A model presents a creation of Giorgio Armani Autumn/Winter 18/19 women collection during Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Feb. 24, 2018. (Xinhua File/Jin Yu)

Key players in Italy's fashion industry believe that China is an increasingly important market for Italian fashion houses.

The importance of China's market is amplified by the fact that its economy is one of very few in the world to have survived the coronavirus pandemic relatively unscathed.

ROME, Nov. 30  -- Italy's fashion industry is working hard to ensure it remains in fashion in China, the world's fastest-growing major market for high-end clothing and accessories.

Key players in the sector have told Xinhua that China is an increasingly important market for Italian fashion houses.

The market in China "is one of the few areas where we can say things are actually going pretty well for fashion companies," Mario Boselli, president of the Italy-China Foundation, said in an interview. "Italian companies are among the major players in the market, and they are taking the steps necessary to keep things that way."

According to Nicola Guerini, director-general of the Milan Fashion Institute, the success of Italian fashion products and other Italian non-fashion brands in China gives companies a strong base to build on.

"The 'Made in Italy' brand has value in China," Guerini told Xinhua. "Chinese consumers are increasingly interested in high-end products and the 'Made in Italy' tag on a product is a signal that something is of a certain level."

Boselli agreed: "The two main keys for success not only in China but in most markets are that a product should have a beautiful design and that it should be well made," he said. "That is what 'Made in Italy' represents."

The importance of China's market is amplified by the fact that the Chinese economy is one of very few in the world to have survived the coronavirus pandemic relatively unscathed.