Just a few hours after Pitti Bimbo n.70 (Florence, 21-23 January 2010) closed its doors, early forecasts of the final attendance figures show a probable increase in visitors to the fair.  After three days of full immersion in international children’s fashion, the number of buyers at the Fortezza da Basso should add up to over 8,750 (there were 8,600 at the last winter edition), with a 3.5% increase in sales outlets for a total number of visitors of 10.200.
The figures for Italy are very good – (there were 5.975 Italian buyers) with an increase of almost 4.7% in the total stores attending – and the levels of foreign attendance (around 2,700 international buyers) were essentially confirmed, together with a rise in the number of sales outlets of almost  1.2%.

“Pitti Bimbo confirmed the significant signs first seen at Pitti Uomo that international fashion is taking off again and will be bringing a very strong level of content to the market over the next few months”, says Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine.  “Pitti Bimbo made its own contribution over the three days of the event: our exhibitors had a chance to meet up with all the top international buyers who came to Florence looking for innovative products, image creativity and quality, and a steady stream of orders was made throughout the fair.  The hard work the companies had put in was repaid in full: the quality of the layouts and presentations was extremely high and the catwalk shows and various other scheduled events were a big success with press and public alike – the catwalk shows alone were seen by an audience of over 5,000 journalists and buyers.  International children’s fashion is also starting the new season - from Florence - with a smile”.

There were excellent performances from Russia (+20%), the United States (+37%), the United Kingdom (+7%), Belgium (+25%), Turkey, China, Taiwan, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates; there was a slight drop in visitors from Spain, Germany and Japan.   

Among the first 18 foreign countries the top position is for Spain (251 buyers), folowed by Germany (218), Russia (209), France (185), Greece (144), UK (133), Holland (132), Belgium (129), Turkey (113), Siria (93), Japan (70), Switzerland (66), United States (62), Ucraina (53), Portugal (48), Emirates (44), China (44), Polland (43) and South Corea (42).

Some comments from buyers attending Pitti Bimbo 70
Helen Abraha, buyer for the childrenswear department of Harvey Nichols Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
“I have seen a lot of energy at this Pitti Bimbo: there is a surprising amount of quality in terms of the products, companies and buyers in attendance.  I am always able to find interesting new brands here for our research: I have made contact with 4 or 5 new companies that will certainly be featuring in our stores next season.  At each edition, I notice improvements to the layout as well as the itinerary through the various collections: if you are looking for a specific brand, a precise style, you know where to find it”.  

Bae Kyung Won, president of the Korean distribution group Sinwoo Co. Ltd.
“Pitti Bimbo is an extraordinary event for children’s fashion and the location is truly special: the itinerary is well structured and greatly helps our scouting work.  In Korea, the children’s fashion market is undergoing a huge evolution: we have many medium-sized cities that are growing and represent increasingly exciting markets for childrenswear.  In terms of trends, I see a stronger presence of smart casual and, naturally, the quality of Made in Italy products: a very important factor for the Korean market”.

James Lau and Derek Wong of “Horn’s Limited” Hong Kong
“The quality of the collections at Pitti Bimbo improves at every edition: we can always find something new and this is a common opinion amongst the other buyers we have spoken to.  We very much enjoyed the new presentation layouts for the various sections which were very useful for getting into the mood of the collections.  In our stores, classical childrenswear styles are very successful, the ‘clean look’ but, above all, quality clothing with hints of luxury.  And there is truly a very broad choice here at Pitti Bimbo.”

Alessandro Ragazzi, buyer for the “Cucciolo” store in Padua
“I got a very positive impression from this Pitti Bimbo: I saw many new, interesting brands and was struck by the amount of attention the exhibitors had paid to the image of their stands.  I think the market is definitely in recovery.