The Spring/Summer 2015 Milan Fashion Week ended on Monday after six days of runways surrounded by a variety of scattered events aimed at bringing the fashion world closer to citizens.

Fashion is a key sector of the Italian economy, and organizers have realized the importance of involving people and especially the young generation in its development, Cristina Tajani, Milan councillor for labor policy, economic development, universities and research told Xinhua.

"This edition we have particularly invested in presenting fashion not only as a sector reserved to professionals, but also as a productive pillar of the Italian economy open to everyone," she said.

According to the National Chamber for Italian Fashion, the country's fashion industry - textiles, apparel, leather goods and footwear - will post a 4.2-percent growth in turnover and 4.8-percent growth in exports this year compared to 2013.

The 2014 turnover is expected to be nearly 62 billion euros (almost 80 billion U.S. dollars) and exports more than 47 billion euros (over 60 billion U.S. dollars).

Besides 67 runways presenting the creations of big fashion firms such as Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Gucci, Tod's and Roberto Cavalli as well as newcomers, dozens of events livened up Milan.

The local government, universities and the numerous design schools of the Italian northern city had a role in the initiatives, many of which were open to passers-by and free of charge.

"Milan has made available various public venues not so much for the established fashion houses, but especially for young talents, which are the future of fashion," Tajani went on saying. "The response of citizens was very positive," she told Xinhua.

The fashion week kicked off on Wednesday preceded by the Vogue Fashion's Night Out. From sunset until midnight stores of the fashion district of Milan remained open with products in limited edition, accompanied by parties all around.

Then it was the turn of new ideas to present to a wide public the often unknown culture of the fashion world, which ranges from art to cinema.

An exhibition linked to the food-themed world exposition which will run from May 1 to Oct. 31, 2015, in Milan was one of these.

During the first Fashion Film Festival, with free entrance, emerging fashion filmmakers and new brands were supported to showcase their works in front of an international jury.

More than 70 films were presented for two whole days. The Best Fashion Film award went to The purgatory of monotony, directed by U.S. filmmaker Ace Norton and centered on surrealism of the mundane.

Also speaking of cinema, this edition of the fashion week was the occasion to celebrate Italian actress Sophia Loren, who turned 80 on Saturday, with a photographic exhibition that reached deep into her back catalogue to design a picture of the diva rarely seen before.

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