Vertigini Journal is official media partner of Forum Retail 2026, Italy's largest retail event. On 11 and 12 November, at Superstudio Più in Milan.

This year Vertigini Journal is official media partner of Forum Retail. Our partnership with iKN Italy, organiser of the Forum for twenty-six editions, starts from a clear point: the Forum has moved steadily towards fashion and luxury, and has put at its centre the same questions we work on every day.

Vertigini Studio produces fashion imagery with artificial intelligence. The Journal looks at the point where contemporary art, fashion and AI meet. We want to understand what remains of a brand when the image is generated, what an identity is worth when the tools belong to everyone, where efficiency ends and taste begins. These are the questions we will bring to Superstudio Più over the two days, and report on here, in English and Italian, right after.

The Forum addresses them with numbers in hand. For a few years, artificial intelligence in retail was a promise; this year it is asked for the bill. The theme of the 26th edition is stated plainly: "AI in retail is measured, scaled, replicated". No more experiments to describe, only results to compare.

The forum takes place on 11 and 12 November at Superstudio Più in Milan, on via Tortona. More than 4,000 professionals are expected, along with over 1,500 retailers, 300 speakers, twenty of them international, and 150 technology companies in the expo area. Eight stages will run at once. The organiser, iKN Italy, also brings the format to Mexico City, Barcelona and, in March 2027, Madrid.

This year fashion is not one chapter among many. It runs through both days, on the main stage and in the Fashion Spotlight, which has its own stage and lounge.

Day one

The plenary opens with a question every brand knows: how to grow towards new audiences, categories and collaborations without becoming unrecognisable. Then comes the Coccinelle case. General Manager Emanuele Mazziotta retraces the four years that took the company from 50 to 120 million euros in revenue, interviewed by Monica Camozzi, editor of Styleconomy – Il Sole 24 Ore. Roberta Benaglia, Executive Chairman of Autry, talks about accessible luxury, new store formats and predictive AI in business processes.

The Fashion Spotlight, devoted to digital, store and brand identity, starts from data. Mastercard presents Luxury Insights 2026, a reading of luxury spending built on payment data, with a focus on fashion, watches and jewellery. Christian Parmigiani, Senior Advisor for artificial intelligence at the Quadrivio fund, takes on the question closest to us: how to use AI to create value in luxury without eroding creativity, exclusivity and identity. Also on the programme are a Rinascente case study and a discussion on multibrand retail with Spinnaker Boutiques, Biffi Boutiques, Clan Upstairs and CSM Camera Showroom Milano. The day closes with a Sunset Talk with Pietro Negra, President of Pinko, on how a brand's relevance is built and defended.

Day two

The 12 November plenary is titled "Being concrete and creative in the age of AI". Sheng Li, EU Business Director of Mount to Coast, explains what European retail can learn from Asian players: speed, AI adoption and the integration of content, payments and marketplaces. Giuseppe Grandinetti of Vibram Group moderates. Enzo Fusco, CEO of Blauer, speaks about building value in the new luxury.

The Fashion & Sportswear Spotlight turns to marketplaces, digital and the circular economy, with Miroglio Group, Boggi Milano and EssilorLuxottica. Gaia Guglielmi, Buying & Merchandising Director at YOOX, speaks on re-commerce, vintage and repair. And there is the interview we will follow most closely: Dario Cardamone, VP Global Marketing at Guess, retraces the brand's choices up to the decision to use a model generated with artificial intelligence.

Where AI becomes visible

Alongside the stages runs a programme of experiences. On Wednesday 11 at 11:00, at stand C11, Shopping Cube presents THE CUBE, an immersive virtual showroom. Real models walk and, through AI, digitally wear different garments fitted to their measurements, without ever changing clothes. In the expo area are Fausto, Gulliver's humanoid robot, a robot that draws portraits from a photograph, and Retail On Air, the podcast recorded live over the two days.

12 November is also the day of the Beauty & Retail Pharma Spotlight, with KIKO Milano, L'Oréal and an Ipsos Doxa study on new consumption across beauty, pharmacy and wellness. At 16:45, in Sala Viola, the Retail Awards close the Forum.

See you at Superstudio Più.

Forum Retail 2026 · 11–12 November · Superstudio Più, via Tortona 27, Milan · Programme: ikn.it/forum-retail

Forum Retail is an iKN Italy event. Vertigini Journal is official media partner of the 2026 edition.

Photos: Forum Retail 2025 and THE CUBE by Shopping Cube, courtesy iKN Italy.