The supply chain at the fair: an annotated guide to the Milan trade fairs

From Lineapelle to Micam, Mipel, TheOne, Simac Tanning Tech, all the way to Milano Fashion Week, September turns Milan on its head and confirms it as one of the most influential international fashion capitals, thanks to a trade fair offering that showcases and welcomes the entire global luxury and design supply chain

by Luca Fumagalli

 

A super-fair capable of satisfying every need of those working in the fashion and luxury industry. An exhibition system that – while maintaining and enhancing individual identities – links together salons (plus one) of international scope that, from 14 to 19 September, contribute to making Milan one of the undisputed world capitals of fashion. Or rather, of fashion manufacturing.

Because if it is true that from 17 to 23 September, the catwalk shows of the Milan Women’s Fashion Week catalyse media attention, it is equally true that Lineapelle, Simac Tanning Tech, Micam, Mipel and The One – plus Fashion&Jewels, will light up the exhibition spaces of Fieramilano Rho, giving voice and space to those who – in extreme synthesis – allow those shows to be staged. Manufacturers of materials (from leather to any other kind), shoes, bags and leather accessories, fashion accessories and clothes, machines and innovative technologies: the vast majority of them, therefore, are very high-profile suppliers of brands and griffes. Their manufacturing and craftsmanship soul, of which we offer a quick, reasoned guide in the following lines.

An annotated guide to Milan’s trade fairs

Lineapelle 104 (17 to 19 September)

The show kicks off by confirming itself as a place for tanneries, manufacturers of accessories, components, fabrics and synthetics to share more than just business. With over 1,250 exhibitors (54.4% Italian, 45.6% foreign) from 43 countries, Lineapelle offers a series of events and experiences of thematic sharing and stylistic involvement for its global community. Back for the fourth edition is the Lineapelle Designers Edition programme of fashion shows (at the fair, Hall 24) and events (at Spazio Lineapelle). Performing will be Yezael by Angelo Cruciani, Daqingliu, Anton Giulio Grande, Davii, Mario Dice Designer and Alchètipo by Andrea AlchieriI.

At Spazio Lineapelle, on the other hand, from 18 to 23 September, there will be presentations by Marco Rambaldi (special guest – fashion show), Jonuel, Amato Daniele, Brutus Factory and Porscia Yeganeh. Also in Hall 24 will be the In the Making Atto III workshops. Presented by Lineapelle and directed by Giorgio Linea, this time, they will play with archetypal sensations through the construction of a prehistoric village where leather, linked to man since ancient times, will be the protagonist. Title: Return to the Origins (Ritorno Alle Origini): between Matter and Technology.

Over the three days of the fair, six 60-minute technical and creative workshops per day will offer visitors the opportunity to learn how to create objects and decorative elements, customise accessories, come into direct contact with raw materials and appreciate their versatility. To emphasise the circular value of leather, In the Making Atto III will also set up a Juice Bar, in collaboration with Zerow, open every day without reservation, where to give new life to the excesses of leather processing distributed through a number of totems located in Hall 24.

Research, training, cooperation

Lineapelle also returns to host Science Based Fashion Talks. Current scientific and market trends relating to sustainability in fashion will be addressed, including decarbonisation strategies, the impact of upcoming anti-deforestation regulations and the role of chemistry in reducing environmental impact. Strategic attention is also paid to training, with the presence at the fair of IED Istituto Europeo di Design, IUAV University of Venice, Piattaforma Sistema Formativo Moda ETS, Conscious Leather Design Academy: Officina Vanvitelli, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology Design, London College of Fashion UAL, Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli. As part of the collaboration with UNIC – Concerie Italiane, the Ethical Fashion Initiative, a project promoted by the International Trade Centre (EFI-ITC), a United Nations agency and programme, also returns to Lineapelle 104. The novelty of this edition is the presence of an extended stand where some African craftswomen will give a practical demonstration of the value of their manual skills.

Simac Tanning Tech (17 to 19 September)

Alongside Lineapelle 104 – on the same days and in the adjoining pavilions of Fiera Milano Rho – Simac Tanning Tech celebrates its 50th edition with a participatory installation: a space that enhances the excellence of Made in Italy and its masters. Un Giorno da Protagonista – Introspective Leather Show, organised in collaboration with Giorgio Linea, presents itself as a multidisciplinary and multi-sensorial merry-go-round that aims to enhance leather and its production chain through various environments, installations, interactions and workshops.

Micam, Mipel, TheOne

The first day of Lineapelle and Simac Tanning Tech will coincide with the last of Micam, Mipel and TheOneMilano. The first two will change from 4 to 3 days of exhibition, always opening on a Sunday: from 15 to 17 September. TheOne, in the “by Milano Fashion&Jewels” formula, starts again at Fiera Milano Rho on Saturday 14th. Micam hosts the stands of 921 brands, 472 of which are Italian and 449 foreign (Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, and Germany being the top five countries of origin).

Various innovations have been developed to upgrade the visitor experience, and special attention has been paid to the promotion of the confirmed platform dedicated to 12 Emerging Designers. Over 200 brands (including historic brands and emerging companies) will be exhibiting at Mipel, which is celebrating its 126th edition. Under the spotlight, as for Micam and the Milan Women’s Fashion shows, are the trends for the 2025 summer season.

An intelligent heart

Talking of trends, Lineapelle – as always – plays in advance and brings to the fairs the trends for winter 2025-2026 enclosed in the concept Un Cuore Intelligente (An Intelligent Heart). “Winter colour is above all harmony of tones and shades,” explains the LINEAPELLE Fashion Committee, “matches and combinations: a base of dark and reassuring tones on which to graft new emotional stimuli. Long-lasting classics must be recounted in a new way, with a view to durability.

As far as materials are concerned, the differences between masculine and feminine, light and heavy, opaque and transparent are now outdated concepts: the new includes both possibilities, both in style and processing. The rigour of the new cuts is contrasted by the freedom of combination and the desire to amaze with unusual mixes: materials are required to be rich and sober”.

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