PARIS — Style staples for fall will run the gamut from flowing dresses to conservative Fifties-inspired tailoring and skinny jeans, based on the Prêt à Porter and Who’s Next trade shows.
Most retailers attending the events at the four-day fairs at Porte de Versailles exhibit halls that ended Feb. 5 said they maintained their belief in the feminine frocks that have boosted business during the last few seasons. Buyers also said that while black is resurgent on runways, they would stand by color, with deep browns, purples, blues and yellows shaping up as the season’s mainstays. Gold and silver were also popular, underscoring the trend for luxurious-looking apparel.
Exhibitors reported strong order writing on signs of improved consumer spending in Europe and robust demand from Asia, Russia, Ireland and the Middle East.
Key denim looks ran from super-fitted jeans to styles with embroidery and antique washing details. Dresses were a strong carryover trend, buyers said.
The organizers of Who’s Next reported attendance of 32,102, a 3 percent increase from last year, while the Prêt said 41,085 buyers visited, up 2 percent.
The Prêt and Who’s Next mostly cater to European buyers, while international buyers tend to visit events around the Paris runway shows that kick off later this month. In recent seasons, both shows have sought to broaden their appeal.
Prêt president Jean-Pierre Mocho said its marketing initiatives have started to bear fruit.
“The number of international visitors is up double-digits,” he said, noting that the general business trends appeared to be going in the right direction. “Europe is improving. Retail sales in France also are on the mend. Most exhibitors said it looks to be a very strong start to the year.”
Didier Parakian, who runs his fashion brand of the same name based in Marseille, said steady order writing augured a 20 percent increase in sales compared with last year.
“I’ve been selling great,” he said. “Russia used to be my El Dorado, now it’s even more than that. I’ve also had good business from Ukraine and the Middle East.”
Retailers also voiced confidence, saying spring has started on a strong footing. Stores catering to the lower and middle end of the price spectrum were not as enthusiastic.
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“I will increase my budget 20 percent from last year,” said Shahira Salem, owner of the Chatin fashion boutique in Cairo, shopping for miniskirts, dresses and varied styles in light colors.
Sarah Barrett, who owns the Mandeville fashion shop in Dublin, said she had seen positive business.
“There is a lot of cash in Ireland right now and a demand for upmarket clothes,” Barrett said. “I’m looking for unique and different items that are easy to mix and match. Quality is very important, too.”
However, Vera Serduk, commercial director for L’Ete in Moscow, a middle-market fashion store, said business had been “so-so, nothing to write home about. Luxury is booming in Moscow, but the rest isn’t as great.”
At the Who’s Next show, buyers said ladylike looks with a Fifties flare, such as fitted jackets with cropped sleeves and Empire waists, would fill wardrobes next winter, as would tones of gray. Retailers said budgets were on par with last year and preached a prudent buying approach.
“Many buyers are holding back now for in-season trading,” said Sally Heath, contemporary fashion buyer for London’s House of Fraser. “You have to be flexible with today’s market. You have to be able to react quickly to the trends.”
Charlotte Di Marschall, owner of Victorienne, a specialty boutique in Bolzano, Italy, said, “It’s important to take more time and place orders carefully.”
Di Marschall said she would place orders with Belgian label Just In Case. “Victorian touches such as high collars and long skirts are very pretty,” she said.
Many buyers were banking on classical feminine looks for the winter. House of Fraser’s Heath highlighted “clean ladylike jackets with a Jackie O feel.”
Heath shopped for styles at Antwerp’s Essential and Paris-based Diab’Less. Eighties-inspired, loose-fitting dresses, oversized cardigans and skinny jeans are also key looks for next winter, retailers said.
Michael Jiang, buyer for Jessie, a 2,150-square-foot women’s boutique in Hangzhou, China, said, “In China people are continuously looking for interesting new brands,” as he shopped at the Hamburg, Germany-based sportswear label Closed.
Exhibitors reported good business overall, with a strong turnout of Asian buyers.
“There are many retailers from the Far East,” said Wanda Herbert, designer for the Paris-based Nocollection, who predicted big mohair sweaters and flowing silk dresses would be a popular combination next season.