The euro may be soaring near historic levels against the dollar and consumer spending may be sputtering in France, but trade show organizers here are upbeat about the upcoming season.
Organizers said they did strong business in the second half of 2004 and are confident the momentum will spill into next year. They added that recent efforts to bolster creativity and service are bearing fruit, as more international buyers visit their fairs.
Buyers from Eastern Europe, Russia, Japan and the Middle East were all more numerous last season, they said. Meanwhile, Americans continued to visit the shows, despite the expense of European goods due to the value of the euro.
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Organizers admitted the economic environment presents a challenge. Most said success hinges on positioning their shows at the top end of the creative spectrum, playing off Paris’ image as fashion’s reigning world capital.
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Brand-building also is getting attention. For instance, the Prêt à Porter show, which will convene at the Porte de Versailles Jan. 28-31, this fall launched a sister show in New York, dubbed “The Train,” to bolster its international profile.
“We want to build recognition in the United States,” explained Jean-Pierre Mocho, president of France’s garment federation, which runs the Prêt. “We want to attract more American brands to the Paris show and get our brand out there.”
Mocho expects some 1,200 brands to exhibit at the upcoming edition of the Prêt. Over the last few seasons, Mocho and his squad have been overhauling the fair. They have brought in more creative fashion, improved services and redesigned many of the stands.
“We will continue to improve the level of exhibitors,” said Mocho. “We want to shine the light on creativity. This is the way to help retailers generate business in difficult times. You must have products with an added value.”
He said the Atmosphère designer section of the show would continue its trendy fashion approach and that the show, in an attempt to excite the wider French public, would open its doors to nonprofessionals for the first time for one day.
“We’re interested in making the show more convivial,” he said, adding that to facilitate traffic, a new entrance would be opened on the fourth floor.
Meanwhile, the Porte de Versailles will welcome a raft of other trade events concurrent to the Prêt, including the young fashion forum Who’s Next, the Premiere Classe accessories show, jewelry show Bijorhca/Eclat de Mode and the Salon International de la Lingerie event.
Who’s Next organizers Xavier Clergerie and Bertrand Foache, who also manage Premiere Classe, predict the retailing environment will pick up in Europe next year. “We’re pretty optimistic,” said Foache. “Last season was strong and we think that should continue in January.”
Who’s Next expects some 550 exhibitors. “The show keeps getting bigger,” said Foache. “We are working on adding a tent outside to host fashion shows and other activities.”
Meanwhile, the show wants to broaden its appeal overseas. It is courting potential Chinese visitors with press releases and informational meetings to bring more of them to the show. In September, Who’s Next will make a similar promotional trip to the U.S., Foache added.
At the upcoming edition of Premiere Classe, Foache said some 280 accessories firms would show. “We’re still interested in making the show as selective as possible,” he explained. “We continue to move it upmarket.”
Premiere Classe also will host about 280 exhibitors when it convenes March 4-7 in the tents at the Tuileries Gardens. “The Tuileries show was a big success last time,” said Foache. “We saw the return of Americans and big business from Eastern Europe and the Middle East.”
At Bijorhca/Eclat de Mode, show director Sylvie Gaudy said it would switch to hall four this season after suffering from an air-conditioning failure in September.
“We want to make all of our visitors comfortable,” she said. “The climate will be controlled.”
Bijorhca, which expects some 350 exhibitors, also is working to build its profile in America. For its September edition, it plans to host an American pavilion in partnership with the American ambassador to France.
“The euro may be strong, and that may make it difficult for American buyers,” said Gaudy, “but it makes American merchandise more attractive in Europe.”
She added, “We want the show to be a window on European fashion.”
At Salon International de la Lingerie, Claire Jonathan, who oversees the event, said efforts were under way to make it more dynamic and younger.
More designer lingerie, for example, will be showcased, including newcomers Sonia Rykiel and Versace.
“The economic environment is volatile,” she said. “And we can’t fall asleep. To be successful, we must be energetic and have creative products with added value.”
About 550 brands are expected at SIL. Also on tap will be SIL’s sister show, Interfiliere, which is dedicated to fabrics and will be integrated into the same hall as SIL, after being separated from it last January.
“It will make the buyers more comfortable,” said Jonathan. She also said that the trend forum would be revamped with an emphasis on innovation, technical fabrics and fashion.
“We are asking ourselves more questions now about how we can improve the shows than ever before,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Première Vision, Europe’s foremost fabric fair, will gather at the Villepint exhibit halls March 9-12 at the same time as the Expofil yarn fair and the Mod’Amont trimmings event.
PV saw a 17 percent jump in the number of American visitors at its September event and it expects to do good business this time around. PV president Daniel Faure said he was optimistic. “The new colors for summer 2006 are fantastic and very elegant,” he added.
Across town, at Texworld, the fair organized by Messe Frankfurt that features less expensive textiles, administrator Stephanie Keukert said efforts continue to elevate the quality level of exhibitors.
Texworld, staged March 8-11 at the CNIT complex at La Défense, the business district just west of Paris, expects some 650 participants from countries including China, South Korea, Indonesia, India and Brazil.
Buyers also come to Paris for the smaller, fashion-forward fairs peppering the capital around the runway shows. Workshop, the designer forum run by Sarah Tenot, will convene March 3-7 at the Cercle Republican on the Avenue de l’Opéra as well as at the Regina Hotel on the Rue de Rivoli. It expects to host some 100 vendors.
Designer fashion show Paris Sur Mode will erect tents in the Tuileries Gardens on those same dates to join Atmosphère and the second edition of Premiere Classe.
Armand Adida, who recently acquired ready-to-wear and accessories show Tranoï from Muriel Gamboa, will add a venue on the Avenue Montaigne to the show’s existing Bourse de Commerce and Austerlitz locations for the March 3-7 edition. And Carole de Bona will host the 19 Vendôme show, which she said caters to smaller luxury brands, on March 2-5.