After arriving in Italy yesterday morning and sleeping most of the day and night, I was ready for excitement this morning. But no, there were obligations to fulfill for my complimentary trip to Florence--the press conference.
So, the reason I and 39 other international buyers are here is to be exposed to the artisanal textile production that comes from this part of Italy. And, because a lot of money was spent to get us all here, they wanted to show us off. And showing us off meant having us attend a press conference, with five speakers, that none of us understood. There were a hand full of translators, but not translating was done.
As I just read in one of my guide books, Italy is organized like a bowl of spaghetti noodles--there is order, it's just not obvious!
The recurring phrase that I understood (because it was said about 100 times in accented English amidst the Italian) was "Made in Italy" and that is the brand that they want the world to know about. With lower priced competition from emerging economies in the world, they are on a mission to enhance the values of this part of Italy's textile heritage, craftsmanship, fashion and quality.
And after spending a day looking at the finest textiles in the world, I have to agree with their point of view.
While photography at the show is strictly forbidden, I may be able to snap some pictures of those products made by people we already do business with. Stay tuned.
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