The golden years of eyewear and MIDO

From 1995 to 1999 Paolo Cannicci has been the President of MIDO. The Past President reconstructs these years marked by a double-digit growth of Made in Italy glasses.

What was the industry's scenario in the years when you were President of MIDO?

I’ve been President of MIDO and also of Anfao for about 7/8 years and I stopped in 2002. I really appreciated my election because it came after it had been covered by the big names in the sector. We were at a time when the Made in Italy product was growing at double digits and thanks to MIDO, an event that was the result of an initiative by Cav. Mario Lozza, the Cadore, the District of the Italian Eyewear, managed to have an international scope. The great names of Made in Italy with their farsightedness meant that the Italian eyewear conquered the export before the advent of Chinese production.

What role did MIDO play in that context?

MIDO was born as a purely Italian event and over the years has expanded to all international behavior establishing itself as a leader. It was a context of primary importance in which everything that the world of optics represented was represented.

Over the years, the complete range of products has been accompanied by the idea of transforming it into a convivial moment: I remember the evening in Porta Romana where Renzo Arbore was the protagonist and then the gala dinner at the Castello Sforzesco with a concert by Zucchero Fornaciari. These initiatives were highly appreciated by foreign buyers.

What were the key elements and innovations that characterised your presidency?

Those were the years in which Anfao worked with ICE to carry out missions to trade fairs abroad.

Among the initiatives there was also the book "Occhiali e Cinema", which gave a further contribution to the visibility of glasses as a fashion accessory and strengthened its long-standing link with the world of cinema.

How were the spaces defined?

The team that managed MIDO in these years was to be appreciated because the definition of the exhibition spaces was optimal and the fair helped to give enormous visibility to the sector.

MIDO has also grown at the same time as Made in Italy, which in those years replaced some historical competitors. The confirmation of the strength of Made in Italy was supported by the fact that in recent years some foreign fashion brands entrusted the Italians with their production and distribution.

How were the spaces defined?

The team that managed MIDO in these years was to be appreciated because the definition of the exhibition spaces was optimal and the fair helped to give enormous visibility to the sector.

MIDO has also grown at the same time as Made in Italy, which in those years replaced some historical competitors. The confirmation of the strength of Made in Italy was supported by the fact that in recent years some foreign fashion brands entrusted the Italians with their production and distribution.

What is your opinion on the direction taken by MIDO after its mandate?

Growth has continued and has been constant: MIDO is increasingly visible and is not affected by any foreign competition.

I can only congratulate the current management. The DaTE, which is co-participated by MIDO, is also an extremely positive niche event, where opticians can find cutting-edge products to distinguish their points of sale, and let's not forget that now MIDO is also synonymous with culture about the good seen at an international level.