Italian Trade Agency Showcases “Always Be Extra” Designer Showcase Featuring Over 40 Top “Made in Italy” Fashion Brands
New York, NY (June 19, 2024): The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is set to host a live model presentation featuring over 40 “Made in Italy” fashion and accessory brands from its proprietary online platform and B2B resource, EXTRAITASTYLE (www.extraitastyle.com). On Wednesday, June 19, ITA will take over the iconic Boom Boom Room at the top of The Standard Hotel, High Line, to present a curated showcase of “Always Be Extra” designers to an exclusive guest list of New York’s fashion elite.
EXTRAITASTYLE is specifically designed to support Italian fashion and accessory brands in conducting business with American retailers. This unique wholesale sales tool, funded by a grant from the Italian government, currently features over 70 brands and more than 3,800 products across a wide array of categories, including men’s and women’s fashion, shoes, bags, swimwear, costume jewelry, leather accessories, and more.
Opificio Modenese participated in this spectacular event with the beautiful Biarritz Shiny dress from the Fall/Winter 2024/25 collection.
Opificio Modenese participated in this spectacular event with the beautiful Biarritz Shiny dress from the Fall/Winter 2024/25 collection.
Highlighting the Extraordinary Italian Style
EXTRAITASTYLE stands for “The Extraordinary Italian Style.” Each designer and brand on the online platform has been thoroughly vetted not only for the caliber of their collections but also for the intrinsic quality of the “Made in Italy” promise. The curated brands featured are a mix of emerging designers and established artisans.
As much of the “discovery” of new brands has shifted online, EXTRAITASTYLE enables retailers to pre-explore brands through in-depth internet searches, especially before attending real-life trade shows. This shift further enhances the value of EXTRAITASTYLE for both its Italian brands and U.S. buyers, who no longer need to delve into the depths of an overly saturated internet. They can now gain instant exclusive access to each other from half a world away.
The free EXTRAITASTYLE platform has been optimized to offer U.S.-based wholesale buyers an easily navigable user experience that highlights brand resources such as lookbooks, line sheets, links to social channels, campaign images, and videos. Buyers can browse rotating boutiques with an “editorial” touch, expertly curated by category, and always completely free. The platform emphasizes sustainability, providing retailers a paperless and travel-free means to explore brands from all over Italy, all in one place.
Retailers can also peruse product catalogs, learn about each company’s heritage and values, and contact brands of interest directly via email. The platform is specifically designed to allow retailers to meet many new brands in one place—and they can be confident that the brands are worth discovering, thanks to the “Made in Italy” quality promise and the finest craftsmanship.
Innovative Approach to Expanding “Made in Italy” in the U.S.
“The EXTRAITASTYLE platform is a great example of ITA’s innovative approach in supporting the best Italian design talent to grow their businesses in the U.S. market. Our ‘Always Be Extra’ model presentation and party connect the world of digital discovery with invaluable real-life exposure for our brands among America’s top fashion enthusiasts,” said Erica Di Giovancarlo, Italian Trade Commissioner in New York.
The Italian government strategically promotes “Made in Italy”—aiming to expand Italy’s share in international trade and enhance the image of “Made in Italy” worldwide—to support initiatives aimed at attracting foreign investments to Italy. Following the conclusion of the Miami Cabana swimwear showcase earlier this month, ITA will sponsor over 62 men’s apparel and accessory brands at the upcoming Chicago Collective show in August 2024, followed by the sponsorship of over 70 women’s apparel brands at the NYC Coterie show in September 2024.
Strategic Importance of the U.S. Market
The U.S. market is of strategic relevance for Italian fashion companies (Clothing, Footwear, Leather Goods, Skins and Furs, Textile and Yarns, Eyewear, Cosmetics, and Jewelry) in terms of size and consumer behavior trends compared to the rest of the world. In terms of fashion product consumers, the United States represents the largest market outside the European Union for “Made in Italy.” The fashion sector is the third-largest manufacturing sector in Italy, after mechanics and automotive, with nearly 45,000 active companies and 393,000 employees. In the U.S., fashion is the second-largest import from Italy (17.6%), after mechanics and before pharmaceutical chemicals (U.S. Dept. of Commerce data, January-December 2023).
U.S. Imports from Italy: A Market Overview
U.S. imports of fashion and accessories from Italy in the first four months of 2024 amounted to $3.88 billion, down by 7.7% compared to the same period in 2023. Italy is currently the fourth supplier to the United States, with a market share of 5.5%. In 2023, U.S. imports from Italy of fashion and accessories totaled $12.86 billion, with a market share of 5.3% and a decrease of 3.3% compared to the same period in 2022. In 2023, Italy ranks as the fifth-largest supplier after China, Vietnam, India, and Canada. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. imports of women’s clothing in 2023 reached $997.8 million, growing by 6.8% compared to the same period in 2022.
About the Italian Trade Agency
Since 1926, the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), with 79 offices worldwide, has been the Italian government body responsible for promoting trade between Italian companies and foreign markets. The Fashion Department, based in New York City, works to raise awareness of Italian products in the United States by being the point of reference for trade and media and promoting fashion through educational events, informational materials, special events, and promotions. For more information on ITA and its presence in Italy and worldwide, visit: www.ICE.IT
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