The Italian Trade Agency took New York by storm Wednesday night when it hosted Always Be Extra, a showcase highlighting more than 40 Italian fashion and accessories brands with a high-voltage fashion show at the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel, High Line.
The event, which attracted Olivia Palermo and others, also served to promote the Italian government’s proprietary online platform, Extra ITA Style, a site targeted to retailers that features more than 70 brands and 3,800 Italian products across a wide swath of categories including men’s and women’s apparel, shoes, jewelry, leather accessories and more.
“The Extra ITA Style platform is a premium example of ITA’s innovative approach to supporting the best Italian design talent to grow their businesses in the U.S. market,” said Erica Di Giovancarlo, Italian Trade Commissioner. “And 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 leading fashion-philes.”
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The Italian government promotes Made in Italy products as a way to expand the country’s share of international trade. The U.S. market, which is the largest non-European market for Italian fashion, is especially important to fashion manufacturers, which constitute the third largest manufacturing sector in Italy after mechanics and automotive with nearly 46,000 companies and close to 400,000 employees.
In the first four months of this year, U.S. imports of Italian fashion and accessories totaled $3.88 billion.
Among the brands showcased at the fashion show at the Boom Boom Room were De Santis by Martin Alvarez, Artico, Tenne, Fugato, Salvatore Martorana and Martin Zelo.
Next up for the ITA is the Chicago Collective men’s show where 62 menswear brands will be on display in early August, followed by the Coterie show in New York City in September where more than 70 Italian women’s brands will show.