Pitti Bimbo starts tomorrow in Florence with 100 kidswear collections

The 102nd edition of Pitti Immagine Bimbo will begin tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, in Florence.

Running until Thursday, January 22, on the top floor of the Central Pavilion at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, the event will showcase over 100 autumn/winter 2026-27 collections. More than 65 percent of these are international.

“Pitti Bimbo no. 102 is the result of a special closeness to the market and the key players in kidswear. This was achieved through international networking activities we conducted in recent months with companies, retailers, distributors and industry experts across many parts of Europe and Italy,” explained Antonio Cristaudo, commercial director of Pitti Immagine.

“This winter edition of Pitti Bimbo, and also the one next June, are very important for the trade fair. We expect a response from them, and we trust it will be a positive confirmation of the new approach we have given to the exhibition offering. This is to align it with the profound transformations in children's clothing and accessories, which have continued at a very fast pace in recent seasons,” emphasised Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine. In the future, the idea of integrating the Pitti Bimbo children's fashion fair into the menswear concept could take shape. The reason, according to Napoleone, is that many buyers who handle both sectors choose to attend only one event, avoiding two trips to Florence.

“The breakdown of the production structure; the polarisation between luxury and fast fashion; the drastic downsizing of retail stores; not to mention the regressive demographic dynamics and their effects on consumption patterns and quantities. It was inevitable that all this would completely call into question the entire international trade fair system, including our own show. We are not hiding from the difficulties, so the next steps are crucial. However, Pitti Bimbo remains the most important event in Europe and the sole promoter of the Italian industry in this sector, an industry of quality and long history,” added the CEO.

Concurrently, also at the Fortezza and with a dedicated exhibition space, Pitti Filati will take place from January 21-23, 2026. This is the trade fair that presents excellence in yarns and knitwear internationally, whose companies and visitors will have their own reserved access.

Junior fashion exports estimated to decline by 3.2 percent

The year 2024 closed for the junior fashion sector with a contraction of -2.1 percent. This sector includes knitted and woven clothing for children aged 0-14, including underwear and accessories. In 2025, based on preliminary estimates by the Economic and Statistical Studies Office of Confindustria Moda, Italian junior fashion is expected to remain in negative territory. Specifically, the sector's turnover is projected to decline by 3.2 percent, settling at just over three billion euros.

A reflective trend is also expected for the value of production, for which a reduction of -4.8 percent on an annual basis is estimated. This variable attempts to quantify the production activity carried out in Italy, net of the marketing of imported products.

Regarding foreign trade, junior fashion exports are expected to decline by -3.2 percent during 2025. The total value of cross-border sales should thus decrease to 1,487 million euros, accounting for 48.9 percent of the sector's turnover. Conversely, imports show an opposite trend, with a projected growth of +1.8 percent. This would bring the total value to almost 2.6 billion euros. The expected evolution of trade flows into and out of Italy would result in a sectoral trade balance deficit of approximately 1.1 billion euros.

Finally, according to forecasts by the Economic and Statistical Studies Office of Confindustria Moda, domestic consumption is also set to end 2025 in negative territory. This includes household consumption, non-household consumption and inventories, with an estimated decline of around -2.0 percent compared to 2024 levels.

Regarding foreign markets, the analysis can be limited to infant clothing alone, for which relevant customs items and, therefore, trade flows with foreign countries by nation can be isolated. According to Istat data for the first nine months of 2025, baby fashion exports, which had fallen by -4.4 percent in the same period of 2024, have again experienced a decline. They lost -3.9 percent, settling at 112.7 million euros. The negative trend affected both EU and non-EU areas. The community market shows a decrease of -1.2 percent, while non-EU areas declined by -5.9 percent.

In light of these trends, the non-EU market accounts for 55.3 percent of total infant clothing exports, confirming its position as the top “buyer”. Meanwhile, the community market absorbs 44.7 percent of sales.

During the period under review, the United Arab Emirates remains the top destination for infant clothing, thanks to a growth of +18.1 percent. This brings its value to 10.3 million euros, equivalent to 9.2 percent of total exports. Despite a contraction of -2.3 percent, Spain moves up to second place, securing a 9.1 percent share. France takes third place with a growth of +1.3 percent.

The US, a strategic market for baby fashion, has slipped to fourth position following a marked decline of -17.0 percent, with 8.6 million euros (10.09 million dollars) and a 7.6 percent share. The UK and Germany, the fifth and sixth destination markets respectively, also recorded a contraction, but at very different rates. The UK shows a modest decline of -3.6 percent, with a value of 6.8 million euros. Germany suffers a more significant loss of -16.0 percent, with a turnover of 4.8 million euros, corresponding to 4.3 percent of the sector's total exports.