Milan is preparing to host its annual men's fashion show on Saturday, billed as the biggest in the world, as the sector tries to shake off the devastating effects of the global economic crisis.

Thirty-six brands including Dolce&Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Prada are set to take to the catwalks for the four-day fashion festival, which organisers said would showcase the men's fashion industry during a time of recovery. The autumn-winter collection show kicks off on Saturday with top brands including Ermenegildo Zegna, Dolce&Gabbana, Jil Sander and Roberto Cavalli.

Sunday will see shows by Bottega Veneta, Emporio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Vivienne Westwood, Missoni and Prada.  Gucci, Etro, Versace, Moschino and Alexander McQueen will be on Monday, followed on Tuesday by DSquared2 and Giorgio Armani.

More than 10,000 fashion sector players are expected to attend, along with some 1,000 journalists from 26 countries, organisers said. The Italian fashion industry grew by 6.5 percent in 2010 but turnover is still below 2007 levels. The National Chamber for Italian Fashion is forecasting growth of 8.0 percent in 2011.