White launches WSM Fashion Reboot, a sustainability-focused trade fair in Milan

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jan 7, 2020

White Street Market is no more, having been renamed WSM Fashion Reboot last season. And the "S" in "WSM" no longer stands for "street", but for "sustainability." This new trade fair from the organisers of White Milano claims to be "the first event dedicated to sustainable innovation and fashion design" and will take place in Milan from 11 to 12 January, during the Lombard capital's men's fashion week, at 54 Via Tortona, a former industrial plant run by the Ansaldo steel mill. 

In June 2018, White president Massimiliano Bizzi launched a new hybrid format open to both buyers and the public – "White Street Market" – bringing together the worlds of sport and streetwear in a trade fair that replaced the group's former menswear event. Having surfed the streetwear wave, Bizzi is now joining a number of his industry peers in embracing the cause of sustainable development. 

WSM Fashion Reboot's creative direction has been confided to Matteo Ward, co-founder of eco-friendly street brand Wråd and something of an expert in sustainable development. The trade fair will welcome some 80 brands that work with a sustainable model, or that have produced specific collections using certain sustainable practices, such as upcycling or the circular economy. 

Among the designers and labels selected for the event's first edition in January, Vivienne Westwood, Tiziano Guardini, Boyish Jeans and Paul & Shark are all set to participate with a range of eco-initiatives, along with a group of young Danish designers. The fair will also be enriched by the attendance of a number of different mills, including Candiani Denim, Albini Group, Canepa and Orange Fiber. 

Along with the brands on the exhibition floor, the trade fair is also aiming to propose new projects, debates and initiatives focused on sustainability. The event will see the launch of the Sustainable Manufacturing and Responsible Innovation Technologies competition, which aims to spotlight 10 start-ups developing environmentally responsible products or services. Visitors will also be able to attend a series of round tables, as well as see a section of the "Sustainable Thinking" exhibition organised by Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence, which includes pieces from the brand's archives.