PARIS — While continuing to court markets abroad, French trade show organizers are concentrating efforts to ensure smooth sailing for business back at home.
In order to cater to retailers who are increasingly visiting far-flung locations to unearth stock, French trade show organizers are making sure that Paris fairs are a necessary stop on the textile and apparel show world tour.
“Today, [retailers] are traveling far more than before,” said Jean-Pierre Mocho, president of the Prêt à Porter, France’s largest ready-to-wear and accessories trade show, which will host some 1,100 exhibitors at the Port de Versailles Feb. 1 to 4. Mocho said that low-cost airfare has helped build buyers’ frequent flyer mileage and noted that 70 percent of visitors to The Train and Platform 2, Prêt’s New York-based venues, were international, with the majority of European origin.
“The Prêt in Paris gives visitors a preview of what the trends will be in their stores for the following season,” Mocho said. The Prêt includes several fashion categories: The Box, the show’s accessories section; Atmosphère, for edgy contemporary brands, and Shibuya, a selection of sportswear and denim brands with a younger bent. “We have our local competition in Paris, but our reputation together is what makes Paris an indispensable stop,” Mocho said.
Who’s Next organizers agreed that the French fashion trade shows offer the ideal balance between commercial brands and cutting-edge young designers.
“Buyers are traveling around the world, becoming more informed and increasing the frequency of their orders,” said Xavier Clergerie, organizer of the Who’s Next and Première Classe contemporary rtw and accessories shows, which coincide with the Prêt à Porter at the Porte de Versailles.
“Brands like Zara and Mango are able to continuously top up their collections. We have to offer the same service to retailers that are increasingly adding new designers to their collections,” Clergerie added.
To meet retailers’ demands for unique contemporary brands, show formats are also evolving. “Supersized stands are today being replaced with smaller spaces and more select offerings. Buyers are discouraged by colossal stands. Our stands are small but directional,” Clergerie said, noting that Who’s Next counts four separate fashion sections, dubbed Fast, Face, Fame and Private.
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The less-is-more approach to booths at trade fairs has been driving sales at Tranoi, the uber-trendy fashion fair to be held March 1 to 4 at the Bourse de Commerce and Avenue Montaigne that boasts a niche fair of around 280 exhibitors. “Buyers are very well informed today. As organizers, we take on the role of personal shoppers. We have to know what
retailers want and make a careful, limited selection of products,” said Michael Hadida, organizer of Tranoi.
Hadida takes a minimalist approach when it comes to optimizing business at the show, advising designers not to overcrowd their stands with too many styles. “Multibrand retailers are diversifying their product range. They are carrying far more brands than in previous years,” Hadida said.
To that end, Hadida created a Swedish designer platform that he plans to continue in March. “Retailers are looking for new brands with a creative edge,” Hadida said. Looking ahead, Hadida plans to create a showcase for Australian brands next fall.
Meanwhile, organizers at Éclat de Mode announced they have shifted dates to Feb. 1 to 4, to coincide with neighboring Who’s Next and Premiere Classe. The event will remain in the two-story Hall 5. Project director Sylvie Gaudy said no major changes are planned. “Improved circulation and orientation is our main priority, in particular on the upper level,” she said.
At Première Vision, Europe’s foremost fabric fair — which will be held at the Villepinte exhibit halls Feb. 20 to 23, together with yarns and trimmings fairs Expofil and Mod’Amont — organizers are focusing on optimizing space and ensuring fluidity for buyers at the show. “We try to ensure that every square meter reaches its maximum profitability,” said Daniel Faure, president of Première Vision. “We reorganized the salon’s layout in order to effectively guide buyers and act as a tool for a successful flow of business.”
Sales at Première Vision’s first Moscow edition last October were encouraging, according to Faure. “The Russian market is increasingly strong. Buyers are looking for high quality and original products,” he said,
noting that classic products and designs were less popular with Russian designers.
Running concurrently with Première Vision is Texworld, a fair organized by Messe Frankfurt, featuring less-
expensive textiles. The show will be moving from the CNIT
complex at La Défense to Le Bourget exhibition hall.
“Traffic at the show will be more fluid,” said Michael Scherpe, president of Messe Frankfurt in France. “Having the show in one single terminal will make it easier for exhibitors and buyers to orient themselves.” Scherpe said that the show would increase the number of exhibitors to between 750 and 800 in February, noting that the new space will allow for thematic sections for categories such as denim and natural fibers.
Organizers from Eurovet-operated Salon International de la Lingerie confirmed the attendance of those traditional French exhibitors who pulled out from the event’s sister trade fair, Lyon Mode City, in September due to factors such as internal restructuring and disaccord with the show dates. The Paris event will return to a four-day stretch, running Feb. 2 to 5, with its Interfiliere section ending Feb. 4. Although its layout in Hall 1 at the Porte de Versailles remains unchanged, one new addition will include the inauguration of the fair’s Spicy Boutique, which will host accessories and merchandising exhibitors geared toward the intimate apparel industry.
“[The event will] also cater to developments in distribution in the lingerie sector,” said SIL sales manager Cecile Vivier, citing Spanish lingerie chain Women’s Secret as a first-time exhibitor.
Meanwhile, a handful of smaller fashion trade fairs throughout the capital will run around the same time as the runway shows. Workshop Paris will be held at Le Cercle Republican and Hotel Regina, while Paris Sur Mode, to be held March 2 to 5, will pitch tents in the Tuileries Gardens to join Atmosphère d’Hiver and the second session of Première Classe.
Boutique designer show Rendez-Vous Femme will convene at L’Espace Richelieu in Paris from March 1 to 4, while Vendôme Luxury Trade Show will be held concurrently at the Ritz Hotel and the Park Hyatt Vendôme.