They are the backbone of the fashion district of Carpi (Modena), 95% of that galaxy of almost a thousand companies, for a total of about 7 thousand employees, who have built the historic Emilian cluster over the decades. Micro and small companies with a strong vocation for exports that once again measure themselves against foreign demand thanks to Moda Makers Digital, the fair has become over the years a point of reference for intercepting new market shares across the border. The event, now in its third edition in digital version due to the pandemic, is not only holding up but is expanding.
SMEs with an international profile
This year, starting from Wednesday 19 May, 40 companies will participate, of which 23 from the district and 17 from outside the region, confirming the success of the formula developed by Carpi Fashion System, the district’s support project Modena promoted by Cna, Lapam-Confartigianato, Confindustria Emilia, the Municipality of Carpi and the Modena Chamber of Commerce, with the support of the CR Carpi Foundation. “We are talking about companies that already have an international profile despite their small size: they export on average 44% of their production”, explains Roberto Bonasi, president of the Expo Modena Consortium for internationalization, which organizes the fair.
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Showcase and bridge to the global market
The event is conceived as a showcase where to exhibit the collections for the spring-summer of 2022 – continues Bonasi -. This is to keep the relationship with customers around the world alive but also to have the opportunity to enter into relationships with other foreign buyers ». The show was designed to act as a bridge between the small companies of the district and the global market. In fact, visitors are mainly foreigners: they come not only from Europe but also from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States. And Moda Makers, which will continue until autumn (when the winter version of the event will debut), is conceived as a portal to establish first contacts. In fact, e-commerce is not foreseen. Each company will subsequently develop the commercial part. An opportunity to push the Modenese pole more and more outwards, to accelerate a gradual detachment from a shrinking domestic market.
The Modenese hub between brands and sub-suppliers
Today the fashion district of Carpi develops a turnover of around 1.4 billion euros. But the growth in the value of exports, which represent 37% of the turnover, still fails to compensate for the setback in Italy. While there is still a phase of contraction, with a gradual selection of companies. Great brands were born here, such as Liu Jo, Twinset, Blufin, Champion Europe, just to name a few. But it is the final small and subcontracting companies that are the skeleton of the district, which exports mainly to France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and the United Kingdom.