The Italian Trade Agency (ITA), in a collaboration with Cosmetica Italia – The Personal Care Association and Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, recently held an all day “Beauty Made in Italy — What’s New/What’s Next” event at The EDITION West Hollywood hotel in Los Angeles. The event welcomed industry leaders, beauty professionals, editors, and influencers to learn about Italian beauty innovations, products, and trends.

The all-day affair started with a special wellness moment where guests were invited for a relaxing sound bath session, led by Jennifer Elliott. The 45-minute meditation helped relax guests, who were treated to a range of products from Italy on their mats. There were also displays on hand of  Italian made products from (Comfort Zone) by Davines Group, Olivella, Lisap Milano, Pettenon Cosmetics, N&B Natural is Better, Rudy Profumi, Fontana Contarini Cosmetics, and Confalonieri Matite.

After the sound bath, more guests arrived to enjoy a  delicious family style lunch of Italian food including seasonal vegetables, burrata, and  basil dish, pasta carbonara, petaluma chicken piccata, and a lemon mascarpone tart desert. ITA’s head of Fashion & Beauty Division US,  Alessio Nanni welcomed guests including Vernon Francois, Lilliana Vasquez, Marta Pozzan, Ashley Haas, Merle Ginsberg, Madi Webb, Andrew Matarazo, Darren Kennedy, Manasvi Mamgai, Nicholas Birchall, Summer Soderstrom, and more. 

The highlight of the day was a panel to gain insights into the latest trends and innovations, experiencing firsthand what sets Italian beauty apart on the global stage. Panelists included Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna’s head of business development, Francesca Maturi, Cosmetica Italia’s vice president, Fabio Franchina, territory manager of Comfort Zone/Davines North America, Jessica Ruth, Diana Madison Beauty founder, Diana Madison, and Gente Beauty founder, Mari Fonesca. The panel was moderated by blogger and NUUDS founder, Daryl-Ann Dexter. 

Franchina opened the discussion with impressive stats boasting the success of Italian brands worldwide. In 2023, the North American market accounted for 14.5% of total exports from the Italian cosmetics industry, surpassing one billion euros, according to Cosmetica Italia. The US led this growth, with over 962 million euros in value, reflecting a significant increase of nearly 32%. This solidifies the US as the top destination for Italian cosmetic exports for the second consecutive year. Canada also showed strong growth, with makeup products experiencing a notable 61.1% increase.

“Made in Italy cosmetics not only promote wellness and healthy lifestyles but were also perceived as high-quality products, providing a competitive advantage in the US market,” Franchina, says. “The Beauty Made in Italy event, in collaboration with BolognaFiere Cosmoprof and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), aimed to highlight the excellence of the Italian beauty industry, which is appreciated worldwide, with a specific focus on California consumers’ tastes. This initiative strengthened our presence in the US and communicated the distinctive values that make Made in Italy cosmetics unique and attractive. Exports accounted for more than 46% of Italian cosmetics production, reflecting their high appreciation in terms of quality, creativity, performance, and innovation.”

Maturi introduced Cosmoprof to the packed crowd and showed short videos of the show, which has seen worldwide success. The panel then opened up to the other speakers who touched upon sustainability, why showing at Cosmoprof is important, and how to successfully launch a beauty brand. Guests for the panel included Anastasia Soare, Gigi Pelino, Stephanie Pelino, Chinazor Offro, Carly Sloane, Jane Sung, Pandora Amoratis, Dahvi Shira, Liz Flora, Kimberly Yang,  and many more. 

The day concluded with  a special cocktail sunset hour including a signature Aperol Spritz and an opportunity to get to know the panelists and brands on hand. The event celebrated the best of Italy!

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