White Milano promotes brands abroad and gives concreteness to fashion inclusion and circularity
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Fairs are adapting to the crisis of consumption, fashion and luxury and to the complexity of the geopolitical situation and are transforming from a mere container of brands and their collections to large proactive showrooms, committed to promoting labels in Italy and abroad. This is the case of White Milano, a show that ended yesterday, in the Tortona area of Milan, and whose effort was also expressed in giving substance to words such as inclusion and sustainability. A tangible example of this dimension is represented by the presence of several Canadian indigenous designers coordinated by the Indigenous fashion arts (Ifa) of Toronto, a non-profit organization that supports indigenous populations and communities who work in fashion, crafts and textiles.
Among the designers present is Justin Jacob Louis for Justin Jacob Louis, whose brand blends past and present in an elegant urban style. The designer, who has been showing at New York Fashion Week for two years now, draws inspiration from the folklore of the people who live along the Batter River, in the state of Alberta, and the use of the Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) language of the Samson Cree Nation. The creativity of Scott Wabano, with his brand, 2Spirit Cree of the Mushkegowuk and Eeyou Istchee territories, instead combines traditional narratives with modern design, demonstrating that fashion is a "powerful tool for representation, resilience and change", he explained during the presentation at White last Friday. Wabano, through his totally genderless and inclusive brand, encourages individuals to celebrate their uniqueness, while at the same time paying homage to the cultural heritage of Indigenous communities.
“For Canada, as for Italy, the expansion of trade and investment strengthens local economies, promotes art and culture and supports small and medium-sized businesses, which are drivers of innovation and employment in fashion,” explained to FashionUnited the ambassador of Canada in Italy, Elissa Golberg. “Indigenous women, young people, small entrepreneurs, members of marginalized communities are often underrepresented at an international level. With White, our commitment is to give them a voice and space,” added the ambassador, underlining that this project with White is part of a broad program through which the Canadian government pursues reconciliation with indigenous populations.
From young and artisanal niche brands to international genderless and sustainable ones
At the fair, where over 300 brands, 45% of which are foreign, presented their collections for fall winter 2025-26, there were also niche Made in Italy labels such as Oh Carla. "Our brand is totally handmade in the Milan studio and promotes a couture and sustainable approach that allows for zero-impact production," Claudia Nesi, who founded the brand that uses recycled fabrics, offcuts and warehouse stock in 2020, told FashionUnited. The label focuses mainly on the production of unique and made-to-measure pieces, always replicable in terms of model, with fabrics on availability. "The main construction technique of Oh Carla's garments allows us to produce with zero impact on waste and to create made-to-measure garments, always experimenting with new fabrics and shapes," Nesi added.
Carolxott, founded by Cärol Ott, comes from Estonia, from a tiny island with only 69 inhabitants. "Our creations tell unique stories of life on small Estonian islands. My parents moved to the island 10 years ago and since then I have constantly observed the people, the traditions, the living conditions and I have learned the history. These small islands hide precious stories that I want to tell with clothes, translating them into models, colors and textures", says Ott. The collection also includes woollen caps, hats, and neck warmers, in pastel colors, knitted by the local community. "In winter it is very cold, you stay at home and knit, while in summer, with the arrival of tourists, the scenario changes", added Ott.
Oversized and genderless suits, jackets made from sofa fabrics, but also from fabrics made in Italy or Japanese cottons, for Renè, a Danish brand present at the kermesse in via Tortona. "Our brand explores how clothes interact with movement and posture, adapting to different physicalities, ages and genders", the founder, Jens Skov Østergaard, told FashionUnited.
The brand, founded in 2021, is based in Copenhagen. "Our design approach challenges norms, mixing oversized proportions and architectural silhouettes with inspiration from Asian and Scandinavian aesthetics. We use only premium materials, including Italian wool stock, Japanese fabrics and fabrics from Danish company Kvadrat. We focus on quality and craftsmanship, combining traditional tailoring with a contemporary and genderless perspective," said the designer. "We dream of creating a genderless fashion brand that combines sustainable production practices and craftsmanship from around the world with innovative presentations and a community that promotes free self-expression and celebrates human diversity." Prices range from 269 euros for trousers to 239 for the oversized shirt to 379 for the dress.
Coming out of the "Scret rooms", the space of White Milano that hosted these young and international brands, there is the very Italian Skills Milano, which celebrates a timeless elegance, with garments that envelop the body with elegant lines. The collection offers harmonious volumes, versatile blazers, trousers with variable fits and skirts that play between classic and asymmetrical models. Tradition and innovation intertwine to create garments that speak of individuality with Front Street, with the second line Opus Florentium by Front Street. The latter is an independent Italian brand born from the passion for vintage clothing. All garments are made and finished by hand in Italy, guaranteeing the made in Italy.
The February edition also hosted Teclor, a Japanese brand of tailor-made suits; the essence of tailoring is mixed with cutting-edge technologies, developing products that pay meticulous attention to detail.
Among the designers coming from Spain, with the support of Icex España Exportación and Inversiones, there is also Custo Barcelona, which has chosen Milan to present the new collection inspired by the fantastic landscapes of its creative director, Custo Dalmau. The garments are characterized by an aesthetic that evokes classical architecture, while combining materials such as wool, silk and technological fabrics from recycling. Instead, the Copenhagen-based brand, Our Shift, uses fabrics from camping tents. The mission of the brand, whose creative director is Milan Flíček, is to create high-quality garments and accessories from discarded fabrics, such as event banners, merchandising, promotional items, tents and deadstock. The result is a fun but rigorous collection of hooded jackets and trousers with pockets in contrasting colors.
White "exports" the salon's brands abroad
The fair founded by Massimiliano Bizzi, was chosen by the AlMalki Group to inaugurate a pop-up store in the Westerly department store in Riyadh. This pop-up will remain open until May 2025, hosting the creations of some of the companies present at the fair including Faliero Sarti, La Milanesa, Flabelus, NiLuu, Pahiesa Formentera, Naira Khachatryan, Bokja and Tanoura. Also in Riyadh, an agreement was signed with Panos Linardos, president of the Rlc Global Forum.
This partnership aims to promote the global growth and expansion of the brands selected by White, as part of the Circle project, conceived by Brenda Bellei and Monica Sarti, creative director of Faliero Sarti. “With the Circle project we want to select a group of small and medium-sized businesses that are White's clients and support them in approaching the distribution channels in the Gulf countries where the strategic partnership just signed offers us a preferential channel", explained Brenda Bellei, CEO of White.
The collaboration aims to open up business opportunities for companies not only in Saudi Arabia, but also in neighboring markets, reaching as far as Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.
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