The Pure London x JATC show, the London festival of fashion, which took place February 11 - 13 2024, welcomed trade buyers and retailers from across the UK and internationally.
The fair, which coincided with Scoop International which was held at Olympia West nearby, was the first combined show since organiser acquired the trade fair JATC (previously Just Around The Corner) and buyers were thrilled with the new set-up and the vibrant atmosphere, new retail categories and the diverse array of brands showcasing, and exhibitors were excited by the crowds of high calibre visitors, reported the organisers.
Visually the show had been redesigned to accommodate new brands and start-ups, making it more assessable for trade visitors and buyers to navigate and discover new collections. Trade visitors were able to take advantage of everything the show has to offer and buoyed by the new categories and destinations, edit of new and returning brands and inspirational trends.
Among the visitors, Sarah Palmer, N Shelley Billericay commented, “It’s been a good show, and you know it has been a good show when you run out of time! There is a great buzz and vibe to this season. I have found some new brands and seen some brands that haven’t exhibited for a long time back at the show, which has been really positive.”
Beth Hillier, Aloft, Salcombe and Padstow commented, “We come to Pure London x JATC to find the icing on the cake, any bits we have missed, something new and different to what we have stocked before. This season we found some beautiful accessories brands and in womenswear we love Sugarhill Brighton who have lovely bits for Autumn!”
Andrea Carless, Maison Et Vie said, “It has been really relaxed which is lovely. Still buzzy but a great environment. I love all the new brands from JATC, I haven’t been able to go to that show before, being in South Devon I can't come to London multiple times or visit lots of different places when I am here, so I love everything being together and combined in the one show!”
Leonie Burke, Leonies, Tipperary said, “The show feels better this year, it feels much more cohesive. I have found some great newness! I wasn't looking for a perfume brand, but I found Ampersand. You will always be inspired at a trade show, it’s so good to browse the brands now the shows have combined you can see so much in one place!”
Samantha Duncan and Summer Prescott, Debenhams said, “It has been really good to connect with people and, as an online brand, to show our faces. The show has enabled us to be more open-minded and it’s been great to see all the new emerging talent. It was also good to see lots of European brands here. The catwalk show was amazing, so much thought had gone into it from the high-quality outfits to the music following the Cabinet of Curiosity theme. It was fun and we will definitely be back!”
Event Director at Pure London, Gloria Sandrucci welcomed record numbers of new brands to the show this season and commented, “We have been blown away by visitors’ reactions to the first combined Pure London x JATC. Together we have been able to champion new and emerging brands as well as showcasing established brands from all over the world. It has been a pleasure to welcome so many retailers from across the country and internationally and to hear their positive feedback!”
Creative Director at JATC, Juls Dawson added, “Pure London x JATC came together to give buyers and the fashion industry a more cohesive and convenient buying experience, and it has been so pleasing to see their support with brilliant attendance across the three days. The buying energy has been really positive and we’re already looking forward to coming back in July!”
This positivity echoed across the show floor, Cara Melzack, CEO and Founder Cara and the Sky commented, “Last season I showed at Just Around The Corner and I am very happy to be at the first combined show. I think it works really well to have one show and one date. The event was great for me, I don’t have a showroom or a shop, so this becomes my showroom for three days and I invite buyers to see my collection in person. I have done lots of business here and I have written orders for many new customers. I’m very happy!”
Helen Barker, Co Founder & Director The Fika Edit, “The show has been really good for us! We have been pleasantly surprised every day by how busy it has been. We have taken orders from mostly new accounts but also seen our existing stockists. I have shown at both Pure London and JATC separately before and everyone wanted the shows to combine. Our customers have all come, and they have stayed much longer coming back 2 or even all 3 days!”
Shelley Herring Head of Buying & Brand, Another Sunday said, “This is our third time at Pure London and we’re really seeing the benefit of showing consistently. We’re still a new growing brand but we’re starting to see a buzz and people recognising us from the previous two shows. We’ve loved seeing our repeat customers and it’s been busy with new customers too.”
Nadia Seghrouchni, International Sales Manager at King Louie said, “It’s great to be back, we’ve not been here for about 8 years, and obviously now it’s a different concept, but we’re really happy! The UK Market is very interesting for us.”
Clare Perry, Marketing Executive Brakeburn, “This is the first time we have been back to Pure London since the pandemic, and we have come back with a bang and a strong collection! We visited the show last season as guests and saw it was the right time to come back. We had a good steady flow of business throughout, seeing lots of old faces and taking lots of new enquiries.”
Pure London x JATC sets itself apart from other trade shows with its unrivalled content programme. On the catwalk this season, Thomas Wintle, Fashion E-commerce Leader at Tik Tok lead a progressive seminar on, ‘Social Commerce: The Future of Digital Retail’ designed to empower brands to elevate through entertainment and e-commerce using TikTok Shop. “Shopping is set for a new revolution. Whilst e-Commerce is growing, the thing we’re going to focus on today is that it’s evolving as well”, says Thomas, “expectations have shifted, people want commerce that entertains them, envelops them in a community, and trust is a necessity if you are to survive and grow in this market – and this growth is rapid!”
Thomas went on to break it down into key pillars, Efficiency, Engaging and Entertainment and continued, “We’re all aware that TikTok originally started as an entertainment platform, since then we’ve come a very long way. Over these years we’ve seen the numbers of our #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt go up and up, it is now a hashtag phenomenon with 88 billion video views, with 47% of TikTok users saying they’ve bought something through the app.” Thomas advises, “Brands bringing TikTok into their armory are seeing huge conversions; we need to move away from outdated presumptions about TikTok, that’s it’s a cheap marketplace. Brands like Adidas, Maybelline, Puma and Victoria Beckham are launching and selling-out products on TikTok!”
Trend Forecaster, Malaika Ewande Founder of Vesuvius delivered a crowded trend update exploring the trend for fun and mood boosting fashion. “Positivity brings inspiration, and people are craving joy. While drawing from conscious and innovative means of creation, young designers are continuously bringing us silhouettes meant to remind us of light and happiness. In unserious fashion, the recipe is very simple. Bright colours and layering are your best friends in applying this moment. Once you have these two elements, you can opt for a mix of prints; it’s camp, colourful and calculated.”
At the forefront of the biggest issues facing the fashion industry, Pure London x JATC championed sustainability across the entire event with the dedicated Sustainable destination which showcases a carefully curated selection of conscious exhibitors, Olivia Pinnock, fashion journalist, lecturer, sustainable fashion advocate and Sustainability Ambassador for Pure London x JATC led a series of interactive workshops focusing on messaging and visibility, confidently enforcing sustainable practices and preparing for a sustainable future.
On the catwalk, a divisive panel discussion explored the multifaceted landscape of sustainability in the fashion industry with Katherine O’Driscoll Director of SP & KO Limited, Simon Platts CEO and Founder SP & KO Limited, Vishal Tolambia Founder at Humanity Centred Designs and Jordan Wake, a Freelance Writer and Creative Consultant, moderated by Rachel Kim, Founder, Circular Earth. Rachel opened, “firstly we’re going to delve into a new bit of legislation, the ‘EPR’ ‘Extended Producer Responsibility”, Katherine elaborated, “EPR has been in other sectors and it’s now moving into textiles. It hasn’t been legislated in the UK yet, but it’s coming. France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have all implemented it so far, where businesses will become liable for their products that end up in landfill. Each country has different criteria and it’s unclear what ours will be yet. We must get prepared; we must have our traceability and transparency in order.” Simon elaborated, “EPR will be the biggest wakeup call our industries have seen. More thought needs to go into composition at design stage, so recyclability is more accessible.” Jordan continued, “Certainly the value of fashion has been lost in the quest for speed; so much of fashion now isn’t made for purpose, it’s made for profit. Emphasis on craft and detail, investment and appreciation has been lost.”
Addressing value Katherine said, “The induvial value of the product comes down to the person who’s wearing it. What we’re missing is the education to the customer about where it’s come from. Digital Passports will begin to show carbon footprint, where it was made, how much water was used.” Simon continued, “We’re all in this to create great pieces, profitability for brands but also profitability for people and planet. It’s time for a change in how we retail and how we buy.” Concluding the panel agreed there is an opportunity for small businesses and start up to play a big role in moving to a more sustainable model. Katherine added, “I’ve always had a phrase: the only sustainable business is one that’s going to be here in 5 years’ time and still making a profit. Sustainable means you thrive. Re-examining what we’re doing and why we’re doing it will maintain the profit.”
The packed content schedule also saw, Rebecca Hill, Fashion Editor at Drapers exploring the evolving landscape of circular wardrobe trends and how sustainable retailing will continue to influence contemporary style in seasons to come. Rebecca noted, “We are tired of keeping up with trends! We are questioning the trend cycle and fashion as a whole and people within the fashion industry are starting to question the way it operates and pushing for change.” Rebecca went on to discuss the rise of buying second hand, using your own wardrobe, and making investment purchases that can last a lifetime as the new ways to follow a trend.
In an extension of the Graduate Fashion Foundation partnership and demonstrating the event’s commitment to fostering emerging talent and supporting the next generation of fashion innovators, Megan Doyle, Associate Director of the Graduate Fashion Foundation chaired a panel of recent graduates and industry leaders sharing their experiences and advice on navigating the fashion industry after graduation from the pros and cons of freelance, the importance of having different strings to your bow to trusting your instinct and keeping up with new technologies and the ever evolving landscape of fashion.
Pure London x JATC, The London Festival of Fashion, will return July 14th - 16th 2024 at Olympia London.
All photos by Lucia Carpio.
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