Fashionistas Go For the Best of Italian Menswear at MRKET

MRKET: a global fashion trade show for discerning menswear brands. Representing the best collections in all categories from the United States and abroad, Mrket is the only show in the US to spotlight a MADE IN ITALY section, organized by the Italian Trade Commission Office of New York (ICE), and a UK Design area. MRket is a serious writing, networking and press event with attendance from all 50 states and 47 countries. Featuring Vanguards Gallery, an incubator for new and emerging brands curated specifically for all attendees, MRket means business... and Italy does too.

Italy was present at the show with 43 exhibitors featuring 45 different brands and their spring-summer 2014 collections. This year's attendance marked an increase of 19.44% compared to the edition of July 2012. The data provided by the US Department of Commerce, elaborated by ICE New York, shows that, in the time frame going from January to May 2013, Italy ranks number twelve among all international purveyors of menswear and of accessories for men in the US. The analysis of the data on imports of these types of merchandise shows that in the first five months of 2013 imports from Italy have increased by 3.80% compared to 2012 for a value of 217.17 million dollars.

Pier Paolo Celeste, Director of the New York office of the Italian Trade Commission, had to saythat “The strength of what Italy has to offer is the price/quality ratio.  A Made in Italy product means artisanal tradition, creativity, innovation. The product is sought after and greatly appreciated by the American consumer who is always more sophisticated and a fine connoisseur of good workmanship.”

Mrket New York is an important appointment for Italian businesses who want to consolidate their presence on the American market.

A quick overview shows us that the participating companies all had different stories and reasons to be there.

 “This show is of great importance for us,” Jin Frati of Marchesi di Como, producer of fine silk ties and scarves, said, “It is the number one show in the territory, the final results in regards of sales are incomparable to any other American trade show. We always come back with great pleasure and enthusiasm as the consumers love our products.”

Any men wearing one their ties automatically becomes more charming, there is no doubt about that.

Among the participants there were those attending for the first time, like Lost in Albion, producer of outerwear, and Nobili, a small producer of fine cashmere.

“We didn't really know what to bring,” Wiolanda Nobile, the company's designer admitted, “so we decided to play it safe with classic styles and colors. Meanwhile we are doing our homework and studying the American tastes so that we will be more prepared for the next edition. We already know that we will bring more vibrant colors next time.”

No matter how many times you have been at the show, there is always something to learn as everything evolves and changes with time.

Schiatti is an historic company (1946), with a coveted showroom on Via della Spiga in Milan, and it produces mostly leather and fur pieces. “About 20/30 years ago we were huge in the US but when the market started to hurt we decided to explore the Russian market and produce high quality Made in Italy pieces just for them and specific to their tastes,” Rosaria Lombardi of Schiatti said, “Now we are back for the first time in decades! The American market is experiencing a moment of rebirth and we want to test the waters... see how their taste has changed and discover what type of product they want. But mostly we want to see if our product can make it here.”

Being a company selected to be in the Made in Italy section already means that you have made it and among all the Italian companies we found an American one... Richard Harris is indeed an American manufacturer producing everything in Naples.

“The main advantage of being in the Italian pavilion is the association with quality, people understand that there is going to be a certain extent of quality and consistency with our product,” Chet Holly, VP of sales said. “And the other advantage, which is maybe even more important, is taste. The taste level is highly considered. Now we have to do what we preach. We cannot just throw the words Made in Italy out there and then we do not have an Italian product. So we have an Italian partner and Italian tailors and everything is made in Naples... And besides Italian people are nice people, it is always a pleasure to work with them.”

Many of them will also attend Mrket Las Vegas (August 19-21), in order to cover thoroughly the west coast as well, so that all men in America can go for the incomparable elegance of Italian men... that is not simply in their blood but in what they wear.