White heads to Shanghai to team up with Novomania

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Nov 22, 2013

White is going to China. The Milan avant-garde fashion trade show has signed a deal with Novomania, the Chinese show for denim and sportswear, owned by exhibition organizer UBM Asia. White Milano will be joining French textile fair Première Vision, also a participant at the Shanghai event. The agreement was announced Wednesday, November 20 in Milan during a press conference. The next edition of Novomania will take place in Shanghai from March 5 to 7, 2014 in the centrally located Shanghaimart Expo.

"This is a major deal that we have been working on since the beginning of the year, which provides for a long-term collaboration. We will be at Novomania in an independent section. The idea is to start with 30 companies. We want to select a group of clothing and accessories brands that are a little different compared to those who participate in our show in Milan — creative, medium-sized companies that are already somewhat complex and have enough momentum to go to China. I would like to have labels for both women and men," said the White Milano president Massimiliano Bizzi. The organizers said the square-meter booth price for exhibitors will be the same as in Milan.

Novomania was founded in 2010 by Alan Fang, president of Novo Group Holdings, a fashion retail group whose portfolio includes twenty department stores in China. This trade show for young fashion features exhibitors such as Gaz, G-Star and Le Temps des Cerises from the denim, urban and sportswear sectors. The show is currently undergoing a complete metamorphosis, a change in strategy to expand its range, also by focusing on contemporary fashion. It is in the process of evolving its concept and has also signed an agreement with Première Vision, which will be joining White at the Shanghai event. Last March Novomania also established a joint venture with UBM Asia, one of the main organizers of trade fairs in Asia, which now owns 60% of the show.

Under the new format, the show will offer fabrics, contemporary and avant-garde fashion, both Chinese and international young fashion brands as well as a platform for online sales. The developments have led Novomania to abandon its normal annual July show in favor of two editions in March and September starting in 2014.

"The Chinese market is in a complete transformation, and Shanghai is the new New York. Before China was focused on shop-in-shops and franchises. Now the multi-brand store concept is developing. More and more shops are emerging that are looking for new brands. Between luxury and Chinese labels, there is actually a real gap to fill. In March, we are aiming for 10,000 visitors, mostly Chinese, compared to 7,000 during the last edition. These are buyers, but also manufacturers that have become distributors of their own brands and are now looking for new labels to associate with their line," said Guilherme Faria, general manager of Novomania.

"There are many of these manufacturers in China and they can have up to 7,000 retail outlets. This means the potential is enormous," said Gabriele Sportoletti, head of Camille Enterprise, a consulting company active in the Chinese market. The Italian businessman introduced White to Novomania and will provide operational support to Italian exhibitors who want to establish their businesses in China. White is currently working on a showroom in Shanghai to help these brands develop in the Chinese market.