Marcolin: people want Made in Italy

On the eve of the third stop of the tour which sees Anfao as the protagonist of eyewear fashion shows from one side of the world to the other (February 25 in Shanghai, March 9 in Moscow and this evening in New York), the Chairman of Anfao, Cirillo Marcolin, told Il Sole 24 Ore about his satisfaction with the success achieved to date.

If China is for the time being an irritating competitor and the 'home' of counterfeiting, then Russia is an emerging market where Italy already exports to the amount of 7.5 million euros. 'It has enormous potential and we will see the results of these initiatives in a few years' time because wealthier consumers' desire for Made in Italy is really strong', Marcolin said.

'The fashion show at the Pushkin Museum went very well. There is also the problem of fakes here too, however the local authorities assured that they will be very strict on this score'.

Italy is also trying to fight against illegality with greater effectiveness: with regard to this point Marcolin pointed out that Anfao is discussing a collaboration agreement with Customs. The crisis can only be overcome by investing in promotions and by opening up new opportunities for the sector in emerging markets. Anfao has been carrying out this approach for years and the results will certainly be evident in the medium-to-long term.