Andrea Boragno, CEO of Italian materials manufacturer Alcantara, held a press conference at the Italian Embassy on March 26th to announce new business strategies, including a full-scale entry into the Japanese fashion market. The press conference was held at the "Fusion of Italian Art and Japanese Technology" event, which included a fashion show for the 2014-15 Autumn/Winter collection in collaboration with Yohji Yamamoto's Y's, and an introduction to Japan of products made with the company's Alcantara material.

The company's total sales in 2013 increased 5.9% from the previous year to 110.7 million euros. By application, the automotive industry accounts for 63%, but the fashion industry already accounts for 10% of total sales. At last year's event, the company announced its business strategy of aggressively expanding beyond the automotive industry into areas such as fashion, consumer electronics, and furniture and interior design. Chairman and CEO Bolaño stated, "We will continue to focus on Made in Italy, tailoring to meet diverse needs, and sustainability." He also emphasized, "This collaboration with Y's will mark our full-scale entry into the Japanese fashion industry. The Japanese fashion market has great potential. Japanese consumers are knowledgeable and discerning. They also highly value Italian products and have the purchasing power. There is great potential." By continuing to promote the brand from Tokyo, the company hopes to increase brand recognition in the fashion industry and collaborate with designers and brands. The event also introduced "A Alcantara," a special collection of women's accessories inspired by Italian bespoke clothing from the 1950s and 1960s, including clutch bags, shoulder bags, and tote bags. This was a pre-presentation for the brand, and its full-scale launch in Japan is expected to take place in a few seasons.