KOTRA Promotes Excellence of Korean Textiles in Italy

Seomsuhyeop and Unica Operate Largest Ever Korean Pavilion at Autumn Textile Exhibition

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) will jointly operate a Korean pavilion with the Korea Federation of Textile Industries, featuring 38 companies, at the "2023 Italy Milano Unica (UNICA) Autumn Textile Exhibition" held in Milan, Italy, from the 11th to the 13th. This marks the largest Korean pavilion ever organized since 10 Korean companies participated in the same exhibition in 2015.

The Milano Unica exhibition is a premier global textile fashion event alongside the Premi?re Vision exhibition in Paris, France. Only companies that pass the organizer's strict screening process can participate in the exhibition. As it is held in Italy, where the high-end and luxury brand industries have a long-established history, buyers dealing in high-priced products visit intensively. It is considered an exhibition where Korean companies must strategically advance.

KOTRA and the Korea Federation of Textile Industries supported Korean companies during the organizer's participant screening process, enabling a total of 24 companies to pass. Through the operation of the Korean Textile Trend Pavilion, newly developed domestic textile companies' new products for the F/W (Fall/Winter) 24/25 season are promoted, providing new season ideas. Representatives from the Italian National Fashion Association, the Italian Textile & Fashion Association, and Marangoni (fashion school), whose members include global luxury brands such as Gucci and Ferragamo, are invited to create an exchange platform where new business networks with domestic textile companies can be established.

Korean companies will target Italian and European high-end market buyers with eco-friendly, functional, and natural hybrid products aligned with global trends at this exhibition. In this process, 14 companies, including technologically skilled domestic and novice companies, will gain opportunities to enter the premium market through a sample exhibition hall.

Kim Hyun-chul, head of KOTRA's Europe Regional Headquarters, said, "Italy has a high entry barrier to the premium market," adding, "The fact that we are participating at the largest scale ever is meaningful in itself." He continued, "We plan to continue active market expansion not only through large-scale buyer attraction promotions but also by strengthening networks with local related organizations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.