BLOSSOM PREMIÈRE VISION had much to offer, though attendance hamperd by national strikes

It was a bit like organising the Christmas lunch.  A lot of hard work went into the preparation and all the ingredients were in place to ensure the success of the event, hoping that people would show up to enjoy all the fruits of lovelies laid out for all.  But somehow there were some unwelcome spoilers that made the occasion  challenging.

Organisers of the Blossom Premiere Vision show in Paris, which was held December 11 and 12 at the Carreau du Temple, had put all their strengths into showcasing the spring-summer 21 pre-collections of luxury materials from 120 luxury and high-end brands, 3.5% more than last year’s, but attendance dropped by some 20% compared to the December 2018 show, due to nationwide strikes in France.  Transport strikes and disrupted road, rail and air traffic prompted some of the show's pre-registered French and international visitors to postpone or curtail their visits.  

Nevertheless this December edition had followed several previous highly-successful editions marked by notably strong growth (+20% between December 2017 and 2018; +3.5% between July 2018 and 2019).

In total exhibiting this December were 82 weavers, 28 tanners and 8 makers of accessories and components.  A new Smart Creation conference dedicated to responsible fashion was reportedly successful, as it focused on consumer expectations in terms of sustainable fashion, and for the first time, a concrete decoding of the latest eco-responsible materials and highlights for each market were presented.

Visitorship was of extremely high-quality, despite a decline from the 1,100 attendees at the December 2018 event, said the organisers of Blossom Première Vision which welcomed 827 visitors, primarily from France (84% of visitors), Italy (9%), UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, on the hunt for exclusivities and high-end creativity to design and develop their spring-summer 21 pre-collections.

The lightness of summer gives weavers and tanners the opportunity to explore new combinations: added fluidity, fine knits, yarn blends, plays on transparency. Leathers are simpler and finer. Airy fabrics reveal subtle densities and handles.

Highlighted materials included vibrant light surfaces along with subtle radiance embellishment. From textile accessories to silkies, compositions create shines that are sometimes discreet, sometimes as palpable as plastic. Metallics are slipped into leathers. There were plays on transparency and cut-yarn motifs enlivening powdery, pearly fabrics.

The next Blossom Premiere Vision will feature the Autumn Winter 2022 season, and will take place July 1 & 2 2020 CARREAU DU TEMPLE, Paris.

Photos @Alex Gallosi / Blossom Premiere Vision

BLOSSOM PREMIÈRE VISION December event a success, say organisers

Organisers of BLOSSOM PREMIÈRE VISION, held 12th and 13th December, was billed as a major success as organisers welcomed 1,047 visitors - a 20% increase over the growth last seen in July six months ago.

Blossom Première Vision - targeted for high-end luxury brands - saw visitor growth both from France, up 17" and from overseas, up a staggering 35%.

The event featured an ultra-selective international offer from 116 exhibitors (up 24% vs. Dec. 17), including 77 weavers, 33 tanners and 8 accessory and component manufacturers.

This show was timed to align with the calendar of pre-collections, and in complement to the Première Vision Paris* calendar, which targets main collections.

Organisers said the warm and effective event, designed with an eye to creative interaction and the discovery of new suppliers in a convivial and intimate atmosphere, benefited from its unique location, the Carreau du Temple - a historic Site in the 3rd arrondissement in Paris  which has been renovated and recently reopened, ideally suited for international luxury houses and high-end brands.

Also as an experiential event, the show invited exhibitors and visitors to share a unique private visit of the exhibit: "The Secret Alchemy of a collection"** in the Marais at the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, which pays tribute to the late iconic designer.

A More Select and International audience

Targeted by the show’s organisers for their highly creative and quality positioning, visitors from 23 countries represented some of the most prestigious fashion and luxury fashion houses who came to Paris to seek out and select new product developments and the latest fabric and colour innovations to build their Spring-Summer 20 pre-collections.  The visitors also included leading French fashion houses (81.5% of visitors), as well as a large and growing percentage of leading international brands (18.5%).

Following France, Italy sent the 2nd largest number of visitors, with attendance up by 50% over December 2017.  In 3rd place were visitors from the United Kingdom which also increased (+37%), while visitor figures the countries in 4th and 5th place - Belgium and the Netherlands - remained stable.

* PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS : 12, 13 & 14 February 2019

** "The Secret Alchemy of a collection" Exhibition runs until January 6th, 2019.  Address: 18, rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris

Blossom Premiere Vision gives first insight into new textiles for Autumn/Winter 18/19 season

Luxury Jersey - fabrics combining sporty and elegant attributes were on
show at Blossom Premiere Vision.
The watchword for this new autumn winter 18/19 collection
is TRANSFORMATION, i.e. transforming fabrics
initially conceived for ready-to-wear
 into fabrics for street-style looks,
with a special focus on Athletic-Leisure. 

For those in the fashion trade looking for advance fabric and leather inspiration before the main trade show season in the autumn, Blossom Première Vision which was held at the Palais Brongniart in Paris last week ( 4 - 5 July) offered them a first glimpse of things to come.

Organisers reported an atmosphere of optimism after two days of a productive show that saw visitor numbers went up by 23% - registering 1,058 visitors compared to 861 in the launch event in July 2016.

This third edition was crowned a major success, with industry professionals broadly voicing their enthusiasm.  Following France, Italy had the 2nd largest number of visitors, with attendance up by 3.5 % over the July 2016 event. In 3rd place were visitors from the United Kingdom (+ 26%), while the United States (4th) and Belgium (5th) - both showed a stable but significant presence.

Launched one year ago by the Première Vision trade fair group, the show dedicated to pre-collections - so-called to allow early showing to the industry  -  is today part of Europe's dynamic trade show calendar.

Designed to maximise exposure for each o the 90 exhibiting companies, the open layout format evoking the style of intimate showrooms made it a user-friendly environment to conduct business.

Said show director, Guglielmo Olearo: "Our exhibitors are more than satisfied with this edition. They were able to meet with their key customers in a working yet friendly atmosphere. Precollections are most definitely a creative period on their own, independent of the international catwalk shows. Yet in a similar vein, they rely on creativity to stand out and be competitive.  Today, a pre-collection can represent up to 60% of the season’s turnover. They are of major importance to the luxury brands, to which Blossom Première Vision has responded with this custom offer, in a timeframe that’s complementary to the Première Vision Paris shows."

Among the highlights, Denis & Fils's pre-collection showcases femininity in plain silks that are fluid, structured, glazed or shaded. Light or quilted jacquards, along with textiles that evoke feelings, emotions and shine are the earliest indicators of our autumn winter 18/19 collection.

From Denis & Fils: sensations, emotions and brilliance, as shown here and showcased at Blossom Premiere Vision. 

Also look out for fabrics with an understated and luminous nature to autumn winter 18/19, as those showed by Hurel (in photo above).  Along with classic silks, their plains are rich with texture, and free of any notion of uniformity. In terms of fancies, the new designs include unique colours and shine pointing to an understated and luminous nature.

Malhia Kent of France - fabric doyen to high fashion - staged a special 2-day atelier during the  Blossom PV fair to show off its hand-loom capabilities, from yarn selection to warp preparation and hand-woven sampling.  

Images supplied by the Premiere Vision group.