SAMAB-Fashion Technologies Event to Launch in Milan, Focusing on Innovation in Textiles and Garment Manufacturing
Superstudio Maxi in Milan will host the debut of the SAMAB-Fashion Technologies Event, a new initiative scheduled for May 27-29, 2025. The event aims to provide a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge technological solutions for fabric processing and garment manufacturing.
Organized by Senaf and supported by industry associations like ANTIA (National Association of Professional Fashion System Technicians), Confindustria Moda – Textile and Fashion Federation, and IACDE (International of Association of Clothing Designers and Executives), Samab will feature approximately 60 companies. These companies will represent various sectors within the fashion industry, including design, cutting, CAD/CAM/PLM, sewing, ironing, thermo-adhesive applications, embroidery, and logistics. The event will also include workshops, conferences, and B2B meetings.
SAMAB is aimed at professionals in the fashion industry, including production managers, fashion designers, prototypists, and logistics managers. It’s designed as an experiential event, aiming to foster collaborations among key industry players and promote innovation to boost the Italian fashion supply chain’s competitiveness.
The event’s agenda and objectives were presented during a press conference at Confindustria Moda – Federazione Tessile e Moda, the Italian textile manufacturers’ association. Discussions centered on the current economic climate and the necessity for businesses to adapt to global market dynamics. Attendees included Gianfranco Di Natale, General Manager of Confindustria Moda, Chiara Dussini, President of Antia, and Ivo Nardella, President of Senaf.
During the conference, Gianfranco Di Natale, Director General of Confindustria Moda, highlighted the significant transformations the Italian textile and clothing sector is currently undergoing. He noted that the challenges are systemic, affecting the entire industry rather than being a temporary issue. The event’s organizers also emphasized the importance for companies to rethink business strategies and adopt greater innovation, sustainability, and digitalization to adapt to changing market dynamics.
Di Natale presented data illustrating the sector’s performance. The textile-clothing industry, comprising 40,000 companies and 380,000 employees, closed 2024 with an estimated turnover of €59.8 billion, reflecting a decrease of about €4 billion compared to 2023. “Although we have managed to contain the losses in our sector, if we add them to those recorded by the leather goods sector of around €9 billion, the overall sector has recorded a drop in turnover of around €15 billion,” Di Natale explained. He added that a decline in demand is pushing Italian companies to prioritize innovation, sustainability, and digitalization in their production models.
Because exports account for 60% of Italian turnover, the involvement of international players is crucial. SAMAB aims to attract foreign visitors and highlight the appeal of Italian Style. To achieve these goals, organizers have conducted extensive research and anticipate that 30% of visitors will be specialized international buyers.
Emilio Bianchi, General Manager of Senaf/SAMAB, stressed the event’s significance as a venue for networking and experience, under the banner of Italian Style, presented from various angles, including catering and the design of the venue, which was created in conjunction with the School of Design of the Polytechnic. “This is a crucial moment in which we need to reflect,” said Bianchi.
Chiara Dussini, President of Antia, expressed her organization’s strong support for SAMAB, emphasizing the industry’s need for a platform focused on strategic and technical comparisons. “Innovation is not only technology, but also a mentality and the ability to adapt and anticipate change,” Dussini said.
Alberto Gregotti, a representative of the SAMAB steering committee, added that it’s essential to update the industry’s “toolbox” by leveraging technological advancements and regulatory incentives; which is why SAMAB is a crucial space for companies to rediscover innovation at every stage of production. He concluded by stressing four key principles for the industry’s future: Relaunch, Rebalance, Research, and Resistance.
“In a context in which reshoring and the valorization of Made in Italy are strategic levers for competitiveness, Italian companies today more than ever need concrete tools to innovate, optimise production processes and invest in the skills of the future,” added Ivo Nardella, president of Tecniche Nuove Group and Senaf. He explained that SAMAB is intended to offer practical support to businesses in the sector.
The event will also address training for new professionals, covering the new challenges in production and technology. Andrea Piva, a spokesman for IACDE—an international association of designers and executives—and head of patternmaking at Rick Owens, emphasized IACDE Italy’s role in promoting connections between professionals, companies, and designers. He also discussed the importance of design innovation and the merging of sectors: “We believe in the importance of design innovation and contamination between sectors,” Piva said.
The event seeks to highlight the cruciality of teaching tomorrow’s insiders the value of integrating technology and learning while fostering innovative thinking.
