The prospect of gleaning information about the international trade show circuit drew 130 innerwear executives to a seminar on fabric and intimate trends from the Lyon, Mode City fair.
However, the event, staged Nov. 9 by The Underfashion Club Inc. at the Park Avenue Country Club restaurant in Manhattan, did not focus exclusively on the Lyon edition. A brief overview also was given of the Shanghai, Mode Lingerie sourcing, fabrics and intimates fair, as well as a snapshot of what to expect at the Salon International de la Lingerie in Paris from Feb. 2 to 5.
The speakers were Anne-Manuele Hebert, international department manager for French trade show giant Eurovet, and Silvia Harven, creative director of Abercrombie & Fitch. Harven’s background is primarily in the intimate apparel field, where she most recently served as vice president of new business at Vanity Fair Intimates.
“My purpose is to update everybody here with the latest news,” Hebert said.
The big news was in regards to the Interfilière textiles fair, which traditionally is staged in conjunction with the Lyon fair in September and the Paris show in February. But this time, Eurovet has decided to introduce a one-day Interfilière preview in Paris on June 26 intended to give exhibitors a jump-start on trends before Lyon kicks off. It will be staged at the Palais des Congrès/Porte Maillot.
Meanwhile, Hebert noted that the second edition of the Shanghai show was a success, with 4,123 visitors. Fifty-four percent came to source fabrics, 34 percent were scouting for brands to distribute and 12 percent were on the hunt for new production partners. Visitors from the international marketplace included Triumph, Toyoba, Toray and Wacoal from Japan; Etam, Huit, Empreinte, Lejaby and Lise Charmel of France; Schiesser and Naturana from Germany; Delta Galil and Lee Copper of Israel; Wild Orchid of Russia, and several big names from the U.S. — Fruit of the Loom, VF Intimates, Dow, Saramax and Victoria’s Secret. The Chinese contingent included a melting pot of international companies, among them Hanesbrands, Maidenform, Mast, Esprit and Adidas.
“China and its consumers represent an annual 2 billion euro [approximately $2.6 billion at current exchange] business for lingerie, and the demand and consumption is growing by 15 to 20 percent in certain areas,” Hebert said.
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As a result of the positive reaction, Hebert said a bigger, more prestigious Shanghai, Mode Lingerie venue is planned for next October and an additional lingerie trade session is to be launched at the end of March in Hong Kong. The decision to create a second fair in Asia was based on improving the calendar needs of manufacturers and distributors to ensure the quality of supply chain issues, timely deliveries and on-trend merchandise, she said.
As for the upcoming SIL edition in Paris, Hebert said it will have a “new visual identity,” encompassing 580 international brands. New segments will include cosmetics, candles and bath and body products; maternity items, and expanded forums for men’s underwear and plus sizes. There also will be retail seminars and the Feb. 2 to 4 Interfilière section will conduct conferences on eco-friendly fibers, as well as directional trend presentations, including Antiquité a Gogo, Bubbles & Bling and Ultra Nature.
Supermodel Eva Herzegovina will head a panel of jurists who will select the winners.
The Lyon, Mode City edition in 2007 is slated for Sept. 1 to 3. In addition to an expanded men’s innerwear area, there will be a focus on a new category: Sport Active, which will include sporting equipment.
Addressing the absence of several key French lingerie brands such as Chantelle and Aubade at this year’s Lyon fair in September, Hebert said, “Lyon, Mode City has existed for 20 years, and we pull in 19,000 visitors, 60 percent of whom are international. We were forced to scrutinize our show and survey customers. Fifty percent said the Lyon dates were not appropriate, while 50 percent said no clear solution could be found.
“We decided to keep the [Lyon] dates because it attracts the international lingerie and swimwear industries, and it brings an opportunity to start a new season. There’s back-to-school for the boutiques, and what’s really wonderful is the prêt-à-porter shows in Paris following Lyon. That pleases a number of people.”
Addressing key trends at the Lyon show, Harven of Abercrombie & Fitch presented a slide show of looks she found to be directional, including French Impressionist-inspired corsetry with soft, romantic colors from Renoir or Van Gogh; antique porcelain doll hues; Empire lines, and reembroidered laces. There also was a new direction in creating texture in a fabric through bows, rib patterns, trims and novelty embroideries, she said.
Harven noted that “structured elegance” and a “huge return” to Santoni seamless styles were gaining importance, as well as a trend she described as “eternal youth” in shades that ranged from “pop art to soda pop,” like Sprite, bubble gum, carnation and sun. A lot of these lingerie styles are taking their cue from swimwear, she said.
Finally, Harven singled out exotic macro trends that lend a sense of escapism to classic lingerie, such as crochets from Brazil, lattice and scroll effects, delicate filigree embroideries and ready-to-wear-inspired color blocking.