Italian handbags look for validation at Mipel: export is good, Italian buyers are being timid

An occasion to solidify the good work done in 2017, and one to establish a solid base for the future. Inside the pavilion number 10 of ‘Rho Fieramilano’ is Mipel (ending September 20^th), international fair for leather products. This fair is now commonly conducted in the same period as the Micam, over 300 brands showcase their 2018 Spring/Summer collections. “The first day went well. We received many visitors. And many Italian buyers, even though our home market has become a difficult one: clients are too tied up on prices”, tells us Davide Visonà, Plinio Visonà’s chief designer. The short-term data on the first 5 months of 2017 published by Aimpes (association for Italian leather products), show that the present year is going well for the sector, but it is mainly exports that are making it so. From January to May, revenue from abroad on leather accessories increased 19,9% on yearly base (989.7 million Euros), which is a better performance than the average growth for the sector (+14.4%, for a total of 3 billion Euros). The products that are hauling growth the most are small leather products (+24.8%), while handbags are experiencing slow but positive growth (+2.5%).