Tour
Fashion and its Origins at the Fair
A slow start
The curtain was raised on the Milan Fair in 1920 as a leading stage for Italian industry. A place in which to bring together supply and demand, and spotlight the technological progress being made in every field of industry and within the production line itself, from semi-finished goods to final products. Exhibiting at the Fair was the final, crowning moment of a long process—a fortnight in which exhibitors of all walks, from the big industrial manufacturer to the small family-owned business, could showcase a sample of their hard work.
The curtain was raised on the Milan Fair in 1920 as a leading stage for Italian industry. A place in which to bring together supply and demand, and spotlight the technological progress being made in every field of industry and within the production line itself, from semi-finished goods to final products. Exhibiting at the Fair was the final, crowning moment of a long process—a fortnight in which exhibitors of all walks, from the big industrial manufacturer to the small family-owned business, could showcase a sample of their hard work.
Textiles presentations
In this setting, the textiles & clothing industry played a major role at the fair from the start, while the fair itself did much to launch the fashion industry in Italy. Fashion parades are the final, crowning moment for fashion houses. From as far back as 1924, the Milan Fair dedicated a special pavilion exclusively to the presentation of Italy’s emerging fashion sector and to French haute couture. The “Theatre of Fashion” at the Milan Fair reflects in its very name the way garments were presented in the 1920s: front-on at centre stage, before the advent of runways.
In this setting, the textiles & clothing industry played a major role at the fair from the start, while the fair itself did much to launch the fashion industry in Italy. Fashion parades are the final, crowning moment for fashion houses. From as far back as 1924, the Milan Fair dedicated a special pavilion exclusively to the presentation of Italy’s emerging fashion sector and to French haute couture. The “Theatre of Fashion” at the Milan Fair reflects in its very name the way garments were presented in the 1920s: front-on at centre stage, before the advent of runways.
Runways and parades
Runways made their first appearance at the fair in the 1930s, with garments paraded on catwalks raised above the level of the fair’s adoring crowds. Fashion parades at the Milan Fair were an early example of fashion houses coordinating their shows. The Fair Board’s official journal featured editorials by Vittorio Montano, director of the fashion house Ventura and the Italian High Fashion Syndicate, as well as in-depth reviews of the shows written by the scathing pen of Lydia De Liguoro.
Runways made their first appearance at the fair in the 1930s, with garments paraded on catwalks raised above the level of the fair’s adoring crowds. Fashion parades at the Milan Fair were an early example of fashion houses coordinating their shows. The Fair Board’s official journal featured editorials by Vittorio Montano, director of the fashion house Ventura and the Italian High Fashion Syndicate, as well as in-depth reviews of the shows written by the scathing pen of Lydia De Liguoro.
The postwar years and a new concept of fashion
In the postwar era, the Milan Fair returned to its natural mission, opening its doors again to the world. For the Italian fashion industry, however, the fair’s timing in April and the unstoppable growth of the various industry sectors as they branched out into new fields left it little room to express itself fully within the space of the Milan Fair. Thus, specialist shows began to be organized for the fashion sector, culminating in Milan Fashion Week—an unmissable event on the world stage.
In the postwar era, the Milan Fair returned to its natural mission, opening its doors again to the world. For the Italian fashion industry, however, the fair’s timing in April and the unstoppable growth of the various industry sectors as they branched out into new fields left it little room to express itself fully within the space of the Milan Fair. Thus, specialist shows began to be organized for the fashion sector, culminating in Milan Fashion Week—an unmissable event on the world stage.