T
Somelos was at Milano Unica to continue the decades-long work that made that market “the most important for the company at the European level”, and its presence “went well”, with the reception of traditional customers, but also with the presence of several new contacts with the prospect of more business, said the CEO, Paulo Melo, to T Jornal.
“The Italian market is important for Somelos, as it has been for the last 30 years. It is our biggest market at the European level. With the old customer’s multitude that we have and with the new ones that come to us”. Paulo Melo added: “the offer of increasingly elaborate, sophisticated products with a strong fashion component, we are awarded”.
The participation in the Italian fair had yet another remarkable function: disseminating Somelos’ articles globally, ‘hitchhiking’ to the Italian brands themselves. “The Italian market is a world reference: when we sell to an Italian brand, we sell to the whole world. Italian brands are global, we sell to Italy, but we know that they are products intended to dress people globally”.
For the CEO of Somelos, Italy is not, on the other hand, the ‘Mecca’ of sustainability. “Italy is not the most important market in terms of sustainability. There are more important markets”, or places focused on sustainability. But, for Paulo Melo, “there is more and more special attention on the path of sustainability”. For now, “the Nordic countries, Australia, New Zealand, and the west coast of the United States”, are the ‘champions’ of sustainability worldwide.
The participation of Portuguese SMEs in MILANO UNICA is an initiative of Seletiva Moda and ATP – Portuguese Textile and Clothing Association, which aims to promote the internationalization of Portuguese companies in the textile sector. This fair is included in the From Portugal project, within the scope of the application submitted to the Portugal 2020 joint internationalization projects.