Thursday, February 16, 2017 - 13:12English

1,405 companies present (795 Italian) with the best the world has to offer. Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci, Prada and Tod’s join in a networking project alongside a new area dedicated to emerging designers. Completely renovated exhibit layout. Presentation of the show’s new image, tied in with Italy’s greatest work of literature.

Stylish and completely renovated, more glamorous than ever and with a touch of pride. This is the new lifeblood flowing through the veins of the 83rd edition of theMICAM, the most important footwear fair in the world to be staged at the Fiera Milano (Rho) from 12 to 15 February, which will present exhibitors and trade visitors with a surprising and fascinating new look.

A structural transformation that was already underway during the last edition but which has now been fully completed and takes the form of a new concept ]for pavilions 1 and 3 and various modern elements that represent a marked change with respect to past editions. Larger and more functional areas to facilitate interaction between buyers and exhibitors and a conceptual evolution made even more alluring and fashion-oriented.

A change in image that is expressed most vividly in the new publicity campaign which has chosen the “Divine Comedy” to announce theMICAM’s new course which will have as its leitmotif the three canticles of Dante’s poem. A threeyear long journey which starts in this edition in the circles of Hell, with the spotlight on the capital sin of “Lust”, followed by Seduction in September and continuing next year in “Purgatory” and ending in 2019 bathed in the bright light of “Paradise”.

But the greatest novelty is the presence of some of the top fashion brands, who for the first time are joining forces and presenting a united front at theMICAM in support of the Italian manufacturing industry. Alongside the big brands already present, Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci, Prada and Tod’s will be the protagonists of the brand-new Fashion Square, a futuristic area in the “Luxury” sector of Pav. 1 dedicated exclusively to the most prestigious brands present at the trade show. These leading haute couture brands have in fact chosen to be present at theMICAM in order to help relaunch a sector that generates 14 billion euros in turnover. A consolidated industry that employs directly around 77 thousand people in almost 5 thousand companies, 80% of which are small and medium-sized.

“In a really tough and complex global scenario which is obliging all those involved in the market to rethink their positioning strategies, theMICAM remains an undisputed world leader” – says Annarita Pilotti, chair of Assocalzaturifici and theMICAM.

“But it’s because we wanted to consolidate this leadership that we have finally terminated the process of renewing the exhibition, a substantial restyling that was one of the priorities of my mandate as chairwoman. A structural transformation in the form of a reorganised and improved exhibition layout to facilitate buyers visiting the fair, together with a coherent and substantial investment in the visual identity of pavilions 1 and 3. This has resulted in the creation of decidedly enhanced thematic and commodity areas: a transformation that will benefit theMICAM’s two fundamental components, supply and demand”.

As always, there will be a vast range of high-quality products on offer divided into precise thematic areas, with some important new additions this year such as theMICAM Proraso Man Square. In the “Luxury” area in pavilion 1, a reallife “Barber Shop” with vintage furniture and furnishings and three barber chairs will be set up - in partnership with Proraso and run by Italian Style Factory, a well-known barber’s shop in Seveso. Visitors can make an appointment to have a free beard and moustache trim or traditional shaving service.

But the vintage atmosphere doesn’t end here. Everything is made even more authentic by the presence of two shoe-shine stands where, surrounded by shelves crammed with shoe-polish and brushes, anyone who wants to can have their shoes polished.

Another of the new entries at this 83rd edition is the Emerging Designer Area in Pav. 1 on the edge of the Fashion Square: a space entirely dedicated to ]emerging Italian and international designers and an indication of theMICAM’s desire to stay ahead of the game by nurturing new talent and potential future leaders in the footwear sector.

Full rein is also given to the creativity of young students. At stand F02 in Pav. 1, top training schools specialising in the footwear sector will discuss the new aspects of their courses and how best to prepare to meet the challenges of producing and marketing quality footwear.

Students from the Marche region’s ITS Moda Calzature (Technical Institute for Footwear Fashion), the Veneto region’s Politecnico Calzaturiero (Footwear Polytechnic) and Cercal, a vocational training centre in Emilia Romagna, will produce sketches based on predominant fashion moods, show how the process develops through the three-dimensional design stage and create some models using the 3D printer.

In addition, with its programme of FOOTWEAR RE_SET events organised in conjunction with WGSN, theMICAM confirms once again that it provides an unmissable opportunity as far as professional updating is concerned. In theMICAMsquare in pavilion 7, fashion shows are back again: up on the catwalk we’ll be seeing men and women’s footwear from some of the brands exhibiting at the fair, selected by WGSN on the basis of the trends forecast for the next A/W 17/18 season. On top of this, every day of the trade show international consultants will be offering some interesting ideas and useful advice to footwear industry professionals: the customary seminars will discuss commercial scenarios and indicate trends (including a regional focus) in men and women’s footwear for the coming seasons, as well as the latest developments in terms of retailing, marketing, visual merchandising and instore design. The novelty next season will be the seminars held in iKIDS square in Pav. 4B, two coaching sessions dedicated exclusively to the children’s sector: a presentation on fashion and footwear trends for the forthcoming collections and a trendtalk on the new opportunities represented by young consumers from the so-called generation Z and Alpha, who are ]changing the ground rules for brands and retailers the world over.

The meeting “Multichannel retailing and digital evolution: the point-of-sale transformation. The LVR case”, conducted by LuisaViaRoma, Italy’s first luxury online retailer.

The success stories of various well-established companies will be recognised during the special WONDERLUST event, which will take place in the Fashion Square in Pav. 1, from 7 pm on, on the opening day of theMICAM. During the course of the evening, the prestigious “theMICAMaward” will be awarded to the best buyer from Italy and abroad. The evening will close with a djset conducted by Skin, lead singer from the British band Skunk Anansie and wellknown member of the XFactor judging panel.

Press release

Assocalzaturifici

theMICAM