Despite the far from positive trend the yarn spinning sector is experiencing, with a 6.2% slump expected in 2024, Italian producers are staying positive, their upbeat attitude evident at the Pitti Filati 96 trade show. The event was held in Florence on January 28-30 at the Fortezza da Basso venue, gathering together 116 exhibitors and 2,850 buyers, 1,050 of whom came from 50 countries outside Italy.
 

Attendance was up from the UK, the USA, Russia, Portugal and Belgium, while the number for buyers from Switzerland, Turkey and China posted a slight decrease. In absolute terms, France topped the ranking, followed by the UK, the USA, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan, China, Russia, Portugal, and Belgium.
 
“Once again, Pitti Filati has reaffirmed its role as the industry’s benchmark event. It is the only platform that offers all levels of the supply chain the highest standards of research and creativity in the world of yarns,” said Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of show organiser Pitti Immagine. “At the Fortezza, with the new collections and company innovations, we witnessed the exceptional adaptability that the yarn manufacturing sector is deploying to meet market demands and support its evolution. These three days of intense business revealed a widespread sense of confidence, with industry professionals anticipating a trend reversal in fashion by Spring/Summer 2026 – early signs of which were already visible in this presentation cycle,” he added.

“These three days were filled with energy and creative interaction for all industry professionals. It was an essential and irreplaceable opportunity for dialogue, a mutual push towards research and creativity across all phases of knitwear production,” said Agostino Poletto, managing director of Pitti Immagine.

“The same sentiment was echoed in the feedback we gathered from buyers – including design teams from the most prestigious Italian and international fashion brands – as well as from exhibitors at the Fortezza. A major contribution in this direction came from the ‘Spazio Ricerca – Body of Light’ section curated by Angelo Figus, Carrie Hollands, and Manuela Sandroni – once again an unmissable destination for insights into future trends. Other pivotal contributions came from the ‘CustomEasy’ and ‘KnitClub’ sections, with their in-depth exploration of customisation and knitting techniques. Likewise, the ‘Vintage Selection’ section – the show within the show dedicated to vintage fashion – proved to be an endless source of inspiration for the design teams attending [Pitti] Filati,” added Poletto.