An important moment for the world of yarn and fibres, the 52nd edition of Filo (www.filo.it) is preparing to debut again this year at the Palazzo delle stelline in Milan on 25th and 26th September. Among the new 2019 the presentation of the first results of the project of sustainability FiloFlow. We talk about it with Paolo Monfermoso, manager of the Milan show, which will present and future of Filo.
Filo is in fact the most important kermesse for the yarn world. How hard is it to surpass yourself and remain industry leaders?
Filo is a pure business-to-business fair: a two-day event in which to maximize opportunities for meeting yarn supply and demand. Its success is based on three principles: the highest quality of exhibiting companies and their products, professionalism and concreteness. These are the three principles that led to the birth of Filo in 1993 and that we continue to follow also in our path of growth. In recent years, our effort has been to expand the proposal, including for example the dry cleaners, in order to offer buyers who visit the fair a wide range of textile solutions. Our commitment to make Filo a business platform increasingly adapted to the needs of companies has now led us to address the crucial issue for the future of textile-clothing: sustainability. At the 52nd edition of Filo – which takes place at the Palazzo delle stelline in Milan on 25th and 26th September – we present the first results of FiloFlow, our sustainability project. This is a tracking project of the supply chain, which aims to highlight and enhance the production processes and sustainable products made by Filo exhibitors and which has been welcomed with enthusiasm by exhibitors.
Filo has always had a strong link with ICE-Agenzia and with the world of buyers. Does this often translate into concrete commercial transactions?
An exhibition like Filo, located upstream of the production chain, must necessarily engage in the search for synergies and collaborations. On the other hand, the exhortation to“make team” has now been fully accepted by the Italian textile-clothing system. And the synergies that Filo has established with Sistema Moda Italia, with Milano Unica and, more recently, with acimit are a concrete demonstration. As for the relationship with Ice-Agency is certainly very close and very fruitful, has allowed Filo to accentuate his international vocation. In collaboration with Ice, a specific project has been developed to welcome delegations of foreign buyers to Filo from countries of particular interest to exhibitors. The project in coming is realized in such a way as to allow the effective meeting of a highly professional demand with a supply of the highest quality. Also from the point of view of communication the collaboration with Ice-Agency is very positive: the“stage” in Paris of our roadshow for the presentation of Filo and its product development proposals is also made possible by the support of the Ice Office of the French capital.
The overall political and economic situation is not particularly favourable to the development of commercial activities. Is the international profile of the event therefore such as to overcome these obstacles?
The uncertainties of the economic-political context are many, from the winds of world recession to the escalation of duties, to brexit, to name a few. The only way for Italian textiles and clothing to meet the challenges of the market is to strengthen the quality of products. “Product quality” today it means not only attention to choosing excellent materials and highly professional processes, but also sustainability and traceability of the production process. In this context, Filo’s role is to provide companies with an adequate work platform to respond to these challenges and our goal is to try to anticipate the demands and needs of our exhibitors and visitors.
Filo trends is the interpreter of philosophy and thematic moods forerunners of new trends. How important is this moment?
Filo’s Trends area and product development proposals are perhaps the best example of what we mean, when we say that we want to give companies useful tools of work. In June and December of each year we organize, in fact, a road-show in various textile districts to present the next edition of Filo. An important part of those meetings is dedicated to the illustration of the product development proposals elaborated by Gianni Bologna (the responsible creativity and style of Filo). We are not general“trends”textiles because their aim is to identify not only general themes and suggestions, but to go into the details of the choice of raw materials, the processing of yarns and the effects that may result from them. For this reason, they are so appreciated by the operators, precisely because they are a real inspiration for the work that is then carried out in the individual companies. Similarly, the Filo Trends Area is the place where these product development proposals are translated into yarns made by exhibitors. And, therefore, it is also the place where buyers and the press find a summary of the collections on the stands, an ideal starting point for visiting the fair. We look forward to seeing you at Filo on 25th and 26th September, in the sign of quality, sustainability and professionalism.