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

PREMIÈRE VISION, PATRON OF THE EXHIBITION ON THE HISTORY OF SHOES at the MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS OF PARIS

One of the main highlights at the next edition of Première Vision Paris - from February 11 to 13, 2020 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte - will be a relay of an exhibition on the history of Shoes currently showing at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs of Paris - through animations and educational installations about the conception and manufacture of shoes, providing a prospective and creative look at these key products that have entered the collections of all the fashion brands.

The exhibition "Marche et Démarche, Une histoire de la chaussure" focuses on the history of shoes and footwear, and is on until 23 February 2020 at the MAD, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs of Paris.

Above, a wide range of creative leather qualities on show at PREMIÈRE VISION LEATHER in Paris, and 

Below, displays of components and accessories at PREMIÈRE VISION ACCESSORIES, 

both events took place at the September 2019 PREMIÈRE VISION Paris show.

Photos by Lucia Carpio.

It is an exhibition of natural echo for Première Vision, which, through its flagship event Première Vision Paris, highlights each season the creative complementarity of the fashion industry’s professions, particularly in its specialized spaces: PREMIÈRE VISION LEATHER, the leather specialist universe which presents a selection of tanners and manufacturers for the leather goods, clothing and footwear markets, and PREMIÈRE VISION ACCESSORIES, which presents an offer of components for fashion, accessories and footwear.

Paris Spreading the Love of Shopping for the visiting Chinese Tourists

As Chinese communities around the world are still celebrating the Lunar New Year (from Feb 5 - 19 this year), Paris retailers are laying out the RED carpet, so to speak to appeal to tourists from the retail world's most prolific shoppers of the moment - the Chinese, who are visiting en masse during this auspicious time the City of Lights.  They are everywhere, from the hub of luxury shops, the celebrated Faubourg de St Honore to the city's iconic department store, the Galeries Lafayette.
Chinese will be celebrating their own special day for lovers on 19th February this year, the last day of the Year of the Pig new year celebrations.  And the language of choice for their endearing message?  Not their native French, but Chinese and English even. Happy Shopping everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!

All photos © Lucia Carpio February 2019 in  Paris.

From Paris to Portland, Première Vision launches new Sport event this August

With the continued popularity and growing influence of the global sportswear and sports footwear market, the organisers of the international Première Vision events for professionals in the fashion, textile, creative and related industries - is launching a new event: Première Vision Sport, not in Paris but in Portland, in the state  of Oregon in the US.

PREMIÈRE VISION SPORT will take place August 14th and 15th 2019, to be held simultaneously and in partnership with The Materials Show, a leading sports footwear material and component sourcing show organised by American Events.

Portland is long established as the "Sportswear Silicon Valley".  Rightfully so as it is where major international American sports brands, the likes of Nike, Under Armour, Columbia Sportswear, Adidas North America, Avia and others are headquartered.  Portland is also located less than two hours by plane from San Francisco - headquarters of Patagonia, The North Face; and a little over an hour from the Canadian city of Vancouver - birthplace of such well-known brands as Lululemon, Arcteryx, Canada Goose and others.

The SPORT & TECH section at Première Vision Paris, September 2018.
Photo © Lucia Carpio.

PREMIÈRE VISION SPORT is a strategic development for the Parisian trade fair organisers which  launched the SPORT & TECH sector at its Première Vision Paris show last September offering a selection of high-performance and technical materials to help and support those brands and designers in search of innovations for the development of high-performance fashion products.

Finished garments on display at the SPORT & TECH section at Première Vision Paris, September 2018.Photo © Lucia Carpio.

The new PREMIÈRE VISION SPORT will bring its exclusive fashion expertise - seminars, colour range - and will introduce a specialized offer for performance and active sports clothing:  including fabrics, components and designs presented by a selection of exhibitors from Première Vision’s Parisian and international trade shows.

The MATERIALS SHOW was created more than 25 years ago by American Events Inc.  The biannual fair specializes in footwear for high-performance sports with a selection of dedicated materials - components, fabrics, leathers - offered by more than 300 exhibitors.

Each year, American Events organizes 4 editions of THE MATERIALS SHOW dedicated
to the footwear and sportswear markets, where representatives from international sports brands - makers and producers walk the show floor to discover what’s leading the market in technology and style.  Two editions (August & March) of the NE Materials Show take place in Wilmington,
Massachusetts, on the East Coast, presenting 200 exhibitors and welcoming some 800 visitors, while two editions (August & February) of the NW Materials Show take place in Portland, Oregon,
on the West Coast, which gathers together 300 exhibitors and 1,500 attendees.

According to figures from Euromonitor International, the global sportswear market has seen continued growth between 2011 and 2016 reaching US$ 280 billion in 2016. American brands dominate the worldwide sportswear market, with the United States representing 37% of global sales, or US$ 103 billion in 2016: US$70 billion of which for sportswear (+4.4%) and US$ 32 billion for shoes (+8.8%).

Pascal Monfort, fashion expert and founder of REC Trends Marketing, a specialist in sports, youth and street culture, said we’re seeing a growing alliance today not only between fashion and sport but also between luxury and sport, leading to the term “athluxury” - a blend of ‘athletic’ and ‘luxury’.

Pascal Monfort 
Photo © Lucia Carpio

Presenting a series of conferences on Sport &Tech at the Autumn 2018 edition of Premiere Vision Paris held last September, Pascal Monfort said: “The inclusion of sport in fashion is no longer simply a trend, it’s a necessity for many fashion brands, whether they come from the fast fashion or luxury worlds.”

In his view, 2020 will be the pinnacle of this success, the ultimate incarnation of the love affair between sport and fashion.

Monfort (pictured above at Première Vision Paris last September) said: “What’s happening today is fantastic. Creativity isn’t dead, far from it. Together, fashion and sports can go a long way and we love that!”

He added that the power of collaborations is incredible "We’re seeing the most unexpected and most surprising ones: Marine Green x Oakley, Vêtement x Oakley… Nike x Off-White for the team Nigeria fielded for the 2018 World Cup (3 million jerseys pre-ordered) … Koché x PSG: even football can become fashionable and cool!"

The fact is that fashion designers love sportswear, said Montfort.  The power of streetwear and sportswear designers is overturning norms. The most recent example is undeniably the appointment of Virgile Abloh (Off-White), a multifaceted American designer, as head of the House of Vuitton, an event which created quite a surprise in the fashion world.

Nevertheless, a series of collaborations with the biggest luxury brands and the creation of the “luxury” Nike City Ready line now places Nike on the pages of the leading fashion magazines such as Vogue.

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

Textile experts to judge this year’s TexSelect Awards in Paris at Première Vision Designs

Helen Palmer, director of textiles, materials & knitwear at WGSN and her team at WGSN will be choosing a winner for a new award this year, the WGSN TexSelect Textiles of the Future Award.

“As Foundation Sponsors of TexSelect, we decided to do more for TexSelect and the young designers it supports, as well as raise awareness of the world-critical issue of sustainability. WGSN is all about the future and future creativity and helping to showcase upcoming talent, so this new award and everything it stands for is a perfect fit for us,” said Helen in an interview with TexSelect.

Separately Natasha Lenart of Victoria Beckham and Eda Karadogan of Ipekis are judging this year’s The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity to encounter young designers with boundless creativity that hasn’t yet been influenced by the day-to-day of the working industry,” says Natasha Lenart, who is fabric and knitwear development manager at Victoria Beckham.
Eda Karadogan from historic Turkish company Ipekis is equally enthused: “I am excited to be judging The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award. It’s such a good way to discover new talent and to support them.”

The winner of The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award will receive £1,000 plus ongoing support from The Woolmark Company and opportunities to learn about developments.The Woolmark Company has supported TexSelect since the charity was founded more than 40 years ago, with the Award established in 2011. It recognises design excellence in fabrics created with 60% or more Merino wool, whether presented as printed, woven, knitted and/or mixed media fabric.

Other awards also to be announced on Thursday 20 September in the DESIGNS FACTORY area of Première Vision Designs, Hall 5, will include the Fashion Prize, Interiors Prize (donated by Clothworkers' Company), Pattern Prize (donated by Liberty London Fabrics), and Colour Prize (donated by mode...information and Pantone).

Also to be announced are the Marks & Spencer TexSelect Fashion Textile Award, and the Worshipful Company of Woolmen TexSelect Design Innovation Award for Wool in Interiors.

ROICA™ Joins Première Vision Paris - Smart Square

Come September 19, 20, and 21, 2018, ROICA™ will set up camp at Première Vision Paris -  Smart Square -  where their experts will discuss responsible innovation and well-being.

This season, ROICA™ will showcase their Eco Smart family that offers 2 responsibly-made yarns: a GRS (Global Recycled Standard) version 3 certified yarn and the world’s first yarn awarded Cradle2Cradle Material Health Gold Level Certificate and Hohenstein Environment compatibility certification.

On display in the Smart Square, a 800-sq. m. area dedicated to shed light on a new generation of values combining creativity, innovation and sustainability, is a  unique  range of ROICA™ Eco-Smart family based fabrics, the world's first responsibly made premium stretch fibers creating ROICA™ smart yarns that offer sustainable solutions with impressive certifications:
- Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified by Textile Exchange - ROICA™ constructed with more than 50% pre-consumer recycled content.
- Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold Level for Material Health product and ingredients - ROICA™ yarn evaluated throughout the supply chain for lower impacts on human and environmental health. Striving toward eliminating all toxic and unidentified chemicals for a safe continuous cycle. Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certificate - ROICA™ proudly breaks down without releasing harmful substances.

Première Vision Paris to highlight close association between sport and fashion this September

PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS: SPORT GAINS GROUND 

AT PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS:  A FIRST- EVER SPORT & TECH SECTOR, INFORMATIVE FORUM, AND EXCLUSIVE PROGRAMME!  

"From mass market to luxury houses, everyone needs sports,"
says Pascal Monfort, fashion consultant of sport and
lifestyle founder of Trends Marketing REC agency.
Photo taken at Premiere Vision Paris 2017.
Photo © Lucia Carpio  

The association between sport and fashion has never been closer.  Today thanks to new technology and innovation, functional performance is integrated into fashion and textiles development.

Thus in the next edition of the fashion and textiles fair Première Vision Paris, due to take place 19 – 21 September at Villepinte, Paris, the show will dedicate new spaces to highlight sport and technical innovations on offer from exhibitors, to assist ready-to-wear brands looking for innovative products to develop their high-performance fashion pieces.

Fashion and sports are closely associated.
Photo from Premiere Vision Paris 2017.
Photo © Lucia Carpio 

The new spaces will include a dedicated fashion decoding system, and a specific conference programme.

Trade visitors and industry professionals should look out for:-
• A SPORT & TECH sector in the heart of Hall 6 at Première Vision Fabrics.
• A SPORT & TECH trail available on the show's mobile app available to download
• A SPORT & TECH forum (formerly the Tech Focus Forum).
• A dedicated program of conferences in the SPORT & TECH forum, moderated by Pascal Monfort, founder and director of the Trends Marketing REC agency.

Monsieur Monfort, a notable fashion consultant specializing in sport & lifestyle, acknowledges that the communion between sport and fashion has reached its maturity and all areas are affected.

"From mass market to luxury houses, everyone needs sports, and they take real risks if they try and give it up. Refusing to integrate sneakers into a collection today is almost dangerous.  You can also see that a sports spirit is mixed in with fashion too," he said in an interview with Première Vision Paris.

"Yes, and the entire sports world has been summoned. Athletes walked straight into the fashion universe. They sit in the front row of the runway shows. Their reach is immense and covers all parts of the world, far more than celebrities.

"In addition, sporting events also dictate fashion calendars with, for example, the creation of capsule collections for soccer’s World Cup or the America’s Cup.  This has transformed the needs of brands. 

Premiere Vision Paris 2017.  Photo © Lucia Carpio 

M. Monfort continues: "The new generation of artistic directors in major houses like to work with technical fabrics and materials that previously caused no excitement for people outside of the sports world. We used to want comfortable materials. Now they also have to be efficient and ultra-technical."

The complete interview can be found on the Première Vision website and in the Cloud of Fashion Newspaper #3.

PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS September edition ushers in new launches and innovative developments

From 19-21 September, the next edition of the prestigious PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS will raise its curtain again.

PV Paris February 2018
Photo © Lucia Carpio 

This autumn, it is held exceptionally from Wednesday to Friday and will offer a formidable showcase for 1,964 international exhibitors representing 57 countries from all sectors of the fashion and associating industries, including yarns and fibres, fabrics, leathers and furs, textile designs, garment manufacturing, accessories and components.

Known as the global leader in upstream fashion trade shows, Première Vision Paris – which takes place at Parc des Expositions across 5 halls - is launching new initiatives to accompany the changes taking place across the global industry, embracing digitalization, eco-responsibility, creative innovations, while providing inspirations to international professionals looking for trends and developments for the autumn/winter 2019-20 collections.

PV Awards 2017 winners and judges
Photo © Lucia Carpio 

Among the highlights on offer this autumn are :
• A strong development of manufacturing sourcing – The Sourcing Connection, with a Country Focus dedicated to Portuguese know-how – and in particular leather manufacturing – with a new specialised Leather Manufacturing area.
• Spotlight on the reciprocal and growing influence of sport and fashion – with a Sport
& Tech forum and space, and dedicated conference cycle.
• A special highlight of textile creation and designs - Designs Factory at Première Vision Designs.

There will also be an updated Smart Square space to introduce eco-responsible fashion, including materials, finished products and services.

And not to be missed is a spotlight on creativity for today and tomorrow as it celebrates the 10th anniversary of the PV Awards, as well as showing Hyères Festival exhibits and the TexSelect® design competition.

Also trade visitors should watch out for RITMOEMOTIVO, ANYTHING WORKS exhibit, and Hair Custom Bar at Première Vision Accessories.  There will also be workshops dedicated to leather working, and conferences dedicated to sport and Portuguese manufacturing.

In terms of digital expansion, the launch of the Marketplace Première Vision via a physical space, will allow visitors to experiment and test out the platform with the help of a dedicated team.

boohoo.com exclusive launch of new co-designed collection with Paris Hilton

Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for boohoo

Trendy fashion e-tailer boohoo.com hosted an exclusive launch event on 26th June 2018, to celebrate the launch of their new co-designed collection with Paris Hilton, including a DJ set by Paris herself and a live performance by Ja Rule!

The party held at Le Marois, in Paris, served as the ultimate Paris Hilton-themed party, inspired by a few of the icon’s favorite things and cultural moments that defined the turn of the century.

The famous heiress has created a capsule collection of 70 pieces inspired from the 2000’s trends.
The boohoo x Paris Hilton collection references a range of iconic trends the pioneer started back in the early 2000s.

Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for boohoo

Taking note from the product aesthetic, the event saw Paris Hilton arriving in a pink convertible and hit the turntables for a DJ set to get the party in full swing. Immediately following, American rapper Ja Rule performed live. Additional notable attendees included Norman Thavaud, Malika Menard, Slimane, Rayane Bensetti Tony Saint Laurent, Brahim Zaibat, Singuila and more.  Guests enjoyed custom pink cocktails, a pink room, and a candy bar !

Paris Hilton co-designed a 70 piece collection, including a range of ready-to-wear and swim that recreate her favorite trends and fashion moments since the turn of the new millennium, including animal prints, slinky metallics, palm prints inspired by her home town of Beverly Hills, all pink everything, and cheeky slogan pieces that boast her famous mottos like “That’s Hot”. The product retails for under £35.

Earlier in the year, the British fashion fashion e-tailer unveiled stellar full-year results - pre-tax profits jumped 40% to £43m in the year to February 28, while sales rocketed 97% to £580m, driven by an “exceptional performance” at PrettyLittleThing, which boohoo acquired just over a year ago, that generated revenues of £181m – up 228% year-on-year.   Its active customer base more than doubled to three million in its début year as high profile celebrity associations drove traffic to the site and the company expanded internationally.

KARL LAGERFELD and ModelCo celebrate the global launch of their limited-edition colour cosmetics collection

(Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images for ModelCo)

It was a romantically rosy affair inside the Hotel D’Evreux in Paris at the famous Place Vendôme on May 15th, where KARL LAGERFELD and ModelCo celebrated the global launch of their limited-edition colour cosmetics collection.

Click here for the Details.

Glorious lace at Christopher Kane's AW 2018-19 and from the House of Darquer in France

Lace has been part of European fashion for a very long time, and remains as relevant today as it was centuries ago.

Recently in the February 2018 edition of London Fashion Week, lace was featured profusely in British designer Christopher Kane’s Autumn/Winter 2018-19 collection.

Reflecting the interior strength of the Christopher Kane Girl with an external display of power, the collection evolved from last season to become less cheeky and more subversive this season.

“It's about strength of character shown by the strength of the clothes. It all started with the illustrations from The Joy of Sex and More Joy of Sex, by Chris Foss and Charles Raymond. They're both a textbook study and a sensuous display of line drawing, almost in 'coffee table book' form that's both weird and really everyday. All of which always intrigues me,” says the talented Christopher Kane.





Catwalk Source & Images from Christopher Kane



Meanwhile at the Premiere Vision Paris textile fair also in February, French lace house Darquer showcased their latest lace creations for the congregating fashion industry.  Designer Frédéric Ruminy’s latest on offer includes beautiful lace in two tones, also lace made with denim effect as well as lace in cotton blended with cashmere to lovely results.

The "Millennium" collections includes a selection of white & black lace designs, evocative of the heritage of Maison Darquer, while among its heritage are the highly sophisticated Chantilly lace that have stood the test of time.

Darquer was established in 1840 in Calais, and is the oldest and most renowned lace company in France. In this regard, it has an exceptional collection of lace samples of all styles and periods.

Today, Maison DARQUER is very much a modern company as it continues to develop a wide range of services to meet the needs of today's markets with a new “See now Buy Now” website for immediate delivery.

Maison DARQUER is very much a modern company as it continues to develop a wide range of services to meet the needs of today's markets with a new “See now Buy Now” website for designers to choose designs, place orders and for immediate delivery.

Darquer lace photos by Lucia Carpio.

Darquer opened its Paris showroom in 2017, in a former 18th century private mansion Hotel de Vibraye, classified as an historic monument, on 15 rue Vielle du Temple in the 4th arrondissement.

The showroom features the entire collection  of its famous 7 points Chantilly lace  as well as the novelties, Cornely, Beyroux and "hand made embroideries  ".  It is also possible for buyers and fashion designers to develop their own made to measure patterns using Dacquer designs as starting point.

Pictured right,  at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, fashion model Sara Sampaio wears a sexy creation by  Francesco Scognamiglio realized with an  evanescsente lace from Maison Darquer.

Showroom and Cannes Film Festival photos from Dacquer.

Ethiopia, along with a host of international manufacturers met European companies at Paris Apparel Sourcing Fair

For regular attendees of Messe Frankfurt Paris’ group of trade shows in Paris: Apparel Sourcing – held February 11 – 14 2018, they were greeted by the more familiar manufacturers from China and Hong Kong, India, Turkey, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where a choice of prime contractors and clothing manufacturers were familiar with the customs and practices of supplying to European fashion labels.

What’s new this February edition was the addition of a number of emerging markets, including Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan to promote their manufacturing capabilities and products.

Michael Scherpe, Président of organiser Messe Frankfurt France, described the congregation of different nations was similar to the Winter Olympics held concurrently in Pyeongcheng, Korea, during a press conference.  

Ethiopia was the guest country of honour this season, presenting eight companies offering varying  skills and textile products for the European market, including 100% organic cotton, dyes based on coffee or wine.  A selection of their fashion was also paraded on catwalk at the trade fair.

Camillo Calami, director of bag company Village Industry, ummed up the general feeling shared among the Ethiopians: “Visitors to the trade fair were targeted exceedingly well. We met those we were hoping to see, tending towards European brands. We spoke with a great number of French and Spanish visitors as well as those from the UK, Germany and Holland. We made some very interesting contacts from various sectors:- fashion labels, consultants for sourcing and even retail chains!”

Leading the pavilion was His Excellency Dr Bekele Bulado, who introduced various development programmes for the textiles and clothing industry in their country at a press conference.  The Ethiopian entourage included  the Honourable Bogale FelekeState Minister at the Ministry of Industry  and Mr Fitsum Arega, Director General of the Ethiopian Investment Commission.  

The Ethiopian pavilion was organised in conjunction with the German agency for international cooperation GIZ (Gesellschaft fûr Internationale Zusammenarbeit).  

The Asian country of Myanmar (formerly Burma) also brought eight garment companies to the fair and had met with trade visitors from Europe as well as the US.

In addition there were eight Kyrgyzstan companies, and their participation had been supported by the American USAID programme. 

Photos © Lucia Carpio 2018

Paris Federation of High Fashion and Premiere Vision trade fairs to join forces to support young fashion talents.

Top quality fabrics are key to the creation of high fashion.  Thus it has come as welcome news that two top French companies responsible for promoting world class fashion materials and quality creative designs should join hands for a valuable cause, with the common goal of bolstering Paris’s position as fashion capital of the world.

Première Vision February 2018 held at Parc Des Expositions, Villepinte, Paris.
 Photo © by Lucia Carpio.

An agreement has been made between the Fédération de la Haute Couture de La Mode and Première Vision - the two leading companies in Paris which share common goals that focus on the international developments of their trade events; a support for creative fashion and young designers and a strong stand and engagement regarding the fashion industry’s key structuring issues, such as Fashion Technology and Responsible Creation.

 Designs SS 2018 by Ziad Nakad
shown at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
Photo: Kirsty Sparow / Getty Images for Ziad Nakad

The agreement, which took effect on 1 January 2018 and announced on 15th February 2018 at the conclusion of the latest edition of Première Vision trade fair,  is aimed at strengthening the existing close links between the two companies, with the goal of supporting young creative companies, providing them with training and helping them develop creative and innovative fashion.

This partnership is structured around 3 main areas, according to the announcement:
• Paris World Fashion capital
Developing a programme of initiatives and joint lobbying efforts with the international community and its institutions to enhance Paris attractivity.
• Innovation accelerating the development of Fashion Tech and its players thanks to the first major and dedicated platform: the WEARABLE LAB, a key new development of Première Vision.
• Young Creative talent - supporting the future of creative fashion of young designers and companies selected by the Fédération de la Haute Couture de la Mode during the Paris Fashion Week®.
Première Vision will in turn support the young designers at participation at their trade fairs, specifically in the DESIGNERS APPARTMENT and NEW NOW for emerging brands in their search for creative materials - fabrics, leathers, components - and partners to manufacture their collections.

Y-3 showcases Autumn/Winter 18 'NICE TO MEET YOU' collection at Paris Grand Palais

With voluminous, oversized shapes, sportswear technicality and comfort as key, Y-3, the sportswear label created by adidas and designer Yohji Yamamoto, introduces the Autumn/Winter 2018  "NICE TO MEET YOU" collection in Paris this catwalk season, a nod to the ongoing collaborative nature of  the brand since its inception.

The goal is to distill the best of Yamamoto and adidas in daringly simple apparel, footwear, and accessories.  There is an emphasis on both craftsmanship and innovation — long-held qualities of both the German sportswear icon and the renowned Japanese designer. 

Presented at Grand Palais in January, the Fall/Winter 2018 runway collection represents not only a return to the roots of Y-3.  Presented mainly in black, white, deep ink, with an injection of sunny yellow and a floral camouflage print, it showcases a refinement and celebration of the brand's key characteristics: simplicity, proportion, heritage, and the three stripes distinctive of adidas. 

The collection rides a tension between tradition and progression, pairing Japanese craftsmanship, such as Sashiko embroidery, with the cutting edge innovation of CARBON 4D and BOOST™.

The Sashiko  stitching conjures a crucial human element —suggesting the hand of a couturier - and has been incorporated within the stacked logo motif that appears throughout the range.

When it comes to apparel, XXL is the new medium. Outerwear proportions are blown up to extremes and worn with body-conscious separates to create an intriguing contrast of covered and uncovered. This pairs with an innovative inside-out fabric concept: innerwear materials used as outerwear and vice versa.  Many of the styles are also reversible.

Graphic codes subtly nod to Y-3’s story. The print of the season — a camouflage floral —
represents both the grit of the street and the poetry of Yamamoto‘s avant-garde approach.

Note that bold slogans, such as ‘Y DON’T YOU CALL ADIDAS’  and ‘NICE TO MEET YOU’, tell the tale of collaboration and mutual respect from which Y-3 was born. 

Y-3 relentlessly innovates with its footwear offering, giving a taste of the future with SPEEDFACTORY and CARBON 4D, as well as debuting several new styles. Directly inspired by the adidas archive, the pioneering  Kaiwa melds a minimalist design philosophy with contrasting midsole accents for a bold, 3-D effect — shown on the runway both as a low-top trainer and knee-high sneaker-boot. The sleek, sock-like, sport-driven Ekika combines smooth neoprene mesh uppers with suede accents and stitched details, recalling the collection’s handcraft motif.