The international market of high quality children’s clothing and accessories confidently took off again at the 71st edition of Pitti Immagine Bimbo which has just ended at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence.
539 collections were presented, 208 of which from abroad, to just under 7,000 buyers and a total of over 11,000 visitors (agents and brokers, suppliers, press and public relations).  Above all, there was a comforting blend of creative energy, commercial substance and promotion/communication with events, catwalk shows and special projects held in the Fortezza and around the town.  However, it was inside the fair venue itself that the strongest response could be felt, particularly thanks to the radical process of renewal of the exhibition installations – with the new design by Patricia Urquiola and the various innovations, including the Pop Up Stores – as well as the segmentation of the proposals.

“All the most important buyers were present and the best news for our exhibitors is that there was a clear increase in the number of orders placed at the fair.  With regard to the attendance figures, for an event that normally has high visitor levels, the slight growth with respect to June 2009 was an excellent outcome, and was joined by a considerable increase in foreign buyers (+4%), a decidedly significant result”, comments Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine.  “All of this confirms the undisputable leading role played by Pitti Bimbo and its ability to renew itself, always offering the market new opportunities and new discoveries.  At a time like this, when consumers and, thus, distributors, are being particularly careful, and with the absolute numbers we started off with - much higher than any other European fair - the positive percentage variations recorded were worth their weight in gold.  This is the only place”, continues Raffaello Napoleone, “where companies are able to feel the pulse of the quality international markets. In fact, there was a high level of satisfaction amongst exhibitors who were rewarded for the effort and quality they had put into their new collections”.
The final attendance figures registered a total of 6,950 buyers: 4,400 from Italy, the same level as for June 2009, with the number of foreign buyers, from around seventy different countries (well-established and up-and-coming markets), rising to 2,550, representing around 3,300 specialist boutiques and department stores.

With regard to the foreign markets, there was a very good performance from France (+22%), United Kingdom (+10%), Russia (+50%), Turkey (+42%), South Korea, Belgium, China and Denmark.  And we should also mention Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary – as well as more distant countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Canada.
Spain once again headed the list of the top 15 foreign countries (291 buyers), followed by Germany (249), Russia (201), France (190), Belgium (152), Holland (123), United Kingdom (119), Greece (109), Turkey (80), Japan (57), United States (54), South Korea (54), Austria (51), Ukraine (50) and Switzerland (48).

Some comments about this edition from buyers attending Pitti Bimbo:

Federico Giglio, proprietor of the Giglio boutique (Palermo, Italy):
“The fair organization was excellent, there was a lot of excitement amongst the stands.  People were looking at the collections with interest, there was a bubbly atmosphere.  Pitti Bimbo is the only real opportunity to meet with suppliers, and it is the number one fair in the world for children’s fashion.  This edition’s new layout makes you feel that the same attention paid to the Pitti Uomo collections is also being focused on childrenswear.”

Dominique Viot, Directrice, Studio Galeries Lafayette (Paris, France):
“I was very satisfied with this fair.  I feel that it is constantly evolving, like fashion, and I can always find good ideas and new brands here.  I particularly like the fact that so many of the various childrenswear sectors are brought together at Pitti Bimbo, from chic to casual to sporty.  I was particularly struck by the printed, colorful, flowery garments: I like this easy-fashion style, beautiful clothes that are easy to wear, ideal for everyday living”.

Stefan Dierksmeier, Senior Buyer, Children’s Clothing, PEEK & CLOPPENBURG (Hamburg, Germany):
“Pitti Bimbo is an ideal opportunity for discovering next season’s trends.  I always find loads of new companies and I really like the way the collections are presented.  Fashion is constantly evolving, and this fair manages to keep up with it.  It is growing.  I wouldn’t change anything”.

Abdul Wahab Al Garawi, President of the Al Garawi Kids Group (Saudi Arabia):
“At this edition of Pitti Bimbo I found an even higher level of exhibitors, with lots of brand attention and research.  The fair is more organized, and the new layout has improved the viewing itinerary”.

Keiji Kajiyama, Presidente of Serafino (Nishinomiya, Japan)
“This fair thrills me every time.  I come to every edition to discover new brands.  I very much liked the lower level of the Main Pavilion: the idea of the Pop Up Stores is brilliant.  What struck me most?  The considerable amount of clothing proposals, and the high level of research into fabrics”.

Toshihiro Wada, Managing Director Wadahiro (Sakai, Japan):
“I liked the work carried out by designer Patricia Urquiola, there is plenty of space between the stands and that creates a very pleasant atmosphere.  Inside the fair, I noticed a return to a cleaner, clearer image of childrenswear which very much reflects the demands of the Japanese market”.

Barbara Molteni, buyer for Tessabit (Como, Italy)
“Pitti Bimbo is a fundamental meeting place, it is the fair everybody knows about and the contacts made here are very important.  I always find numerous interesting new features.  In particular, I liked the New View area where there was a lot of reflection on what, I believe, will be one of next season’s main trends: the search for a clean, essential style for the childrenswear sector as well.  Then there is the Cavaniglia Pavilion which always comes out on top for the sports brands”.

David Naraine, proprietor of the Nallen boutiques (Sweden) :
“I have been coming to Pitti Bimbo since 1993.  I think it is the best children’s fashion fair in Europe, the one that guarantees the best service.  I like the collections and the across-the-board way they are presented: today, it is essential to find something that continues to interest and excite people, that keeps the fashion business alive.  In Sweden, kids start to get interested in fashion from an early age, the trends are fast and constantly evolving.  Pitti Bimbo manages to keep up with the times”.

Mok-Young, Chung, C.E.O. Ji Il Company LTD (South Korea):
“This is my first visit to Pitti Bimbo and my impression is that it is a fantastic fair.  It is easy to find ideas and new names, and I think there is a good balance between quality and price.  There is a broad selection of proposals in terms of styles as well as age range.  Maybe this is normal in Italy, but in South Korea it is more difficult to find proposals to cover the 0 - 17 age range.  This is a very interesting aspect”.