"2024 will be the year of Made in Italy", stressed the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso who officially kicked off the 105th edition of Pitti Uomo in Florence, until 12 January at the Fortezza da Basso where 832 brands are exhibiting, 46% of which are foreign, with the men's fashion collections for Autumn/Winter 2024/25. He highlighted this in a Fortress marked by renovation works still in progress (70% of the ramparts are completed, 20% of the new pavilions), but at full capacity for events and participation. There are many "former exhibitors who want to return to Pitti Uomo", explained the president of Pitti Immagine, Antonio De Matteis.
Minister Urso recalled the initiatives put in place to support the sector, including funds for companies, the new high school of Made in Italy, the national day of Made in Italy, highlighting that the hopes of a year of revival also derive from the fact that "inflation is behind us. As far as we are concerned, the year ended in December with a trend rate of 0.5%, the European average is 2.9%".
For Urso, "2022 and 2023 were very good years for Italian fashion, which reaffirmed its global leadership. It is an important manufacturing sector for our country, and also an emblem of Made in Italy". A push on the accelerator that leads to a whole series of initiatives.
"In a few days, pre-registration will open for the high school of Made in Italy, which will be in operation from the 2024-2025 school year". "With Minister Valditara - said Urso - we will launch a campaign to let our young people, families, know that they can already enroll in the high school of Made in Italy, which will train the professions necessary for strategic supply chains, starting with fashion, clothing, furniture, Italian ceramics, but also the most innovative ones: think of aerospace, where we are giving points at an international level". Then there will be the appointment on April 15th. "I will call all the great creatives, the signatures, the authors of these excellences recognized in the world to participate in the first national day of Made in Italy that will take place on April 15", explained Urso. Then the funds. "The Transition 5.0 and Industry 4.0 Plan," he explained, "will have 13 billion euros available in the two-year period 2024-2025, intended for companies that have a technological modernization plan for the purposes of innovation and energy efficiency for the reduction through renewable energy production for the purpose of self-consumption." Funds "distributed as follows: 7 billion to my ministry, 2.8 to the Ministry of Agriculture and almost 2 billion to the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security". According to Antonio De Matteis, however, there is a need to rethink new sales strategies. "Two years ago," he said, "it was thought that e-commerce would be the future, today we can say that the way of doing e-commerce must be reviewed, but 2024 will be a positive year, we already have orders for the summer season at home."
What will 2024 be for the fashion system? For Sergio Tamborini, president of Sistema Moda Italia, the sector - which employs 600,000 people and in 2023 produced 65 billion in turnover with textiles and fashion (+3% on 2022) - will have the first months of 2024 "complex". "There are conditions that are also changing consumer choices," he said. We came out of the pandemic with euphoria, now it's time for reflection. Companies continue to be under pressure, but they have always come out of it with the ability to innovate."
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