The new edition of  Pitti Filati, which takes place from 28-30 January, is continuing to invest in its calling of in-depth analysis of creativity and trends, says Agostino Poletto, Deputy General manager of Pitti Immagine.

 “It does so by expanding its essence as a laboratory-workshop and offering its audience, who are international buyers and fashion designers, the tools for researching and developing fashion products. For this reason the Cavaniglia Pavilion, home of the Spazio Ricerca and Fashion at Work sections is changing its look and layout to become the place where research and trends can express their synergy to the fullest.” Poletto said.

“ ‘Urbanize-me Humanize-me’, the Spazio Ricerca’s new theme, will become the dynamic fulcrum around which all types of expression related to research and creativity will gravitate. This is made possible thanks to the contributions of its exhibitors, who are the crème de la crème in yarn manufacturing. The Spazio Ricerca will also showcase the latest developments in ecological and fair trade sustainable yarns, along with firms offering services and technology, as well as style bureaus at Fashion at Work.” Added Poletto.

Urbanize-Me Humanize-Me

Under the artistic direction of fashion designer Angelo Figus and knitwear expert Nicola Miller, Urbanize-me Humanize-me will be the theme of the Pitti Filati Spazio Ricerca featuring trends for the 2010 Spring/Summer season The star of the show is the modern city, the product of post-industrial urbanization, a point of attraction and concentration of the different ethnicities, cultures and customs that comprise humanity. But the new city is also a world in miniature that offers all its inhabitants different opportunities at any time, any day of the year.

There are 5 sections that develop the overall theme:

Urban Camouflage

Cityscape

Men At Work

City SPA

Monopoly

The big news at this edition is that the Spazio Ricerca will occupy the entire Cavaniglia Pavilion, involving the Fashion at Work section, the area dedicated to the most advanced services and technologies for the textile and clothing industries. The Spazio Ricerca will also host a special section within the section, curated by Ornella Bignami an expert on trends, that will showcase the latest innovations in Eco-Equo-Ethical yarns, a research project that already was featured in the last two editions of Pitti Filati. The aim is to expand knowledge about and focus attention on yarns with properties related to health and wellness: hypoallergenic yarns, yarns that warm, yarns that cool, yarns that treat, yarns that close wounds, mosquito repellent yarns, yarns with aromas and special wellness components, yarns of the future which have therapeutic functions.

Addition, for the very first time the Spazio Ricerca will present knitted garments and stitches from the historical archives of knitwear manufacturers and the great fashion houses.

Pitti Filati 64

The names and numbers at this edition:               

World preview of 2010 spring-summer collections of yarns for the knitting industry

100 exhibitors (with 25 in the Fashion at Work section), 

21 of which are from abroad

Area 23,000 square meters

BUYERS                  

4,783 buyers came to the last winter edition, and 1,865 (39% of the total) were from abroad

The main foreign reference markets: Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain, United States, Japan, Turkey, Hong Kong, Holland, Switzerland and Austria

The main foreign growth markets:  Great Britain, Belgium, the Baltic countries and Portugal.