Art: Sussex-based public art project announced featuring renowned contemporary artists' responses to Eric Ravilious paintings

Newhaven is a charming coastal town located in East Sussex, England and situated at the mouth of the River Ouse.  While it is nestled between the bustling city of Brighton to the west and the resort town of Eastbourne to the east, Newhaven has experienced significant developments that have enhanced its appeal as a tourist destination and a place for artistic inspiration. 

Newhaven Harbour - 1936 - Eric Ravilious
Newhaven Harbour lies within walking distance of Furlongs, the home of artist and Ravilious’ friend Peggy Angus. Ravilious would regularly visit Angus and undertake painting trips in the area, including Newhaven, where he was attracted by the busy port, ships, and industrial machinery. 
Image: Towner Eastbourne

With a rich maritime heritage, offering a unique blend of natural beauty, Newhaven has had inspired many artists to convey its landscape and beauty on canvas.  Among them is the well-known British painter, designer, book illustrator and wood-engraver  Eric Ravilious (22 July 1903 – 2 September 1942),  who grew up in Sussex, and is particularly known for his watercolours of the South Downs, and other English landscapes and vernacular art with an off-kilter, modernist sensibility and clarity. 

Now Newhaven has in recent years seen improvements in infrastructure, waterfront redevelopment, and a renewed focus on promoting the arts and culture, with a thriving arts scene.   Local galleries, studios, and community centres have flourished, providing artists with opportunities to showcase their work and interact with the public. These spaces also host regular exhibitions, workshops, and events, fostering a vibrant creative atmosphere in the town.

Vision Machines (Cliff). 2023 Charlotte Prodger
Image: Towner Eastbourne

This August, a free trail of giant billboard-scale artworks will pop up all over Newhaven. Entitled "Follow Ravilious - Newhaven Views", this project celebrates paintings of the town by Ravilious who was drawn to Newhaven's bustling harbour, fishing boats, and the ever-changing play of light on the water. These maritime themes can be seen in many of his paintings, where he skillfully portrayed the interplay of water, sky, and human activity.

Ahead of the Turner Prize coming to Eastbourne to the Towner Gallery this Autumn,  the Newhaven project will feature some of Ravilious’s best loved images of Newhaven, with responses by contemporary artists Charlotte Prodger, Mark Titchner, Emily Allchurch, and Jo Lamb who have been inspired by Ravilious and the modern Newhaven landscape.   The four contemporary artists had been chosen by a panel of arts professionals and cultural leaders, according to Towner Eastbourne which curated and organised the project with the support of the Newhaven Enterprise Zone. The Ravilious works are all in the Towner Eastbourne Collection.  

The trail opens on 1 August and stays up until the end of October 2023.

Each artist’s work will sit alongside a Ravilious painting completing a dialogue between Newhaven’s past, present, and future and exploring Newhaven’s intersecting marine, rural, and industrial landscapes. They will link Newhaven’s dynamic past with the town as it is today, undergoing a renaissance, bursting with creativity, and attracting new residents, businesses, and investment. 

The project will, for the first time, enable some of the works from the collection of  Ravilious Newhaven paintings to sit within the spaces they depict, such as the sea view from the Sussex Coast as well responding to the industry in the area. 

There will be also a full programme of associated events running alongside the trail, including a display of the four paintings in the Ravilious Library at Towner Eastbourne, and artistic responses to the Ravilious paintings by pupils from Newhaven’s Seahaven Academy school.

‘Following Ravilious - Newhaven Views’ is part of the BN9 programme of events and arts activities funded by the Newhaven Enterprise Zone and delivered by Towner Eastbourne in collaboration with Creative Newhaven, with the generous support of Newhaven Enterprise Zone, Boutique Modern, Prismaflex, and King & McGaw.

Trade Show: Just Around the Corner moved to Tobacco Dock in Wapping, East London

Bravo to organisers of the Just Around the Corner (JATC)  fashion trade fair - which took place July 16 - 18 2023 for the SS24 season -  for picking a new location in the historical Tobacco Dock in Wapping, East London.  

The show was held at the same time as two other fashion events: PURE and SCOOP at Olympia London.  Though not quite round the corner from those events, Wapping is still easily accessible to get to by public transport, approximately 40-minute on TFL from Kensington.

The Tobacco Dock building complex offers ample natural light and presents a relaxing atmosphere, as much of the original charm of the architecture has been preserved.  

Organisers made good use of the complex which included a central courtyard, perfect for refreshments offered by the organisers and for networking.  This is surrounded by interconnected spaces (originally warehouses with high ceilings).  Exhibitors' stands were placed in an open plan format in connecting "rooms" franking the centre courtyard.  

As JATC has proven, the venue is a great place for exhibition and events, and would serve well as an adaptable space for conferences, concerts, cultural festivals, and even television and film shoots. 

The history of the dock was closely tied to the area's maritime past and the flourishing trade of tobacco in the 19th century. 

The revitalization of Tobacco Dock has not only preserved a piece of London's maritime history but also injected new life into the Wapping area. The complex serves as a reminder of Wapping's connection to the city's trading past and stands as a vibrant testament to London's ever-changing urban landscape.

JATC showcased a curated selection of 90 fashion brands, featuring sports and streetwear, contemporary fashion, denim and athleisurewear, as well as jewellery, lifestyle and beauty products, zoned under headings of Womenswear,  Menswear,  Together, Responsible, Footwear & Accessories and Lifestyle & Beauty.

There were more than 40 new brands to the event, including Mitchell and Ness, Beaumont Organic, Face Junkie, Margaret Dabbs, Great Plains London, Miss Sixty, P448, Mou, Nine West, Scholl, Sloggi, Free People.  Jewellery and beauty brands, included Milly Grace, Gemsa London, Maeva Rae and Toolally.

Fair creator and director Juls Dawson said they received high volume of positive feedback on the new venue's stunning aesthetics, spaciousness, abundance of natural light and accessibility for both buyers and brands.  The historical Tobacco Dock will certainly provide ample space for future growth.

The next JATC fair will take place February 11-13 2024 for AW24.

All photos by Lucia Carpio.

Trade show: Scoop fashion fair delivered a triumphant Spring/Summer 24 season

SCOOP premium contemporary fashion and lifestyle trade show, held from July 16 - 18 2023, greeted fashion buyers with a Moroccan-infuenced theme for its open and airy interiors decor, making use to great effect of the natural light that filled the West hall of Olympia London in Kensington.

Celebrating a triumphant Spring/Summer 24 season, the show offered an edit of over 250 contemporary womenswear, menswear, accessory and lifestyle collections exclusively curated by the show’s Creative Director and Founder, Karen Radley.  Designers commented on the incredible atmosphere, and styling of the event as well as the strength of the retailers attending.

Organisers reported the show was buzzing with buyers from across the country and internationally including teams from Fenwick, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Liberty, Galleries Lafayette, Anthropologie, Le Bon Marche, John Lewis, Hoopers, Macbees, Cavells, The Dressing Room, Aisling Maher, Anne Furbank, Collen and Clare, Jules B, Chatterton and many more. 

Cecile Massabie and Catherine Gomez from Paris retailer Galeries Lafayette said, “The curation of the show was lovely! We loved how the collections were styled and mixed, it was a beautiful environment. We especially liked Siamese Dreams, Agua Bendita and Scarlett Poppies. Louise Misha was a really interesting collection.” 

Julie Dennis from Jules Boutique commented, “This is the best show yet! We found some great new designers and I’m happy to say that I placed orders with 3 new collections as well as the designers that I always do. The show had a great atmosphere and we actually preferred it to the Saatchi Gallery. It felt really airy and spacious and easier to see new brands.” 

Angie Lou from Angie Lou Boutique said, “It's always beautiful and so enjoyable to come to Scoop. I managed to find Lola Casademunt by Maite and I wanted to mix up footwear in store so was pleased to find designer Lemon Jelly and lovely Espadrilles by Castana.” 

Johanne Taylor from Wild Orchard added, “We had a great Scoop, found a new brand and placed orders with existing. With so many of our brands being in one place it has made our buying trip so much more productive.” 

Exhibiting fashion brands were equally complimentary of the show this season.

Florence Chandler-Lee from International Designer Fashion Agency, Studio Thirteen showcased collections from TreBarraBi, Pearl & Caviar, Maurizo Mykonos and more and said, “Scoop is the hotspot for UK buyers, who travel from all over the country and beyond to be here.  Everyone we wanted to see has come and it has been a very successful show for us.  We love the space and the signature Scoop ambience and feel it sets the scene for our collections.” 

Nicola Orme Co-Founder and Designer of Queens of Archive said, “We are showing at Scoop for the first time this season. We were attracted to the show because of the retailers they welcome, the other brands that are showcasing here - it is all very premium, and the feedback we have heard from other designers.  We‘ve been turning heads all show, and the reaction to our collection has truly blown me away. We have been inundated with new business and coming to Scoop has absolutely been the right decision for us.” 

Jens Kvorning, Head of Internationalisation at SMV Danmark commented on the 16 Danish collections showcasing at Scoop this season, “We have been bringing Danish fashion collections to Scoop for 6 years and have always had a great experience at the show.  The designers this season love the venue, how open and easy it is for the visiting retailers.  They have all had a successful show and met with many new retailers.” 

Marika Drakakis from Traffic People said, “This is our first time showing at Scoop and I love the whole atmosphere and environment.  We have seen all the retailers we expected to see, and opened a lot of new accounts as well as made many more appointments for the showroom.  We have dressed some of the girls welcoming guests to Scoop and I think this has attracted attention to us and our collection!” 

Amanda Connock Founder of Connock London said, “We have been coming to Scoop for eight years now!  We do it every season and we always come back.  We started coming to Scoop to find independent boutiques to stock our collection and we love seeing so many of those stores every season.  For many we have become their signature scent, our product works so well in these stores and doesn’t distract from fashion collections. Scoop is different from everything else that we do, and it really works for us!  The quality of buyers is unmatched and our position right at the entrance this season has meant that we have met everyone that has walked through the door!” 

Wendy Dunne Founder of Lilly Pilly said, “Coming all the way from Australia we did a lot of research to ensure we would be at the right show.  All the feedback we had on Scoop reassured us on the premium designers, the aesthetic of the show and the quality of the retailers.  I am really excited by the leads I have made, and I will definitely want to return next season.” 

Panos Papanderou from Monochrome added, “I go to Paris, Milan and Miami and I can honestly say Scoop is the best show!  The details are beautiful and the music, you don’t see it anywhere else!” 

Scoop’s exclusive showcase also included inspirational collections from Marches Rosa, Saint Armont, Agua Bendita, Huit8, Siamese Dreams, Hanro, Chie Mihara, HIGH, Mes Demoiselles, Transit, Lola Casademunt by Maite, D.A.T.E, Louise Misha, Yerse, Mos Mosh and many more.

Commenting on the success, founder Karen Radley said: “We are closing doors on what has been a truly ‘Exceptional’ season! I have loved seeing buyers reactions to our Moroccan wonderland and the collections and also hearing from our designers how successful the event has been for them.”

All photos by Lucia Carpio

Trade show: PURE LONDON delivered successful July 2023 edition at Olympia London

PURE London took place from July 16- 18 2023 at Olympia London in Kensington, concurringly with SCOOP fashion fair around the corner, welcomed fashion and accessory buyers from major retailers, shops and boutiques from London, across the country and various international markets.

PURE, which this season focused on the Spring - Summer 2024 season, provided three days of trend-led fashion and educational content through catwalk shows, talk events and inspirational trend presentations.  By staging a new more open layout with a nature-verse theme, the show felt more compact and user friendly for visitors to preview the latest on offer from some 220 companies and brands, covering women's wear, accessories, footwear, jewellery and sustainable fashion and products.

Event Director at Pure London, Gloria Sandrucci placed the focus this season on newness. This thread ran through the show which presented a new look and edited layout, welcomed a host of exciting new international brands, celebrated the return of UK retail stalwarts, showcased the new POP destination which proved popular with buyers and, as part of the new collaboration with Graduate Fashion Week, placed graduate designs on the Pure London catwalk. Pure London’s SS24 overarching theme Nature-verse carried across the show’s content, brands, and styling and gave the show a fresh and vibrant personality. 

Jayley

According to the organisers, Pure London attracted buyers and retailers from the likes of John Lewis, ASOS, Galeries Lafayette, Anthropologie, McElhinneys, Monsoon, Jules B, Cavells, Pamela Schiffer, Morley Stores, Maison et Vie, Jessimara, Bob and Ted, Gerrards Fashion and Sister, to name a few.

Fashion, hand-made bag and accessories - Made in Sicily.

Cecile Massabie and Catherine Gomez from the Paris department store Galeries Lafayette said, “We have found some great brands at Pure London - We loved Babachic Bags from India, they were very cool. Sorbet swimwear was great. We found some lovely and great quality dresses in Chico Soleil.”

G.W.D.

Bimbola Akinloye from ASOS said, “I really enjoyed the trend update, I found it insightful and relevant for true Gen Z or even the broader customer who wants to dip in and out of the trend. The styling and direction of the catwalk were great. It was fun, bright, and young and showcased brands relevant to ASOS. Navigating Pure London has been easy, with the separate destinations, it's been easy to find exciting brands and things I need.” 

Wendy Farlow from Appleby & Shaw in Shropshire said, “I picked up some good tips from the presentation this morning on strategies for thriving in a changing landscape. The catwalk was also great. It's nice to get some reassurance that we are doing the right thing in our store. Brilliant to see Onjenu and Elisa Cavaletti at the show, every brand is looking great.” 

 #TOGETHERBAND by BOTTLETOP

Another focus of Pure London has been to continue to draw attention to Sustainability, one of the biggest challenges facing the industry.  Priding itself as an entirely unique feature of Pure London, the Sustainable destination showcases a carefully curated selection of environmentally conscious exhibitors leading the way in addressing their environmental and social impact and for the first time this season supported by #TOGETHERBAND by BOTTLETOP, the Sustainability Hub that offered retailers advice and access to the Independent Retailers Sustainability toolkit and the content programme delivered educational seminars and panel discussions.

Doué 

Sustainability consultant and RETHINK Retail Top Influencer 2023, Steve Lister presented his talk on "Sustainable Success: Empowering Small Independent Businesses with Strategic Sustainability".  Having worked with brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, Nike, Calvin Klein and Adidas, Lister emphasised the importance of acting now, ‘Sustainability is now a global focus. We’re entering a new era of Conscious Capitalism where sustainability strategies and metrics add value to businesses of any size. The UN’s SDG’s are more important than ever and can be used to create a framework strategy for any retailer of any size. There are 6 key pillars to consider when strategizing these; Store Design, Sustainable Materials, Supply Chain Partners, Product Manufacturing, Packaging and Logistics and End of Use Recycling. It’s worth noting that 80% of the environmental impact of a product is determined at the early design stage so understanding the full circularity of your business is imperative to implementing a strategy for change.” 

Phoebe Potter
Edingburgh College of Arts
Graduate Fashion Week

Event Director Sandrucci added, “I have been blown away by the overwhelmingly positive response from buyers this season, commenting on the amazing new brands and the added extras you get when visiting Pure London – the catwalk, the information on trends and the line-up of speakers.” 

This positivity was echoed from exhibitors across the show floor.  Sarah Jemirifo Founder of Hydration London said, “This is our first trade show, we only launched three months ago. We've got an established customer base in Dubai and London already but to come here and tell our brand's story is amazing, the opportunities have been endless, from magazine placements to networking and getting our name out there. Our traffic has been amazing, our designs stand out so people double-take as they walk past, and we've been approached by quite big brands like ASOS. The response has been overwhelming, and our expectations have been exceeded.” 

Ines Martinez from Vilagallo said, “It has been a really good and very busy show for us, Monday particularly was amazing!  We love our location right at the front of the show attracting a lot of attention and we have found great new customers.”  Palladio, fashion agents for Vilagallo among other brands showing at Pure London shared this enthusiasm and Millie Vickers commented, “Pure London is good for us because it really suits the collections that we bring. We have seen a lot of Irish customers here and we know there are buyers who do all their buying here at Pure London.” 

Paisi / Style that never ends

Paola Noguera from Casa de Coco said, “This is my first trade show ever and it’s been really interesting. My goal was to get 10 to 20 strong leads and we’ve hit our target, so I’m happy. The organisers have been very helpful and accommodating, they’ve checked on me several times a day, with it being my first time doing a show which was amazing. I will attend again, you can see the fruits of it, those connections are the only way you’re going to branch out.” 

Melissa Oosterwolde CEO of Melissa Oosterwolde said, “This is my first time exhibiting in the UK! I did my research and discovered Pure London is really the place to be to break into the UK market! The show has exceeded our expectations as we’ve been approached by retailers from Ireland, Scotland and America, and made orders! I would say that the Netherlands trade shows have more European retailers, whereas here it is far more international.” 

BEAUUT / MARYISA

Paul Darling Woods, Director of Pink Lemons said, “This is the first trade show since the pandemic and being back has been great!  We are right at the entrance which has been fantastic as people come straight to us. This is our most successful show ever, we’ve made a lot of orders, spoke with a lot of old clients and new, big retailers.” 

Shelly Herring from Another Sunday said, “We launched nine months ago, so Pure London was our first trade show in February, and we have returned this season. We’ve received orders from current customers and brought new customers on board which is amazing. We have also been approached by other brands for collaborations which is exciting.” 

Malaika Ewande Founder of Vesuvius
Photo from PURE London

George W. Davies

On the Pure London catwalk, Trend Forecaster, Malaika Ewande Founder of Vesuvius introduced four key SS24 trends to buyers, Tech Artistry, Romantic Wanderer, Soothing Luxury and Freaks & Geeks. Powered by the birth of a new digital landscape, Tech Artistry brings together neo-machina and nature-verse. Colours here combine neon pops of yellow and pink, with vibrant metallics in gold and lilac with green tones rooted in nature.

Romantic Wanderer, the ultimate antithesis to Tech Artistry, brings a dreamy romantic character in her feminine era. Built from culture and embedded in empathy and respect, Romantic Wanderer is very compassionate, and calm; a new form of luxury that’s welcoming, looking for taste in tenderness. Colours here eschew traditional pinks and opt for bright coral, moss greens, rich burgundies, tonal greys and pops of blue hues that can be styled together for an elegant luxury.

Soothing Luxury is a celebration of muted taste; smooth and geometric this trend is about quality. Taking inspiration from brutalists and architecture, colours combine copper and gold textures with elemental shades of stone grey, green and browns. Quiet Luxury translates into codes of essential minimalism.

The final trend, Freaks & Geeks is one of the most important trends in the industry right now, that isn’t going anywhere fast. A social trend, Freaks & Geeks is a celebration of identity and individuality, not just visual but cultural. Cemented in the joyful, the colour range is primaries of Red, Cobalt, and Yellow are contrasted with Pinks and Mint Green. There are no rules in this trend, it’s creative but care-free.

Olivia Pinnock, Pure London’s Sustainability Ambassador chaired a panel on circular fashion joined by Cameron Saul CEO & Creative Director BOTTLETOP & #TOGETHERBAND and Harriet Saywood-Bellisario Founder & Designer Saywood. Cameron Saul said, “The fragility of our planet has touched each of us personally.  So how can we use the incredible power of the industry to transform how we use fashion and how can we be innovative and creative or regenerative in the materials that we use.” Harriet Saywood expressed her belief that brands need to take ownership of a product throughout its entire life span, starting with how materials are sourced, to being designed ethically and with longevity to ensuring that at each stage thought is put into repairing, and repurposing and ensuring any waste material is put to use by others in the community. 

Pure London will return to Olympia in Kensington, London, on the 11-13 February 2024.

All photos by Lucia Carpio unless otherwise stated.

Trade Fair: Texworld Evolution Paris reported a successful show for its July 2023 edition

The summer edition of  the Texworld Evolution Paris trade fair - encompassing  Apparel Sourcing, Avantex, Leatherworld and Texworld Paris – which took place from July 3 to 5  –    celebrated the event's 25th anniversary and welcomed nearly 6,800 international trade visitors to preview the latest on offer from 1,350 exhibitors from 27 countries.

The show was held for the first time at the Parc des Expositions in Porte de Versailles, Paris, where it will remain for its 2024 shows as well, while it's former venue at Le Bourget will serve as one of the venues for the 2024 Summer Olympics for which France is host. 

Organisers said Texworld Evolution Paris trade fairs ended on a very positive note as the show took place in association with two other fairs that took place at the same exhibition centre during the same time -  namely Curve Paris and Interfilière Paris (for lingerie products and accessories ) - and thus offered buyers an unprecedentedly broad fashion platform in the heart of the French capital.

Organisers revealed that most of the buyers they had talked to had welcomed the decision to locate the show downtown Paris which simplified access to a show that was particularly eagerly awaited. 

Organisers said in terms of visitor attendance to Texworld, 18% represented France, followed by Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Germany, and in terms of product offerings, this highly international edition confirmed the major balances between the Asian sourcing zones - as demonstrated by the strong Chinese presence, just 6 months after the reopening of the country, as well as Korean and Taiwanese - Indian and Mediterranean, with, once again this year, Turkey had a strong presence as well as a major sourcing country.

Organisers said in the face of inflation, collection managers tend to redirect their long-term sourcing strategy towards Asia or the Mediterranean region for restocking. Texworld is unique in terms of what it has to offer, according to a Spanish buyer from a distribution group.  "In two days, we can build 70 to 80% of our collections, by mixing fabric choices for creations that will be made in Spain or Portugal, but also finished products, which we will have made in Indonesia according to our specifications," said the buyer.

Frédéric Bougeard, President of Messe Frankfurt France which organises the Texworld trade fairs, said this July 2023 session revealed the changes taking place in the global market that is reorganising itself, and for which the offering must be adapted. “The fashion world is increasingly challenged, with consumers - and therefore buyers - becoming more demanding in terms of price, quality and durability." 

Messe Frankfurt Paris photo.

Messe Frankfurt Paris photo

Bougeard added, "We have to do more to attract our visitors and meet their expectations. That's why we've decided to renew our offer, in a new venue with new services, to 'whet the appetite' and make the visit more efficient. Eventually, we'll certainly have to go one step further, and offer our buyers a sharper selection of manufacturers. We are working on this with our partners, and it will be visible at the next edition, from 5 to 7 February in Hall 7 at Porte de Versailles." 

Sustainability remains a key challenge for all in the industry.  A growing number of supplier countries present at the show are incorporating sustainability as a central element of their approach, and are moving fast on this issue. This key topic has been highlighted in the aisles by the sustainable sourcing itinerary, which enables visitors to easily identify several hundred certified companies. 

Messe Frankfurt Paris photo

This year, a number of manufacturers from Pakistan and Taiwan  had joined forces to promote these aspects with a highly specialised range of products.  

Pakistani company Cresent Bahüman Ltd. for one,  at the Sustainable Pakistan pavilion – which recycles the indigo waste generated by its dyeing processes to dye jeans and T-shirts sold by Spanish brand Pull& Bear  of the Inditex group. 

Also worth noting was Wynist Retail Solutions, one of the six companies in the Taiwan Eco-Textiles Collective pavilion, which had developed an upcycling process that produces shop displays ( for retailers such as Uniqlo and Lululemon) using  fabric scraps and used clothing.

South African creativity was in the spotlight once again this year, as Messe Frankfurt featured the winners of the young South African designers' competition, organised by Allfashion Sourcing Cape Town, Messe Frankfurt's sourcing platform for African production. 

Thando Munkus Ntuli (winner 2021) and Carla Hanekom (winner 2022) were present to showcase their creations in a dedicated area near the Agora. The event was organised as a part of the Texpertise – the textile business network, one of whose aims is to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. 

This time the focus was on empowering women and achieving gender equality. Texpertise comprises around fifty of Messe Frankfurt's textile-related trade fairs worldwide.

Every year, as part of the innovation support policy developed by Messe Frankfurt France, the Avantex Fashion Pitch rewards the best projects in the fashion and textile sector. This year the winners are AwareTM and Refact by Induo, who were selected out of eight companies.

Dutch company AwareTM was selected for its scanner employed to determine the exact composition of a garment in order to facilitate its recycling. A special prize was awarded to Refact by Induo, whose solution enables the development on an industrial scale of a process for recycling all types of textiles and producing a new viscose fibre with very low ecological impact. 

The 2023 jury was made up of Corinne Bégaud - head of HEC's Challenge+ programme - Christian Martin - founder of the Fashion Tech Lab and a specialist in augmented reality - and Frédérique Thureau - partner and leader of the TCBL textile network. Organised by Avantex Paris, the international trade fair for innovation in advanced and sustainable fashion, this event gives fashion and textile start-ups international exposure to investors, professionals and the media. CDamslab, De Rigueur, HYPUnderwear, NIL Textile, Redivivum, Terra Ferra and Thesara were finalists in the 2023 Avantex Fashion Pitch.

The next Texworld Evolution Paris trade fairs will take place February 5 - 7, 2024 at Parc des Expositions in Porte de Versailles, Paris.

Photos by Lucia Carpio or otherwise stated.

Trade Fair: Première Vision Paris launched new programme in July as "a better way" to meet challenging market needs

The international textiles and fashion trade fair Première Vision Paris, which took place July 4 to 6 2023 in Paris at Parc des Expositions in Villepinte, north of the French capital, stayed true to its promise and presented "a better way" new programme designed to support the creative fashion industry and to help the international industry make an ecological transition and be better equipped to meet evolving sourcing needs.

As the international market place is increasingly driven by the transition to sustainability, coupled with regulatory changes that comes with adaptation strategies, trade buyers, suppliers and manufacturers are facing new challenges caused by the impact of the pandemic on global consumer habits, and their clothing consumption, and the implications of the geopolitical and economic crisis.  

Organisers reported a successful second July edition of Première Vision Paris, registering 25,117 trade visitors (including 17,317 visitors from 95 countries outside France); an increase of 7% over the July 2022 show.  In total 1,315 exhibitors (10% more than the July 2022 event) showcased their Autumn-Winter 24-25 collections.

PV Paris presented Five thematic Forums on new products and innovations, covering Inspiration, Sourcing Solutions, Accessories, Leather and Designs.  The forums were designed to assist trade visitors find inspiration, to exchange ideas and build their new collections of ready-to-wear, accessories (fashion jewelry, leather goods) and footwear for the Autumn-Winter 24-25 season.

Ideal places to meet and share ideas, the 5 forums with their striking displays attracted industry professionals in search of new and innovative products, including: environmentally-friendly faux furs in natural cotton or wool fibers, and cotton-mohair blends on a woven base; embroideries with luxurious effects that morphed into jewel-fabrics; cut yarn jacquards with XXL motifs in dazzling hues, with livelier sheens and doubly-shiny gilded aspects; leathers with treatments applied in gradients, for colour full of variation and textures from smooth to velvety; and accessories where precious materials are worked together in a muted white - a tribute to luxury craftsmanship, combining refined embroideries and delicate feathers.

There were 30 conferences  held in a newly created area noted as the PV HUB, which welcomed more than 65 guest speakers including Gildas Minvielle (Director of the Economic Observatory at the Institut Français de la Mode), Romain Brabo (Co-founder and CEO of Nona Source), Linda Bulic (Innovation Analyst at Fashion for Goods), Pauline Godd (Program Manager at TrusTrace) and Vincent Grégoire (Director of consumer trends and insights at NellyRodi).

Such is the global reach of the fair that 10 guided tours of the Forums were organised, conducted in a multitude of languages (French, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean).

Gilles Lasbordes, Directeur Général de Première Vision, commented: "While 2022 was a year of recovery for the creative fashion industry, 2023 was marked by a still unstable global economy impacting the entire sector, with consumer spending under pressure, a weakened mid-range and inflation. Despite all this, Première Vision Paris - celebrating its 50th anniversary this year - continues to play a driving and unifying role, attracting 25,117 visitors, 70% of them international. This edition confirms the gradual - but tangible - return of visitors from Asia, from China in particular. "

Since the February 2023 edition, Première Vision has offered a trail dedicated to deadstocks on its Marketplace. In the July show, this trail was expanded and new specialized partners joined the show aisles, giving brands the opportunity to source creative upcycled materials, and suppliers the chance to resell their stocks from past collections.

The fair's ‘a better way’ initiative was in effect  the sustainable programme for more transparent sourcing, providing buyers and brands better information and concrete solutions in terms of sustainable sourcing and production. 

It highlights exhibitors’ sustainable initiatives through simple, clear pictograms displayed directly on the stands of this season’s 290 participants. The ‘a better way’ program will be launched at PV Denim at its next edition in Milan this 22 and 23 November 2023, and will be continued at Première Vision Paris in February 2024.

The vast array of fabric exhibits were presented on vertical or flat  displays, on hangers,  and organised according to qualities, fibre contents, and market sectors and end uses, in the forums found in different halls, often provided with descriptive headings and labels, with informative descriptions to accompany the fabrics allowing visitors to learn more about new developments and innovations.

Upcoming Première Vision events this year include:

Première Vision New York - 18 & 19 July 2023

Center 415, New York, USA

Fashion Rendez-Vous Première Vision - 13 & 14 September 2023

Grand Palais Éphémère, Paris

Première Vision Shenzhen - 20 & 22 September 2023

Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center

Denim Première Vision - 22 & 23 November 2023

Superstudio Più, Milan

Blossom Première Vision  - 13 & 14 December 2023

Carreau du Temple, Paris

The next  Première Vision Paris will take place at Parc des Expositions  February 6 to 8 2024.

All photos by Lucia Carpio.