 Prato spinning mills. On the one hand, the companies arrived at the fair anxious for a less than brilliant 2023, for some made even more difficult by last November’s flood and a limping first half of 2024 with few orders and flat calm on the market, on the other the stands were immediately teeming with various visitors, many from the Far East (Japan, Korea and also China) and the United States. Yesterday the Prato entrepreneurs received a visit from Ilaria Bugetti, at her first Pitti Filati as mayor.
“The moment is complex but I have registered a climate of trust among our entrepreneurs. We must know how to stay close to them”, he said at the end of the tour during which he had the opportunity to collect their direct testimony on the current situation.
“Everyone I met told me that the drop in consumption and the stagnation in orders are worrying. There is hope for the second half of the year and the presence of many customers and visitors at the fair gives us hope. there are signs of a recovery”, added Bugetti, highlighting the ability of the people of Prato to respond immediately to market changes. “The path is that of quality and certifications. We, the institutions, have the task of staying close to the district by supporting it with adequate services and coordination actions that are able to intercept national and European resources for individual and system projects dedicated to the economy circular, green production, energy transition and technological innovation”. These are the issues on which according to Bugetti “it is possible to get attention from Brussels and Rome, and on which companies can obtain competitive advantages and added values to spend on international markets”.
The voices of entrepreneurs at the fair are full of hope for the future starting from crowded stands. “We received many Americans – says Laura Benesperi from Bemiva – The first months of the year were tough, but we are recovering with summer production, we are at the same level as last year. We have to wait for September for the recovery. The autumn collection -winter 2025-26, which we present at Pitti, is as always high level with more and more natural fibers for eco-design. We design our yarns with the garment’s durability in mind thanks to eco-sustainable materials collaborations with the processing of the district and for this reason it is important that the supply chain is certified. It is a great added value that allows us to be competitive.” Giulia Corrieri of Cofil reiterates the importance of the service for customers “even with small productions. Our highest-end collection is all certified: sustainability certifications are now an essential condition for staying on the market”. Stefano Borsini, owner of Igea as well as member of the technical committee of Pitti Immagine, claims that “Pitti is a great attraction for the Far East: in this exhibition it manages to have a complete representation of quality Italian yarns”. Among the yarns no longer boycotted is mohair, appreciated thanks to its sustainability certifications. “Fancy yarns are not doing badly – concludes Borsini – like needlework, which is traveling very well in Northern Europe, where there is a desire for handmade products”.
Sara Bessi
