Fashion Trade Fairs: SCOOP and PURE London X JATC are set to welcome home and international trade visitors July 14 - 16 2024

Summer has arrived in the UK, bringing a wave of positivity. In July, the London scene will host two major fashion trade fairs, showcasing new collections for the spring/summer '25 season, following the recent UK General Election.

PURE London photo by Lucia Carpio

PURE London x JATC is set to return for the second combined London Festival of Fashion from July 14 - 16, 2024, at Olympia Events in South Kensington, London. Until last year, PURE and JATC (Just Around The Corner) were separate trade events.

PURE London photo by Lucia Carpio

According to the organizers of Pure London x JATC, it is the global meeting place for the fashion industry. It offers UK-based fashion professionals "an unparalleled opportunity" to discover new brands and collections, as well as to network and connect with suppliers from around the world.

Brands to show their new collections are the likes of  Humility, Access, Love Rocks, Nouvelle London, Americandreams and Matilda London.   Brands expected to send their buyers will include established retailers such as John Lewis, ASOS, Silk Fred, Debenhams, M&S, Next, QVC, Selfridges and many more. 

PURE London photo by Lucia Carpio

As in previous events there will be daily catwalk shows and live seminars in partnership with the trade magazine Drapers and Trendhub by BDA London to uncover the projected trends for coming seasons.

Click HERE for more details on PURE X JATC, the presentation and seminar schedules.

Also being held on the same dates is SCOOP where the theme for this season is "Here Comes the Sun."

As Scoop’s Founder and Managing Director, Karen Radley,  has pointed out in her press release, her exhibition perfectly encapsulates the joy of longer days, beautiful blue skies and the ease of warm-weather fashion, while she is perennially inspired by vintage styles and this season she wants to capture the gorgeous aesthetic of a French 1930s seaside resort.

SCOOP International photo by Lucia Carpio

As Radley reveals a line-up of designers and brands that will present an edited mix of new and emerging international talent from July 14 - 16 2024 at Olympia West, Kensington, she emphasises that Scoop is "an unmissable buying event."

SCOOP International photo by Lucia Carpio

Radley says, “Scoop is more than just a trade show, we offer an immersive experience that transports visitors into a world of wonderment. From the moment buyers arrive, the thoughtfully designed theme, Here Comes The Sun, will set the tone for the journey filled with inspiration, beauty and quirkiness.”

“Presented in the heart of London, Scoop is delighted to introduce the newest designers to the market, showcasing their extraordinary talents and the latest trends. With so many wonderful designers to choose from, it’s been difficult to spotlight, but here are some of the collections I’m particularly looking forward to seeing this season.”

Photo credit: SCOOP International

Among the new designs on offer are sustainable and ethically focused apparel, as well as fashion influenced by a diverse range of cultures, along with contemporary, luxury leather handbag, fashion raffia accessories, and repurposed and recycled products.

With a commitment to sustainable fashion NANIG, echoes the timeless elegance of Europe in the 40s and 50s.  Drawing inspiration from the designers early years in the enchanting streets of Paris, NANIG bridges the gap between past and present, offering a collection that seamlessly merges vintage aesthetics with contemporary style. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for ethical fashion, Nanig will be showcasing her collection for the first time this July at Scoop.

Also launching at Scoop is Bonté, an independent womenswear designer brand that has sustainable and ethical fashion in its heart, focusing on craftsmanship and heirloom techniques.

Seema Kahai, the designer behind the brand, Seema, was born and raised in India, and spent her adult life in New York. Her intricate designs, embroidery, and great attention to finishing detail has made her collections popular with celebrities. Seema's passion for travel takes her to remote Indian villages in search of authentic fabrics, and the unique talent and craftsmanship of the local artisans.

Fusing indigenous and ancient textile craftsmanship with elements of contemporary and classical art, Yavi produces a collection of beautiful dresses, tops and skirts. Each item is handcrafted by skilled artisans, contributing to its essence of ethereal design. Fabrics such as silk, velvet are seen on elegant coats to flowing dresses.

Jewellery brand, Bocanegra uses a unique combination of colours, sizes and textures that are dominated by hexagon silhouettes using special glass beads. The collection consists of colourful bracelets, earrings and necklaces.

Created in 2000 by three sisters, Sans-Arcidet Paris has become the benchmark in the world of the fashion raffia accessories. The collections takes us from Paris to Madagascar offering a blend of elegant accessories, from the simple tote to the urban handbag and the fashion hat. Inspired by the sister’s childhood spent in Madagascar, the collection combines the tropical infusions with French Parisian chic. 

Footwear designer, Loie Istanbul uses first-class leathers, handcrafting and technology to create luxury soft leather collections. Loie Istanbul was founded in 2018 as the results of 49 years of experience in the footwear industry as a family company. It started to offer its customers in Turkey a luxurious online shopping experience and now operates in 94 countries including the UK, Italy and the USA and has a standalone store.

To explore the brands on offer at SCOOP, click HERE.

Men's Fashion: G-STAR and Walter Van Beirendonck unveil experimental capsule collection at Paris Fashion Week

Antwerp designer Walter Van Beirendonck's Spring-Summer 2025 collection, showcased at this month's Paris Fashion Week, features a distinctive collaboration with Amsterdam denim brand G-STAR, challenging traditional garment construction and denim design.

Held in the botanical garden of La Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris in Saint-Germain, located in the Sixth arrondissement of Paris, the show highlighted the designer's innovative denim experiments at the core of this partnership.

Titled "Denim with Balls," the designer was given complete carte blanche to explore unconventional garment manufacturing techniques, utilising minimal stitching and unique methods with glue and tapes.

This 19-piece limited-edition collection boasts bold styles like the Square Jeans, Wader Jeans, Embossed Pamflet Jeans, and Future Proof Jacket, characterized by embossed dots, taped seams, and exaggerated details.

All denim pieces are crafted from certified Cradle to Cradle fabric. The range also includes 3D-knitted tops and sweaters adorned with Van Beirendonck's slogans "Future Proof," "Wow," and "Stitch Less."

The embossed dots throughout the collection embody the playful "Denim with Balls" concept.

Walter Van Beirendonck

Explained the visionary designer: "I aimed to challenge and reimagine traditional methods.  Why are clothes still being stitched when we have the potential to explore so many other techniques?" This project is all about innovation, research and pushing the conventions of fashion.  It was great to be given total creative freedom by G-STAR."

Gwenda van Vliet, CMO at G-STAR** said, "Van Beirendonck is one of the most important fashion designers of our times.  His unique vision, playfulness and extreme creative mind are why we decided to work with him.  'Denim with Balls' is a testament to our shared vision of challenging norms and redefining what denim can be."

The unisex Denim with Balls capsule collection will be available in selected stores worldwide in February 2025.

All photos, courtesy of G-STAR x Walter Van Beirendonck, by Dominique MAITRE

** G-Star recently introduced its latest denim innovation, "Homegrown Denim," developed through a pioneering collaboration with Wageningen University & Research and Dutch Cotton. Funded by G-Star, this experiment investigated the potential of greenhouse-grown cotton to significantly reduce the environmental impact of global cotton cultivation, aiming to benefit the entire industry.

The research was driven by the need to meet the rapidly growing global demand for responsible cotton. Cotton is relatively easy to grow but requires substantial agricultural space and up to 10,000 liters of water per kilogram, depending on a specific warm climate, making cotton cultivation the beginning of a lengthy and complex supply chain.

“G-Star’s curiosity and drive for innovation led us to our partnership with Wageningen University & Research to study the feasibility of growing cotton in a greenhouse. This groundbreaking experiment could revolutionize cotton cultivation by drastically reducing water consumption and land use, eliminating the use of chemical pesticides, improving cotton quality, and significantly shortening the supply chain,” said Rebecka Sancho, Head of Sustainability at G-Star.

The six-month experiment, conducted at a research facility in Bleiswijk, Netherlands, examined the quality, yield, and fiber properties of greenhouse-grown cotton, comparing its environmental footprint to traditional methods. Strategies like precision irrigation and renewable energy were explored to reduce impact, alongside an analysis of economic viability and market potential.

The research resulted in the first Dutch greenhouse-grown cotton. The findings revealed that growing cotton in a greenhouse provides a controlled and protected environment that enhances crop productivity, quality, and sustainability, while reducing the risks associated with outdoor cultivation.

Fashion and Exhibition: "Naomi In Fashion" Opens at the V&A Museum, London - June 22 2024 - April 6 2025

Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who is known for her unparalleled contributions to the fashion industry, needs no introduction.

Naomi Campbell is pictured with a silver beaded dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, which she wore in December 2019 when receiving the Fashion Icon Award at the British Fashion Council's awards ceremony; and a bondage dress by Azzedine Alaïa.
Photo by Dave BenettGetty Images for the Victoria & Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London is set to celebrate Naomi Campbell's legacy through an exhibition that highlights her trailblazing career, advocacy for diversity, and status as a cultural icon. Naomi has not only transformed the fashion industry but has also significantly influenced broader discussions about race, beauty standards, and representation. With a career that spans 40 years, and now a mother of two, she continues to be a symbol of excellence and resilience, inspiring new generations of models and fashion enthusiasts.

This marks the first exhibition of its kind, as noted by the V&A, exploring the extraordinary career of Naomi Campbell. It will cover her creative collaborations, activism, and vast cultural impact through the work of leading global designers and photographers. 

Born on May 22, 1970, in London, Naomi's career began at a young age and she quickly soared to international fame. She was one of the five original supermodels who dominated the 1980s and 1990s, alongside Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Claudia Schiffer, solidifying her status as one of the most iconic and influential figures in the fashion industry.

 Azzedine Alaia was one of the fashion designers for whom Naomi Campbell modelled.

 

Renowned for her commanding walk and presence, Naomi Campbell's runway performances are legendary. Numerous fashion show footages in the exhibition testify to her iconic catwalk moves. She has graced the catwalk for virtually every major fashion house, including Versace, Chanel, Valentino, Thierry Mugler, and Azzedine Alaïa, the Tunisian-born couturier who became her mentor and father figure when Naomi was starting out in Paris. He frequently cast her in his shows and featured her in his campaigns, significantly boosting her career.

From the Thierry Mugler Archives. 
Photo courtesy of V&A Museum.

The infamous Vivienne Westwood blue platform shoes that have become iconic since Naomi's fall on catwalk in 1993, representing a daring moment in fashion history. 
Photo courtesy of V&A

The show includes more than 100 pieces of fashion, as well as personal photographs, and keepsakes like backstage passes, all pulled from Campbell’s personal archive. One particular window in the exhibition is done up like her personal dressing room, giving an intimate insight her chaotic life in the 1990s when she often stayed in hotels such as London Claridge's.  

A dressing room styled by Naomi Campbell with Virgina Rates, based on a room at London's Claridge's Hotel where Naomi often stayed in the 1990s.  It included Naomi's personal items and clothes, as well as furniture from Claridge's and the Soup Hat by Philip Treacy. Photo by Lucia Carpio

Siginificant items on show include the hazmat suit and poncho she famously wore to travel post-COVID, and  the Dolce & Gabbana silver gown she wore when she completed her community service as she wanted to walk out with her head held high.

Naomi is also famous for her little tumble on a catwalk while modelling for Vivienne Westwood. She was wearing a pair of towering, nine-inch (approximately 23 centimeters) blue platform heels. These shoes, designed by Westwood, are now infamous for their extreme height and the role they played in the fall. The platforms, known as the "Super Elevated Gillie," were made from luxurious materials and featured exaggerated proportions, epitomizing Westwood's bold and avant-garde design aesthetic.

An archival footage shows that despite the fall, Naomi handled the situation with grace and professionalism, quickly laughing it off and getting back up to continue her walk.

Naomi's first cover was on British Vogue December 1987 issue, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier.
She is seen wearoing a gold jacket with blue breeches by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.  From Naomi's private collection, as shown at the V&A exhibition.

Naomi has graced the covers of numerous high-profile magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar. Her frequent appearances broke barriers and set new standards for diversity in fashion media.

NAOMI In Fashion at the V&A, 22 June 2024 – 6 April 2025. Photo by Marco Bahler

Often referred to as a trailblazer, she is noted as the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue, in 1988, and the first black model on the September cover of American Vogue, in 1989.

Naomi Campbell's impact extends far beyond her modeling achievements. She represents progress and empowerment for black individuals in a predominantly white industry. 

Promotion of Naomi Campbell in a shop window of Hugo Boss (a sponsor of the V&A Naomi exhibition) on London's Regent Street.   To celebrate the exhibition at the V&A, BOSS has designed two limited-edition garments exclusively for the V&A.  Photo by Lucia Carpio

Naomi has also leveraged her platform to advocate for diversity and inclusion within the fashion industry, vocally championing increased representation of people of colour on runways, in magazines, and in executive roles within fashion houses.

Naomi In Fashion is running at the V&A Museum, London from June 24 2024 to April 6 2025.

Collaboration: Rihanna Is Officially the New Face of Dior's J'Adore Fragrance

Get ready to see more of international singing star, actress, and businesswoman Rihanna, as she has been announced as the new face of Christian Dior's classic J'Adore fragrance. This exciting news was revealed by the fashion brand on Tuesday (June 18).

Rihanna, who recently expanded her beauty line with the launch of her Fenty Hair range, expressed her longstanding admiration for the scent in a statement.

Speaking to Women's Wear Daily, Rihanna said, "I am especially looking forward to joining this adventure and contributing to it through my world, my story, my roots, as well as my creativity and my own femininity."

Designer Auction: Christie's to host "Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection" auction in June 2024

Auction house Christie’s is presenting "Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection" in two parts: a live auction (Part I) on June 25 2024 and an online sale (Part II) from June 14 to June 28 2024 with proceeds to benefit causes that Vivienne championed.

A film footage on show in Christie's London headquarters feature Westwood describing how she drew inspiration directly from London's Wallace Collection museum's rich artistic heritage.  She reinterpreted elements from the museum's artworks, integrating them into her designs, resulting in a unique fashion line characterized by her signature style, a blend of punk influences and historical references.

"Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection" features the late designer's personal wardrobe, showcasing some of the most iconic looks she created and wore over the past four decades. 

This historically and culturally significant collection includes garments, shoes, and jewelry exclusively from Dame Vivienne Westwood’s fashion house, with the earliest piece dating back to the Witches collection for autumn/winter 1983/84.

All items included in the Christie's auction have been on display in London for potential bidders and fans alike.

One notable section highlighted Westwood's connection with the Wallace Collection museum in London, renowned for its extensive range of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries. 

Westwood, known for drawing inspiration from historical art, designed a fashion collection in 2019 inspired by the museum's masterpieces. 

This collaboration, called the "Wallace Collection Collection," showcased her ability to blend historical art with contemporary fashion. 

The live auction on June 25 will also highlight "THE BIG PICTURE – Vivienne’s Playing Cards: Collect the cards. Connect the cards." In 2017, Dame Vivienne designed a deck of playing cards titled ‘A Strategy 2 Save the World’ as a blueprint for planetary preservation. These prints address critical issues like climate change, social inequality, and human rights, reflecting the concerns that dominated her work. Before her passing, she selected ten powerful graphics to be enlarged and signed the large-scale ‘cards’ posthumously. This project, managed by The Vivienne Foundation, will see proceeds causes that Vivienne championed, including The Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Greenpeace, according to the wishes of the late designer.

Dame Vivienne Westwood is celebrated as one of Britain's greatest fashion designers and arguably the most iconic designer of the late 20th century. She leveraged her influence to tackle pressing global issues and founded The Vivienne Foundation to collaborate with NGOs to create a better society and combat climate change.

The iconic looks of Ms Westwood's collection is free to view at Christie's in London at 8 King Street, St. James's, from 14–24 June 2024. Tickets are not required for the exhibition.

All photos at Christie's London from "Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection" by Lucia Carpio.

Art and Environment: Emma Stibbon's "Melting Ice / Rising Tides" exhibition at Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne reflects on climate change

For many years, climate change has been a pressing concern among scientists and environmentalists, especially regarding its significant impact on sea level rise and the transformation of landscapes and environments in polar regions, notably the Arctic and Antarctic.

Stibbon's Dark Horizon, 2023

Emma Stibbon, a prominent contemporary British artist renowned for her poignant landscape drawings and prints, has dedicated her artistic exploration to themes of environmental change and the human footprint on natural landscapes.

Emma Stibbon conducting fieldwork in Svalbard, 2022. 
Photo by Tristan Duke.
Stibbon had travelled for many years on board ships to the Polar regions where she recorded the seascapes, vast ice fields and rubular bergs through ink drawings and photography to capture the ever-changing landscapes. After her return to her studio, she develops these sketches into large scale drawings or prints.

Now, Stibbon's profound observations find expression in her latest exhibition, "Melting Ice / Rising Tides," currently showing at the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne. This exhibition invites viewers to immerse themselves in Stibbon's reflections on the warming polar regions and their consequential effects on the shifting coastlines of the United Kingdom.

Stibbon's pinhole photographic prints on bromide paper showing melting ice from her recent expeditions to the High Arctic's Svalbard and Antarctica's Weddell Sea.  Photo by Lucia Carpio.

In Stibbon's works she also captures rock falls, beach closures and necessary erosion mitigation in the UK's southern shores, including the closure of Hope Gap steps (Seaford) as in the image above.
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Stibbon's artistic vision is driven by a blend of reverence for nature's grandeur and concern for our planet's uncertain future. Through large-scale paintings and prints inspired by her recent expeditions to the High Arctic's Svalbard and Antarctica's Weddell Sea, she weaves a narrative of coastal dynamics, metamorphosis, and erosion.

Stibbon's Ice Floe 2023

Emma Stibbon's Cliff Fall, 2024, installation in the "Melting Ice / Rising Tides," exhibition in 
Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK.

The exhibition's centerpiece, "Cliff Fall, 2024," is a breathtaking installation—an 8-meter-wide lifelike drawing of a Sussex cliff face. Accompanied by a reconstruction depicting the gradual erosion and cascading chalk rocks into the gallery space, it confronts viewers with the visceral impact of coastal degradation.

Cliff erosion is an increasingly frequent phenomenon along the UK coastline, particularly evident in the South of England, including East Sussex. Driven by natural forces such as wave action, tidal currents, and wind erosion, the relentless assault of waves on the shoreline gradually reshapes the land, a process heightened by storms and high tides.

Emma Stibbon with her Breaker painting, 2023, now on show at Towner Eastbourne.
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

On the wall facing the "Cliff Fall" installation is "Breaker, 2023," a painting vividly capturing the assault of waves upon the shoreline. Positioned amidst crashing waters and the looming, precarious cliff, viewers are enveloped in an immersive experience that underscores the relentless power of coastal dynamics.

Stibbon's Beachy Head 2024

Stibbon expressed her desire to connect the drawings and prints created during her expeditions to Antarctica and across the Barents Sea to Svalbard in the High Arctic with the climate-related changes occurring along the UK coastline.

The Towner Gallery is located in Eastbourne, renowned for its proximity to the iconic Seven Sisters cliffs, a landscape increasingly vulnerable to cliff failure due to wave erosion and extreme weather events. Stibbon extensively explored and walked the Sussex coastline, documenting landmarks such as Beachy Head and Birling Gap to create comparative studies that illustrate the extent of shoreline and cliff retreat.

Photo by Lucia Carpio

During her fieldwork, Stibbon also collected materials to incorporate into her artwork, using salt and seawater in her wave drawings and ground chalk for her cliff drawings, thereby emphasizing the intrinsic connections between materials and place.

Also on show in the "Melting Ice / Rising Tides," exhibition at the Towner are archive paintings of the East Sussex coastline, including Beachy Head and Cuckmere, by celebrated artists Eric Ravilious (1903 - 1942), Eric Slater (1896-1963) and Albert Goodwin (1845-1932) from the gallery's own collection to illustrate the changes of the region over the years.  

Melting Ice/Rising Tides by Emma Stibbon is on show at Towner Eastbourne until September 15th 2024.

International Textile Trade Fair: Première Vision Paris July 2024 presents innovative fabric qualities, textile solutions, and its commitment to sustainability

Amid numerous economic and ecological challenges, the global fashion industry is adapting and reinventing itself in pursuit of a prosperous and sustainable future. Today, it is fully committed to redefining creative and industrial approaches, according to Première Vision Paris - the international show for sustainable and creative fashion professionals - which will return to the Parc des Expositions exhibition venue in north of the French capital, at Paris Nord Villepinte, from July 2 - 4, 2024.  

Première Vision Paris February 2024 edition held at the Parc des Expositions exhibition venue in north of the French capital, at Paris Nord Villepinte. Photo by Lucia Carpio

Set to take place three weeks before France hosts the Summer Olympic Games, the PV Paris trade event will offer a preview of the Autumn-Winter 25-26 season, showcasing the evolution of the fashion landscape through three major trends. First, Minimalist Excellence will arise in response to a desire for simplification and quality, where minimalism embodies luxury and harmony in an era of excess. Second, Inclusive Extravagance will celebrate diversity and creative freedom, blending styling codes to create a new, inclusive aesthetic. Lastly, Sensual Expressivity will explore the sensual and emotional facets of fashion, highlighting the diversity of bodies and experiences.

PV Paris is an invaluable resource for international visitors seeking inspiration, innovative ideas, and resources to develop their upcoming collections of ready-to-wear, accessories (fashion jewellery and leather goods), and footwear.  Attendees will have the opportunity to discover the Autumn-Winter 2025-26 collections from over 920 exhibitors, including spinners, weavers, tanners, textile designers, accessories makers, and garment manufacturers from approximately 40 countries, such as Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Japan, the UK, Belgium, South Korea, Turkey, China, and more.

As a leading organiser of international events for the textile, leather, and apparel industries, PV Paris offers a comprehensive range of programmes and solutions designed to support the entire industry. It fosters business discussions, promotes the transition to a more sustainable fashion industry, encourages digitalization, and supports the development of increasingly innovative collections.

PV Paris is widely recognised as an essential trade fair for professionals in the textile and related industries, distinguished by several key characteristics. Known for its selectivity, the exhibitor selection committee brings together Première Vision experts with industry manufacturers and buyers, ensuring a coherent, high-quality offer that reflects the diversity of the market—from mass distribution to luxury. 

According to the organizers, the fair also offers a unique cross-sector range of products, including Yarns, Fabrics, Designs, Leather, Accessories, and Garment Manufacturing, addressing diverse industry needs with innovative sectors like the Deadstock and Smart Creation (innovation, eco-design, tech) sections.

For the July 2024 edition, exhibitors from international markets include 434 fabric makers, 202 manufacturers, 50 designers, 66 leather producers, 115 accessories makers, 25 yarn companies, and 33 Smart Creation exhibitors. Première Vision is enhancing its initiatives with new investments, partnerships, and renewed business support programmes.

The Hosted Guest programme, launched at the February 2024 PV Paris show, was a resounding success, bringing together 194 global personalities. This initiative returns for the July 2024 edition, supported by the GL events Group with a €1 million investment, strengthening industry connections and fostering strategic partnerships.

Complementing this is the new Export programme by Business France, the National Agency for internationalising French companies.  As part of the "Export Starts in France" initiative, this government-subsidized matchmaking programme finances visits from key foreign decision-makers and organises export business meetings between buyers and French companies. It aims to create unique collaborative opportunities, arranging over 580 meetings between exhibitors and brands.

New for the July 2024 season is a customized assistance effort in the sourcing process. Visitors representing luxury brands can schedule appointments at the PV CUBE with a Première Vision fashion expert. Invited guests will enjoy a tailor-made experience and access 300 fabric samples and 50 new leathers from the season’s most emblematic selections.

In celebration of France hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, performance and sports fabrics will be a major highlight at the July 2024 show. Advances and innovations in the creative fashion industry have profoundly influenced the world of sport, enhancing performance and expressions of elegance. As a result, products designed for comfort with UV resistance, water repellence, windproof yet breathable, and quick-drying properties have been developed. PV Paris will present hundreds of material developments in the Sport & Tech universe for trade visitors to discover and explore, showcasing innovations and trends destined to shape the future of sportswear.

PV Paris will continue its "a better way" programme, launched a year ago to recognise exhibitors' efforts and investments in developing more sustainable fashion, reflecting a deep understanding of the current challenges facing the textile, clothing, leather, and broader fashion industries. Responding to growing concerns about the environmental and social impacts of clothing production, the programme is committed to enhancing brand visibility in sourcing by promoting exhibitors' most virtuous approaches. By emphasizing sustainable practices, transparency, and high ethical standards, the "a better way" programme acts as a catalyst for change, meeting the expectations of brands and consumers concerned about the origin and impact of raw materials.

In the Smart Creation sector of the fair, a spotlight will shine on exhibitors' sustainable approaches, where innovation, eco-design, and technological solutions come together to shape the future of fashion. 

Exhibitors here will be divided into three main categories:

Smart Tech: Cutting-edge technological solutions, digitization of materials, traceability systems, and tools for measuring environmental impact: 

Smart Materials: Ranges of innovative materials, sustainable alternatives (eco-designed fibers, plant-based dyes, etc.), and reduced-impact chemical solutions.

Smart Services: Assistance with certifications and sustainable initiatives.

Separately, the Deadstocks area, introduced at the February 2024 show as part of the Smart Creation universe, will once again offer unused materials from fashion houses. Additionally, experts from Adapta and Nona Source will provide their expertise and support.

To enhance the exhibition of innovations for the the Autumn-Winter 25-26 season, PV Paris will feature two fashion forums showcasing the latest textile developments.  These are the Inspiration Forum (Hall 5) and Sourcing Solutions Forum (Hall 6).  Audio guides will be available in French, English, Italian, Korean, Japanese and Chinese languages.  As usual, the PV's own Colour Book developed by its team of international experts will be available for sale.  

There will also a programme of fashion seminars  and conferences scheduled for this July, to take place in the two conference areas located in Hall 6, which will be the most busy areas of the fair.  Topics to be covered will include fashion trends for the Autumn-Winter 25-26 season, sustainability and consumption, and eco-innovation.

All photos by Lucia Carpio, taken at the Première Vision Paris February 2024 edition held at the Parc des Expositions, at Paris Nord Villepinte. 

Art in London: Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to Unveil First Public Installation in the UK This Summer

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is renowned for her distinctive style that incorporates vibrant colours, polka dots, and repetitive patterns. Her work spans various media, including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and film.

Yayoi Kusama in a shop window visual at the Harrods London department store during a store-wide promotional campaign highlighting her collaboration with Louis Vuitton.  
Kusama's signature use of polka dots is a recurring theme in her artwork,
symbolizing infinity and the concept of self-obliteration.
Photo by Lucia Carpio

This summer, London's admiration for Yayoi Kusama continues as she unveils her first UK public installation at Liverpool Street Station in the capital's financial district. Entitled "Infinite Accumulation," the installation opens on July 9 and runs into the autumn. The work highlights Kusama’s signature polka dots, expanding and winding into linked forms that interact with and define the public spaces outside the station. 

According to a statement, the installation is "designed in response to the architecture of the new station entrance and landscaping, encouraging people to look up and engage with the urban environment in a new way."

Additionally, a new large-scale sculpture of Kusama's iconic Pumpkin will be unveiled in the gardens of Serpentine Galleries this summer.

Meanwhile "Every Day I Pray For Love", an exploration into line, colour and form will open at Victoria Miro on September 25 and run till November 2, 2024.  Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in one of Yayoi Kusama‘s Infinity Rooms. This will be the Japanese artist’s 14th with the gallery, which will also include a series of new paintings entitled Every Day I Pray For Love.

In addition to polka dots and the pumpkin, Kusama is also known for her Infinity Mirror Rooms, immersive installations that use mirrors to create the illusion of endless space, filled with lights and patterns, offering a unique sensory experience.

The promotion campaign of the Louis Vuitton X Yayoi Kusama collaboration in February 2023 at the French maison's store on Paris' Champs-Élysées Avenue featured a giant figure of Kusama appearing to be painting her famous polka dots on the facade of the store. 
Photo by Lucia Carpio

Kusama's work has been influential in the avant-garde movement and contemporary art scene, often exploring themes of psychology, feminism, and minimalism.

In addition to numerous high-profile exhibitions worldwide, she has collaborated with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, bringing her art to a broader audience.

Her unique and innovative approach has made her one of the most celebrated and influential contemporary artists globally.