Around Pitti Bimbo
The market has restarted, at least as far as easy chic clothing is concerned, with fine workmanship, which is also super comfortable to wear, thanks above all to the green light given on events and ceremonies. Confirming it are some of the collections presented at Pitti Bimbo (now available on Pitti Connect), which in a complex historic moment like this one proved themselves to be resilient and proactive, with the help of the almost immediate reopening – during the pandemic – of childrenswear stores, which supported sales and limited losses. Two trends have made a big comeback: the matching kids-adult look, in the spirit of the timeless mini-me style, and sustainability, a leading theme for companies of all sizes, which are taking steps forward on the eco-conscious pathway and in green investments.
Petit Bateau
Universally recognized for its high quality cotton, which has been dressing adults and kids since 1893, Petit Bateau has arrived at the Fortezza with many new upgrades, which will trace the new pathway for development of the French brand Rocher in the seasons to come. One of these is the revolution in pricing, which first began with the spring-summer 2021 season, as explained by Wholesale Manager for Italy, Miriam Fellini: “We have adapted the price range of the collections to the target price of the French parent company, cutting them back by 18%, without affecting the quality of the product”. “Retailers have all replied in an extremely positive way – she clarifies – and from this policy we expect great results”.
The other macro-strategy of the brand, which in Italy counts 14 flagship stores, one e-shop, two outlets, fifteen or so wholesale stores and 250 multibrand customers, is sustainability: an essential theme today, in the midst of climate change, to maintain its appeal on the market. Petit Bateau has accordingly focused its efforts especially on fabrics: organic, recycled (waxed), or alternative. Brand new this season is also the bandana print, developed in a dynamic way across all the lines, from newborns to adults, “to reinforce generational ties, with a touch of Frenchy style”.
Emc – Everything must change
“Pitti sends a positive of signal of restart”. Alberto Palla, Sole Administrator of the Treviso-based company of Ellepi, is satisfied with the trip to Florence, where the company presented the new collections of Emc-Everything must change, a brand of easy chic apparel with an extensive offering, which ranges from intimate wear to sleepwear to baby and kid proposals. “We began five years ago – explains the entrepreneur – and our success was immediate, allowing the brand to arrive at a total of 500 customers in the mid to high-end range on an international level”.
Thanks to the expertise and reputation of Ellepi (known above all for the eponymous brand of underwear for children, which still generates 60% of the company’s turnover), business stood fast even during the pandemic, losing “only 4-5% in revenue”. A performance explains Palla that was made possible above all by the “rebirth of local stores”, which became a winning alternative to leading low-cost chains. In fact, during the time of restrictions, while most players active on the market tried to divert investments and resources to the creation or strengthening of digital channels, Ellepi did not make any moves in this direction. “We do not have an e-shop and during the last year, given the positive results in terms of sell outs in physical multibrand stores, we did not want to compete with them through e-commerce”.
Amelie et Sophie
Beauty lies in simplicity. This is the motto of the Varsavia brand Amelie et Sophie, which is synonymous with women’s and girls’ clothing: collections with matching looks (or mini-me, the preferred term used by the market) designed by Margaret Plutecka, architect and designer who, after having studied and lived in Geneva, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles, funneled her inspirations and ideas into a brand dedicated to women, from ages zero and up.
One of the beliefs of the stylist is that the pieces of Amelie et Sophie can be worn “over and over” and thanks to the quality of the materials and artisanal care with which they are created (all in European workshops), they are “classy, timeless, and capable of being handed down from one generation to the next”. Minimal clothes, but also special at the same time, which arrived at the last edition of Pitti Bimbo ready to conquer an Italian public, as explained by Alessandra Guffanti from the Guffanti Moda showroom: “We inserted this spring-summer 2022 line with the aim of bringing it, for the first season, to around twenty multibrand stores”. The outlook is optimistic, since the pandemic, thanks to the vaccination campaign, has loosened its grips and celebrations and events have been (even though they are always regulated) given the greenlight. “Formal wear has literally exploded – confirms the entrepreneur – and with it the desire to once again dress well”. In the case of girls and teens, the desire to imitate reigns supreme: “The success of mini-me – adds Guffanti – does not give any signs of letting up and rather has had further confirmation by families with a more evolved look”. In fact, clothes in their mignon version are just as good as the simplistic, yet luxurious, proposals for her, with large bows and three-dimensional decorations, and plays of frills on textures that are glossy and consistent, or light and airy. Bon-ton, without being pretentious.
