(by Mauro Cortesi).
(ANSA) - Rho-Pero, September 18 - The 84th edition of leading international footwear trade fair Micam has opened at the Rho fair grounds near Milan.
Micam, which runs through Wednesday, was scheduled to coincide with Mipel, a trade fair dedicated to bags and accessories, and the HoMi life style trade show.
Inaugurating the event on Sunday, Premier Paolo Gentiloni praised Italian footwear producers for "exporting 209 million pairs of shoes in the world" and stressed the sector's potential for growth.
"We must move in this direction with the protagonists, those who are producing the marvels we are looking at", he said of show manufacturing companies.
Micam's final day also coincides with the opening of Milan fashion week on September 20-25 debuting women's spring-summer 2018 ready-to-wear collections.
A reported 1,441 exhibitors, including 797 Italian brands, are presenting their shoe collections at Micam.
Luxury brands at the trade fair include Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci, Prada and Tod's.
Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, Sergio Rossi and Zegna will be at Micam for the first time this year.
A total of 300 brands will be represented at Mipel and 1,370 labels at HoMi.
Annarita Pilotti, president of the national association representing Italian footwear companies, Assocalzaturifici, and Micam, called the trade fair the "most important footwear event in the world".
"We worked to create this synergy" with the confederation of fashion producers Confindustria Moda "to be present together during Milan fashion week", she said.
"It was an objective we were pursuing and we have finally succeeded".
Micam's inauguration was attended, among others, by the president of Fiera Milano, Lorenzo Caprio, the CEO of Fiera Milano, Fabrizio Curci, the president of Camera della Moda, Carlo Capasa, and several fashion designers and entrepreneurs including Tod's shoe magnate Diego Della Valle.
"I am very happy to see that major brands and real Italian companies succeeded in organizing things together", said Della Valle.
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