Milan, Sept. 23 (US): The Italian fashion capital has once again come alive with the sounds of shoppers flocking to boutiques and editors filling socially distant Fashion Week venues, a sign that there is a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.
Milan Fashion Week opened Wednesday with 42 live runway shows and 56 in-person shows, the largest attendance so far since the pandemic hit Italy 19 months ago, and it’s great during Fashion Week. In addition to the digital presence, 146 brands participate in six days of mostly womenswear previews, the AP reports.
Signs of recovery are also visible at Milan’s largest department store, the recently renovated Rinascente, where foreigners are spending six times more than they did in 2020 when receipts fell by nearly 70%.
In a clear indication that Italy remains dear to the hearts of Chinese consumers, exports to that country have nearly doubled during the pandemic, to nearly 6 billion euros from 3.2 billion euros before the pandemic, according to the Italian National Fashion Chamber, spending on repatriation at least part than they would have previously spent on their trips abroad to Italy.
RAE