Textile Innovation Shines Despite Uncertainty

MILAN — While the latest edition of Milano Unica saw increases in attendance and the number of exhibitors, the overall mood remained cautious as the threat of U.S. tariffs and the overall weakness of the global economy continue to weigh on the sector.

That caution fed into the textile trends for fall 2026, which focused on heritage, signature fibers and traditional weaves and patterns.

The 41st edition, which closed Thursday, saw a notable increase in attendance, up 10 percent compared to the same edition in 2024. The growth was recorded across all major markets for Made in Italy textiles, with the exception of China, which declined by 3.5 percent versus the July 2024 edition, and Korea, which declined by 14 percent.

A total of 735 exhibitors participated, including 584 in the Ideabiella, Moda In, and Shirt Avenue sections, representing a 2.6 percent increase, with 459 confirmed Italian participants and a significant, 8.7 percent rise in European exhibitors.

Simone Canclini, president of Milano Unica, said that nearly all key export markets responded positively, and while the real outcomes will be seen in the next year, the feedback from exhibitors on business contacts and buyers’ attendance allows them to look to the future with moderate optimism. 

However, he pointed to unmet expectations denting the industry’s optimism, including the unlikeliness of a full recovery in the second half of 2025 and the final publication of the Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, European directive, which the sector has long been waiting for as it would generate important opportunities. “There is a need for a clear and precise industrial policy,” he said during the fair’s opening ceremony. 

Edoardo Zegna, chief marketing, digital and sustainability officer at Ermenegildo Zegna group, discussed the company’s history and its evolution, highlighting that the task of the founding family’s fourth generation is to introduce an experiential dimension that helps consumers understand the difference between something expensive and something valuable. 

Claudia D’Arpizio, senior partner and global head of fashion and luxury at Bain & Co., drew a parallel between the current downturn in luxury spending to the 2008 crisis, while also highlighting a key difference: the role of China.

“Back then, China was playing an important role in the high-end market, but now the situation has radically changed,” she explained. “The Chinese government is facing the challenge of youth unemployment amid a slowing economy, and while there are new markets like India and the Middle East with great potential, they are more difficult to penetrate,” she said. 

Overall, a sense of uncertainty prevailed among exhibitors, who remained cautious in their second-half forecasts as they are waiting to better understand the impact of U.S. tariffs.

Stefano Albini, chief executive officer of cotton specialist Albini Group, confirmed that 2024 ended on a positive note, despite a weaker first half of the year. However, he remained cautious about 2025 overall and the second half of the year, highlighting the many political tensions that dent buyers’ confidence in placing orders.

Meanwhile, Ercole Botto Poala, CEO of the Reda wool mill, said that 2025 seemed like a promising year initially, with a 15 percent increase in volumes in the first three months. But he noted that the introduction of tariffs and the worsened geopolitical context is leading to uncertainty and market disruption. 

Similarly, Vasilly Piacenza, co-CEO of the Piacenza Group, stated that 2025 is for now in line with last year, although he is not making any predictions for the second half of the year due to the high level of uncertainty. In the same vein, Ludovico Maggia, product development manager at Maglificio Maggia Srl, said the company is experiencing a slowdown in 2025, with a 7 to 8 percent decline in production so far, adding that although the prospects are not positive, the company aims to minimize the sales decrease to about 5 percent for the overall year.

Alessandro Barberis Canonico, CEO of Vitale Barberis Canonico, said sales have been generally declining for the industry and that price increases have led to reduced volumes sold, emphasizing that the mill is moving with caution. The executive said the industry should fear the effects of the weakening dollar and the tariffs on the market.

Andrea Crespi, general manager at Eurojersey, echoed that sentiment, stating that this represents a moment of deep readjustment. The company’s overall performance is being lifted by a boom in the sportswear segment, especially in Asian countries, with running and cycling driving the rise.

Silvio Botto Paola, CEO at Botto Giuseppe, reported that the company is on track to meet its expectations for the year, despite a 6 to 7 percent reduction in quantities, and is looking forward to 2026 as a potential year of growth. 

In terms of markets, Albini noted a decline in the Far East, while Europe showed resilience and the U.S. experienced a significant recovery from the second half of 2024 onward, beating earlier forecasts.

Piacenza observed a slight decline in China and stagnation in Japan. Maggia reported that Italy and the U.S. performed in line with expectations, while Europe is doing well, particularly the U.K. and Germany, while Turkey saw a significant decline. Additionally, Maggia mentioned that the company is starting to explore the Saudi Arabian market, taking part in a local textile fair next October.

Barberis Canonico highlighted that China underperformed, while Germany and France did well in Europe, Italy remained stable, and Spain saw a good recovery. Botto Poala noted that the U.S. market started strong but then slowed down this year, similar to the Far East.

In their fall 2026 collections overall, exhibitors drew on their heritage, revisiting signature fibers, legacy patterns and traditional weaving techniques, spotlighting the centrality of natural materials. 

Albini 1876 collection’s guiding concept was “blending innovation and heritage” with cotton blends featuring noble fibers like camel and cashmere. The collection developed along three narrative themes, including one dedicated to cozy feelings via fluid textures, seen in the precious blends of cotton with wool, cashmere, and camel; the “Countryside Dreaming” segment, which paid homage to the English countryside via earthy toned cotton and wool fabrics with a thick hand, and “Dark Layering,” dominated by moodier shades of burgundy, green, warm browns, and bold anthracite gray for blends with wool, which added visual depth. 

Reda continued to celebrate its 160th anniversary with the expansion of the Milleottocentosessantacinque project, offering three new full looks designed by Massimo Monteforte. The brand also launched the M15 project within its Active line, an ultra-lightweight merino wool fabric of 15 microns, providing thermo-regulation, anti-odor properties, and elasticity. The textile, part of the mill’s “The Goat — Greatest of All Textiles” line, was paired with wool jersey for a range of finished garments, such as tracksuits, zip-up hoodies, and sweaters.

At Lanificio F.lli Cerruti dal 1881, the focus on noble fibers resulted in superfine wools, cashmere, silk, and precious blends. The collection boasted a wide selection of jacquards offered in a range of patterns done in an earthy and warm palette, from mineral gray and tobacco to rust and blue. Lanificio Fratelli Piacenza introduced the men’s tailoring-intended cashmere from the Karakorum region, in addition to expanding its women’s offering hinged on British elegance with cashmere fabrics or blends of virgin wool and cashmere and cotton mixed with fantasy yarns. Lanificio Piemontese’s collection featured compact jacquard fabrics mimicking denim, a reinterpretation of Harris tweed and other textured textiles including bouclé and fantasy fabrics. 

Chargeurs PCC continued to innovate with its Solutions Provider service, offering customized interlinings that not only provide stability and durability but also become a stylistic feature of the garment. Their new Versalix interlinings featured weft-inserted knitting and diverse resin formulations, ensuring high comfort and performance. The company also introduced a new interpretation of H2, a lightweight, three-layer fabric that combines noble natural fibers like wool and cashmere with Tencel and recycled polyamide, resulting in breathable, lightweight, and technical fabrics with a soft hand and superior fit, achieving a 30 percent reduction in weight compared to traditional fabrics.

Maglificio Maggia’s collection included a blend of 85 percent wool and 15 percent cashmere, as well as a blend of 70 percent wool, 20 percent polyamide, and 10 percent cashmere. The latter is intended for flannel dresses, sweatshirts, jackets and jacquard fabrics. The “Luxury Wool” line featured extremely fine, 15.5-micron wool yarns, available in piece-dyed finishes and is ideal for lightweight garments like shirts and overshirts.

Vitale Barberis Canonico presented the Intrepid Super 150’s fabric ideal for business suits. The fabric is available in pure superfine wool or blended with flannel and cashmere, as well as in an eco-friendly, water-resistant, windproof and breathable version featuring a five-micron membrane, which makes it suitable for outerwear and overcoats. The brand’s coat collection included a new double-faced design made from 100 percent Saxon merino wool, available in both fantasy and solid colors. Additionally, Vitale Barberis Canonico’s denim proposal featured 100 percent merino wool fabrics boasting exceptional softness, warmth, and comfort. The brand’s 21-micron denim and crush denim options showcased wrinkle resistance, breathability, and durability.

At Loro Piana, one of the key innovations was a wool and silk blend with a small percentage of linen, which added depth and texture to the fabric. This effect was enhanced in the Solbiati fabrics, a combination of wool and linen. The brand has also made significant investments in developing wool and cashmere jerseys with jacquard fabrics that have an almost knit-like texture. Additionally, Loro Piana continued to emphasize its outdoorsy proposition through coarse wools and nylon fabrics, while lighter and even more luxurious options included 100 percent silk textiles. In terms of coat fabrics and heavier winter weights, the brand focused on finishes that lent a rawer look, particularly through brushing and super-washed treatments, for example in the Raw Cashmere and Raw Alpaca fabrics that did not lose either total warmth or softness.

Eurojersey’s Sensitive Fabrics for fall featured bright colors and geometric patterns nodding to life in the outdoors and sportswear. Thanks to their three-dimensional elasticity, these fabrics are comfortable, crush-proof, non-deformable, and crease-resistant, making them easy to care for, machine washable, quick-drying, and iron-free.

Silk specialist Mantero’s collection showcased a range of innovative combinations, including silk organza and duchesse paired with classic men’s fabrics, as well as fluid cady, cloqués, and gathered fabrics. The color palette ranged from neutral tones, such as tan, green, white and brown, to burgundy, eggplant, purple, as well as soft and vivid pink or butter yellow, which added a touch of unexpected elegance. The brand showed its commitment to product sustainability with a focus on bio-pigments, such as the new bio-black dye and other naturally dyed yarns, as well as bio-based membranes.

Botto Giuseppe’s collection featured a range of high-quality fabrics with unique properties, including fine wool textiles, combed melange flannels, Donegal tweeds, stretch cashmere, and luxury tailoring fabrics. These fabrics were designed to provide features such as water-repellency, breathability, and stretch. The latter came to the fore in the bi-stretch woolen poplin, and bi-stretch combed cashmere.

A leader in sustainable innovation, Thermore launched Ecodown Fibers Sync, a padding crafted entirely from free fiber derived from post-consumer PET bottles. The dual-performance fibers offer both ultra-lofty softness and resilience, as well as a soft hand feel that resists clumping and has high versatility, making it ideal for both streamlined technical outerwear and voluminous fashion silhouettes. The innovation is GRS-, Bluesign-, and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, ensuring that the product is free from harmful substances and meets the highest criteria for environmental and human safety.

Lenzing has developed a technology that combines Tencel’s Lyocell fibers with recycled materials to create sustainable and high-quality fabrics. Partnering with the textile firms Marchi & Fildi Group and Maglificio Maggia, different Tencel Lyocell fiber variants — including those embedding micro technology and low-fibrillating ones — were paired with recycled silk, wool, or cashmere, as well as with varying percentages of recycled cotton and Cradle to Cradle-certified Roica V550 elastane. The technology enables the creation of fabrics with recycled content ranging from 25 percent to 50 percent.

Over at Lanificio Reggiani, the 50-year-old mill partnered with MinervaHub. Companies within the latter’s Ornaments Business Unit have reinterpreted legacy Lanificio Reggiani textiles via innovative techniques, such as Jato1991’s hand-crafted manipulations and embroideries, Trapuntatura Belpunto’s industrial quilting and stitchwork, and Quake’s embroidery.

In a partnership of similar scope, leading tannery Rino Mastrotto Group and the Marzotto Group have revealed the creation of Jacqart — Trame d’Arredo, a company specialized in the production of high-quality jacquard fabrics and velvets. 

The new company results from the merger of Imatex, controlled by Rino Mastrotto and specialized in jacquard fabrics for interiors, and Prosetex, owned by Marzotto Group and focused on high-end jacquard velvets. The merged entity will create synergies including the optimization of raw material sourcing and an expanded product offering for the residential, hospitality, aviation, naval, and public transportation sectors. After the closing of the deal, which is expected in the third quarter of 2025, the company will be helmed by CEO Massimo Maestroni and general manager Giorgio Meda.

Sustainability continued to rule the conversation at the fairground.

With the goal of strengthening its commitment to responsible use of natural resources and environmental protection, Vitale Barberis Canonico has completed the expansion of its photovoltaic system and added a second basin for ozone decolorization at its wastewater treatment plant. In 2024, the original photovoltaic system generated 149 MWh of renewable energy, an increase from 129 MWh in 2023. 

At the Botto Giuseppe company, 84 percent of the raw materials purchased are certified, with 30 percent of articles traceable and originating from a single farm; water consumption for processing has dropped by 20 percent compared to 2021, and 83 percent of chemicals comply with the ZDHC standard. 

Chargeurs PCC is developing an internal black list of non-sustainable components, monitoring around 400 chemicals. This is a voluntary measure that currently covers 60 percent of products and 90 percent of substances, and is not yet adopted by any other company in the industry. Eighty percent of Chargeurs PCC’s suppliers have already undergone audits according to the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit, or SMETA, standard, and in 2024 an extension of audits along the entire supply chain was launched. The company has also set a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 46 percent before 2030.