White Milano's September 2026 edition brought 450 brands to the city's Tortona district, a 24 percent jump year-on-year, alongside a newly announced partnership with Italian state development bank Simest to back exhibitors' international expansion.

Running Sept. 24-27, the trade show also reported a 15 percent rise in international buyer attendance and roughly 9,000 buyers overall, against 14,412 registered visitors logged at the September 2025 edition, which had run as a strictly B2B format.

What changed in the format?

Organizers partly opened the fair to consumers this September in a bid to lift foot traffic into Tortona-area retail. New dedicated zones flanked the ready-to-wear core:

• On the Beach — a resortwear section.
• More — grouping beauty, lifestyle, design, fashion accessories, streetwear, activewear and denim.

A separate Pietrachiara showcase in the Archiproducts Milano space — the home of the More B2B and B2C concept — featured the Italian studio's debut candle collection, Anne, made from sculptural wax set in hand-glazed ceramic bases designed for reuse after the candle burns down.

White president Massimiliano Bizzi framed the shift as a new operating phase. "The extensive work carried out on the show's brand mix has led to a significant increase in buyers, particularly high-profile international buyers," he said. "At the same time, seeing this new young energy animate the entire Tortona area until late in the evening is clear evidence of how the change in format, with the introduction of B2C areas, has engaged a broader audience."

What does the Simest deal cover?

White revealed a new business development mandate and a partnership with Simest, a financial institution controlled by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the Italian government's promotional institution and public development bank. Simest's remit centres on backing Italian companies' international growth — from export financing to equity participation — giving White exhibitors access to public funding tools typically reserved for mid-sized firms expanding abroad.

Which lifestyle brands crossed over?

The More section's design roster included Les Ottomans, Qeeboo, Poltronova, Giobagnara and the Italian Radical Design names Gufram and Meritalia. Italian Radical Design CEO Riccardo Pigati said the fashion adjacency matters commercially for furniture brands chasing new channel partners.

"Retailers are always excited to see our brands showcased in such culturally vibrant settings," Pigati told WWD. "These events serve as opportunities to further spread knowledge and awareness of our three beloved brands."

Pietrachiara cofounder Pietro Contigliozzi said buyers arriving from both fashion and home channels pointed to crossover potential. "We also met buyers who are increasingly looking across fashion, homeware and lifestyle, which made the conversations particularly relevant," he added.

How is White building out beyond Milan?

White is running a multi-pronged international build-out anchored by three named tie-ups:

• An October 2025 agreement with the Saudi Fashion Commission for The Circle, a permanent showroom at Misk City in Riyadh.
• A September 2026 collaboration with B2B beauty trade show BolognaFiere-Cosmoprof, covering international expansion and future B2C projects in Tortona.
• A working partnership with ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, and Abest Brasil, which brought 25 Brazilian beachwear, RTW and accessories brands to Milan.

ApexBrasil business director Maria Paula Velloso positioned the deal on pipeline metrics rather than immediate order writing. "It's about the quality of the contacts established, the opening of new markets, and the business relationships that may develop over the medium and long term," she said.

White's stated international roadmap names Brazil, Colombia, India, Romania, Spain, Armenia and China as priority markets for upcoming trade missions, agency collaborations and show partnerships.