Denim in Depth: Industry Players Muse on Italian Denim Business

MILAN — Is the Italian denim industry poised to grow? The country has long been a hub for denim weavers, garment makers and specialty brands setting trends for the sector in terms of design and innovation, but after the industry took off in the Nineties and reached a peak in the early Aughts, it has since stabilized, due in part to the budding ath-leisure and activewear trends, which eroded market share. “Considering the unfavorable macroeconomic context, especially for the more mature markets that are struggling, business is not decreasing but consumption of denim apparel is slightly down,” explained Guglielmo Olearo, international exhibitions director of Première Vision, the organizer of the Denim Première Vision trade show. The two-day fair kicking off today is held at the Superstudio Più venue in Milan, where it decamps for the first time after making its debut in London in December an itinerant show format. As part of the new course, the show will touch down in key European cities with mature fashion industries. According to market research provider Euromonitor International, global retail sales of denim trousers are still on a growing trajectory and expected to generate $104 billion this year, up 4.9 percent compared with last year. “Denim is one

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