For the Italian textile industry a 2026 recovery thanks to quality, history and research

"Despite the anticipation of the fair, due to the Milan-Cortina Olympics, this confirms itself, like the previous one, as a record edition": there is satisfaction and optimism in the words of Simone Canclini, president of Milano Unica, the most important international textile fair that yesterday opened its 42nd edition at Milano Fiera Rho, dedicated to the Spring Summer 2027 collections.

Seven hundred and thirty participating companies, 585 (+5.2% compared to the corresponding edition in February 2025) exhibitors within the Ideabiella, Moda In and Shirt Avenue Salons, where the contribution of 137 European textile companies stands out, up by a good 25%, in addition to 129 adhesions between the Special Areas and the Korea and Japan Observatories and those of 16 publishing houses. In addition to the increase in the number of exhibitors, there was also an increase in the exhibition area, which occupied a total of 25,803 square metres.

Numbers that go hand in hand with those, still not positive but improving, of the 2025 final balance of the Italian textile industry: according to the estimates of the Confindustria Moda Studies Office based on ISTAT data for the first nine months of the year, the 2025 turnover will stand at 6.9 billion euros, slightly down compared to the 7 of 2024. However, both company turnover (-1.5% vs. -8.8% ) and the value of exports (-1.5% vs. 10.7% ) show a recovery. "The year 2025 was certainly better than the previous one, but we still do not see a plus sign," Canclini continues. 2026 will be a challenging year, but there will be opportunities that we must be able to seize. We will only grow if we can make people understand the quality and importance of our fabrics'.

Among the stands at the fair there is a widespread, if cautious, sense of optimism, which is fuelled in many cases by the combination of a long history and a relentless drive for research. Among these is Albini Group, a leader among Italian cotton mills, which in 2026 celebrates its 150th anniversary with the 'Legacy Red' project, an exclusive shade of red realised with Pantone: "In July we will organise a big event," explains Stefano Albini, president of the Bergamo-based group founded in 1876. "We are coming from a positive year, in line with the previous one, driven by fabrics, which grew by 6 per cent. Luxury is doing well, despite the difficult situation, and we are also growing in the United States, thanks to products designed for that market, especially in the sports-elegant category. In general, customers also recognise the reliability of our supply chain, which we follow from cotton to fabric, an aspect that is more important than ever today'.

"The fair got off to a very good start, and it will be interesting to see whether the earlier dates will have been an advantage in the end, given that many visitors from abroad were already in Italy for the Pitti and Milan fashion shows," notes Ercole Botto Poala, managing director of the Reda Group, a leading player in the Biella district, which once again confirms its commitment to sustainability in the new collection, "a word that today seems to have almost fallen into disuse, but which has not lost its importance in the slightest, on the contrary: european rules are increasingly stringent and we have to be ready,' he adds. At the same time, we are investing more and more in product customisation, in response to a consumer who wants uniqueness. For our part, we would like stability in the international environment by 2026, but I fear it will not be easy to achieve. However, in uncertainties we must seize opportunities: as entrepreneurs we must trust in change'.