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.

Sustainable bio-based Naia™ textile products showcased at Premiere Vision Paris in September

Sustainability and smart technology today go hand in hand when it comes to textile and clothing developments that are created to be kind to our environment, and this is one of the main highlights at Premiere Vision Paris held in September 2019, in the Smart Creation, a dedicated space at the international textile and materials trade fair, eco-friendly creations from a wide range of brands and producers promoted their new developments from yarns to finished products made by combining values combining creativity, innovation and sustainability.

One of the companies featured in this segment, and which also took up its own stand was Eastman, the maker of bio-based Naia™ cellulosic yarn made from sustainably sourced wood pulp.
Launched at PV 2018, Naia™ was celebrating one year of continuous innovation with new partnerships, products and sustainability certifications, offering a viable eco-conscious choice of materials for sustainable fashion in alignment with the industry’s shift toward the circular economy. 

“Inspired designers are now transforming a yarn that originates from nature into luxurious, soft and easy-to-care-for fabrics and fashion,” said Ruth Farrell, global marketing director of Textiles for Eastman. “Mills are delivering a wider option of Naia™ fabrics, and those fabrics are more accessible than ever before. It’s an exciting time to be fully delivering on the promise of sustainable textiles.”

Naia™  displayed at Premiere Vision Paris a selection of fashions from the Grand Final Fashion Show of the 2019 Redress Design Award in Hong Kong held on September 5, 2019.

Eastman Naia was the Gold Sponsor of the sustainable fashion design competition.

Naia brought a wide range of new eco-friendly developments to the Premiere Vision Paris show in September 2019 which showed inherent softness and lustre while being demonstrating versatility and easy-care.  

Highlights included Eastman Naia™ bamboo blend from Burmod in Turkey, wrinkle-resistant textured glossy knit from Textivision in Mexico (shown in picture above), shimmering satin woven silk blend with jacquard structure from Manifatture Bianchi in Italy (as shown in picture below), and an open mesh warp knit with a metallic appearance and deceptively soft hand from Bella Fabrics in the USA.  
The fabrics combines the richness of nature with comfort, said Ms Farrell, making them ideal for womenswear, intimate apparel and linings.

Naia™ cellulosic yarn is made with sustainably sourced wood and offers full traceability from tree to yarn's. 

According to Eastman, in developing the yarn, the company considers the entire lifecycle, from responsible sourcing to end-of-life disposal. FSC® Mix certified Naia™ cellulosic yarn is Eastman’s latest product advance in the sustainable fibers category. Eastman has aligned its entire forestry supply chain with Forest Stewardship Council® sourcing standards, including controlled wood procedures. Naia™ is also certified as biodegradable in fresh water and soil environments and is compostable in industrial settings, having received the OK Biodegradable and OK Compost conformity marks from TÜV AUSTRIA.

Made by Eastman in the USA in accordance with the highest safety, social and environmental standards, Naia™ is responsibly sourced from sustainably managed pine and eucalyptus plantations, ensuring no deforestation. Eastman holds FSC® and PEFC™ Chain of Custody certification, and all wood pulp suppliers have FSC® and/or PEFC™ Chain of Custody as well. Naia™ cellulosic yarn is produced in a safe, closed-loop process where solvents are recycled back into the system for reuse. Naia™ has an optimized, low-impact manufacturing process with a low tree-to-yarn carbon and water footprint. Naia™ has a third-party reviewed life cycle assessment compliant with ISO 14044 and is ranked on the Higg Materials Sustainability Index.

Sustainability the focus of Smart Creations during Première Vision Paris trade fair September 17 - 19

At the upcoming edition of the Première Vision Paris trade fair for professionals in the textile and fibres industries, which is due to take place September 17-19 at Parc des Expositions in north Paris, sustainability, interweaving creativity with technology will be a major focus at the Smart Creation Area.

Clothing with "smart" qualities featured at  Première Vision Paris

February 2019 edition.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Among the exhibitors this September, premium stretch fibre company ROICA™, by leading material innovator Asahi Kasei of Japan, will be showcasing their ultimate hyper-performative yarns such as the certified ROICA Eco-Smart™ Family.


“The ROICA Eco-Smart™ Family is the result of the innovation process marrying the company’s  inquiring mind of innovativeness and sustainability with brands and designers’ growing demand for responsible materials.” Comments Shinichiro Haga, Senior Executive Manager - ROICA™ Division. 
“The new premium stretch is synonymous of transformation: from standard to speciality, from basic to special, from ordinary to clever and from standard to Smart.”

"Closed" jeans made with

Candiani ReLast

containing sustainable  Roica (TM)

Today ROICA™, and especially ROICA EcoSmart™, is the premium secret ingredient enhancing fashion-led collections, including the German denim brand Closed, founded in 1978, which is totally handmade in Italy.

Closed selected the new amazing Candiani ReLast line, the range of market fresh responsible denim products whose objective is to introduce a 100% transformed innovative solution. The partnership between ROICA™ and Candiani generated uses a very special ROICA™ yarn realized only for Candiani. A premium stretch yarn that is boasting a GRS (Global Recycled Standard) version 4 certification, thanks to its high percentage of recycled content and appropriated process of transformation.

Another brand using Roica's sustainable yarns is un-sanctioned™, an innovation-driven performance running apparel brand newly launched in September, 2019; founded on the belief that it’s time for running to give back to the environment all runners take so much joy from.  In partnership with Miti-Spa, un-sanctioned™ has developed and launched with two initial sustainable performance running fabrics called [ BottleKnit™ ] — a 100% recycled polyester made from plastic bottles. And [ WasteKnit™] — a 100% upcycled polyamide made from industrial waste blended with ROICA™ EF yarn for uncompromising smart stretch performance. 

The ROICA Eco-Smart™ family offers two responsibly-made yarns with outstanding stretch performances that give free rein to designers’ creativity and guarantees the highest quality while complying to the most-cutting edge sustainable standards: • Yarns that are ROICA™ EF– GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified - is made with 58% of pre-consumer recycled content.  GRS guarantees its sustainable mission with a certification by the influential Textile Exchange*, one of the most known and recognized global players in the market. 

• Meanwhile the ROICA™ V550   which breaks down without releasing harmful substance under the testing environment according to Hohenstein Environmental Compatibility certification. Made and engineered by Asahi Kasei R&D team, and produced in ROICA™'s German plant only, the yarn offers additional and relevant circular economy advantages linked to material health as proved by a Gold Level Material Health Certificate by the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute for a safe and biological end of life cycle.  

Première Vision Paris Sept 17 - 19 stays in line with market changes to better support the industry

Two times a year, for three days, professionals and experts from the 6 major industries supplying materials and services to the global fashion industry (yarns, fabrics, leathers, designs, accessories and manufacturing) meet the world's creative brands at Première Vision Paris to help them prepare their collections.

February 2019 edition of Première Vision Paris.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

The next edition, from 17-19 September 2019 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte, will present the latest developments in materials and techniques for the autumn-winter 2020-21 season.   Première Vision Paris will play host to some 2,000 exhibitors - including 210 newcomers - from across the world presenting their latest new products. On the agenda: fashion information and the latest inspirations; an exclusive and experiential program; and strengthened strategic commitments to meet the industry's future challenges and evolutions of the season.

Giles Lasbordes

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Gilles Lasbordes, General Manager of Première Vision, says trade visitors will discover an expanded area dedicated to sustainable fashion, with 50 exhibitors sharing their innovations and best practices. The September show will also see the launch of a new activity sector — accessories and components — on the Première Vision Marketplace.

“This web platform facilitates online contacts between visitors and exhibitors throughout the year, to meet the new needs of buyers facing an accelerating collection pace. The programming of this edition demonstrates our desire to help the industry meet the challenges it faces. I look forward to seeing you in September to discover the best that is being done today to build the fashion industry of tomorrow, “ explains Gilles.

One of the featured events due to take place at Première Vision Designs Paris on September 18 is the awards ceremony of TexSelect which has announced the 2019 shortlists of textile designers, selected out of 24 finalists in this year's competition.

The 2019 Shortlists:-

TexSelect Fashion Prize – Rhianna Parker-Yates, Lucy Spendlove, Georgia Hardman.

TexSelect Interiors Prize – Emma Fallon, Charlotte Howson, Amber Sorayapour.

TexSelect Colour Prize – Priscilla Luong, Gabe Dolan, Maddie Sellers.

TexSelect Patter Prize – Ruth Blanke, Sophia Gray, Cindy Yu.

Marks & Spencer TexSelect Fashion Fabric Award – Rhianna Parker Yates, Amber Sorayapour, Joanna Rance.

TexSelect 2019 London Preview, Chelsea College of Arts, July 2019.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

The latest cohort of emerging talent are graduates representing 17 UK colleges, specialising in print, weave, knit and embroidery/mixed media.  They showcased their work to industry professionals and textile specialists during the TexSelect London Preview (July 9-10) at the Chelsea College of Arts ( in its Banqueting Hall and Red Room).

Premiere Vision Paris takes over the reins of TexSelect to support textile creation and design

Première Vision Paris attracts some 60,000 trade visitors, fashion and textile professionals from around the world and international members press and media to each of their bi-annual seasonal events.

The next PV Paris will take place 17 - 19 September 2019 in Parc des Expositions, Paris.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

After 50 years, TexSelect (previously known as TexPrint) has announced that this year is its final competition having been providing valuable support nurturing, mentoring and guiding British-trained textile and design talents due to funding challenges and the retirement of long-standing management executives. 

Now industry professionals can feel a sense of relieve with the announcement that the Paris-based Premiere Vision Group, organiser of the world's leading sourcing events for fashion professionals, will continue its support for emerging textile designers through an agreement with TexSelect that will build on the talent search programme's legacy with an international perspective from 2020.

The P.V. Group will take over as champion of new graduate talent when TexSelect completes its voluntary winding up at the end of the year.  Further announcements will be made about the future structure of the talent selection scheme under Premiere Vision's auspices during the September 2019 edition at Premiere Vision Paris in Parc des Expositions.  The two organisations have run in parallel for nearly 50 years, share a common objective of supporting creativity in textile design.

"Both Premiere Vision and TexSelect view knit, print, weave and mixed media innovators as being a vital, creative force in the advancement of textile and apparel design, "says Gilles Lasbordes,  (at left) managing director of Premiere Vision Group.  "Premiere Vision is committed to giving new designers space and support between university and the launch of their professional practice."

Barbara Kennington, TexSelect's honorary chairman (at right) explains:" Over recent years, we have had a tough time raising the funds required to run the scheme.  At the same time, many of our loyal management team are retiring."

"As a major sponsor and host of the TexSelect design village, we spoke with our colleagues at Premiere Vision about our intention to windup the charity at the end of 2019.  We are delighted that Premiere Vision has been so forthcoming and will create new opportunities for young designers when TexSelect in its current form closes."

Premiere Vision Group is the global leader in upstream, creative fashion trade shows.  From 15 Lyon-based weavers in the early 1970s to more than 2,000 exhibitors at PV Paris today, the group's strategy has remained to support the development of the international fashion industry and major market evolutions through its services and 12 events per year, to which has been added a unique online sourcing tool:  Premiere Vision Marketplace, managed by the company's subsidiary, Premiere Vision Digital.

The next PV Paris will take place 17 - 19 September 2019 in Parc des Expositions, Paris.  The show encompasses textiles, leather, yarns, fabric design, haberdashery and accessories,  knits finished goods and manufacturing. 

All photos by Lucia Carpio.

Première Vision Paris reported more than 53,150 trade visitors - a solid attendance yet impacted by market concerns over Brexit

Politics and economic uncertainties can often influence business decisions and it is the case with  concerns over Brexit (Great Britain leaving the EU) that seem to have impacted on the Première Vision Paris group of trade shows which saw a slight dip in visitor numbers this February according to the organisers.

Photos at Première Vision Paris February 12 - 14 February 2019 © Lucia Carpio 2019

While the fair recorded a healthy attendance of 53,156 visitors from 127 countries at its latest edition held 12 – 14 February at the Parc des Expositions in Villepinte, north of Paris, Première Vision Paris saw a slight decline of 2.3% in visitors when compared to its February 2018 edition.

Organisers said the fair's 70%-international attendance is particularly notable for its high quality, demonstrating the show's robustness in the face of strong political and economic uncertainties in world markets and illustrated the strength of its leadership and influence on the global creative fashion industry.

This impressive performance was nonetheless marked by a slight decline in visitor numbers (-2.3% vs. February 2018), a direct consequence of the market's jitteriness in light  of the impending exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union. British fashion brands and buyers are playing it safe as Brexit edges closer, solidifying fears and slowing down decision-making.

Organisers reported that there was a significant 16% decline in British visitors, which alone accounts for two thirds of the decline in attendance at the show.

The Top 5 visiting countries remain unchanged in comparison with February 2018. China enters the top 10 in 9th place, Belgium moves from 10th to 8th place, and Japan moves down a place, dropping to 10th place in the ranking.




Some 76% of the visitors to Première Vision Paris were European led by France with nearly 16,000 visitors, which recorded a slight increase (+1%), and held steady despite a still fragile internal economic environment.  This demonstrates the indispensable nature of the show for French brands,
which are among the most important in the sector, according to the organisers.

In second place, Italy sent 5,985 visitors (11% of attendees), followed by the United Kingdom which,
with 4,466 visitors (8% of attendees), maintains its 3rd position despite a significant decline in its visitor base (-16%), due to uncertainty over Brexit.
This trio is followed by Spain (3,215 visitors), Germany (1,828 visitors, 3% of the total), and Belgium (1,478 visitors).

Some 9.5% of professional visitors came from Asia with an increase of 8%, buoyed by China which enters 9th place in the top 10 with 1,451 visitors. Next comes Japan, a leading buyer of fashion and creative textiles, with 1,421 attendees, and South Korea, a market for innovative and creative fashion, with 883 visitors.
Visitors from North America also registered a rise in attendance with over 1 996 visiteurs.
The United States posted a +6% increase in visitors, with 1,695 attendees, followed by Canada with 300 visitors.
Turkey maintained its ranking as the 5th visitor-country with 2,689 visitors, which was however a 6% drop, a reflection on the country's economic and political instability.

With 1,782 international exhibitors providing a wide range of textile, fashion, haberdashery accessories and designs, Première Vision is the industry valuable catalyst for the creative fashion and textile and materials sectors throughout the three-day show, that catered for the spring summer 2020 season.
The next edition of Première Vision Paris will take place 17, 18 & 19 September 2019.
Photos at Première Vision Paris 12-14 February 2019 © Lucia Carpio 2019.

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.

Première Vision Paris September 2018

There was a buzz at the September 2018 edition of the Première Vision Paris trade show which attracted 55,497 international trade and professional visitors but it failed to match the figure of September 2017 which recorded more than 60,000 visitors.

More than 72% of the visitors came from outside France, with Italy being the largest registering at 11% of total, following by the United Kingdom (7%), Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal. There was a strong presence of Swedish (602) and Danish (459) visitors, while Asia, which represented 14% of total visitors, including 3101 from China, 1610 from Japan and 1029 from Sourth Korea.

North America showed a slight decrease with 2,269 visitors, 1918 of whom came from the United States.  Although Turkey sent 5% of total visitors to the fair, it was a slight fall compared to previous years, due to its monetary and economic problems, according to organisers.

The 8.3% drop in total visitor numbers was down to a number of factors according to Première Vision, such as the clashing of dates with Yom Kippur (although the fair did open a day later than usual on a Wednesday rather than Tuesday) as well as a slowing consumption in general in Europe, uncertainties surrounding Brexit (as UK is one of the largest markets).    In addition to a critical monetary situation in Turkey, the organisers cited global growth weakened by US trade and economic policies had a contributing factor to uncertainties to the market.

The next edition of Première Vision Paris will be held from February 12 - 14. 2019.  Other upcoming PV events include Première Vision Istanbul October 10 - 12 2018,  the Denim Première Vision (December 5-6) in London, the Paris rendez-vous for pre-collections Blossom Première Vision (December 12-13), and Première Vision New York  will next take place January 15-16 2019.

Photos © Lucia Carpio 2018

 H&M and Klarna partner to elevate the modern shopping experience for consumers

Discussions among the visitors at the Première Vision Paris trade fair focused on how to introduce newness to entice consumers as brick and mortar retailers in all key markets are experiencing dwindling shoppers while online shopping is posing great competition and challenges to all in the fashion, interior and lifestyle industries.    Thus it is interesting to note that on October 8th in Stockhom, H&M - the world's second-largest clothes retailer together with Swedish fintech company Klarna announce that they have entered into a global partnership to further integrate H&M’s digital and physical stores to give customers a seamless, personalised and engaging shopping experience no matter where, when and how they shop. 

The deal will start in 14 European countries, starting with the U.K. and Sweden, but has the scope to expand to the U.S. and Asia, according to Klarna in a Finantial Times report, and promises to simplify H&M's returns and delivery processes which H&M.  It will power the H&M Club* payment programme, provide an enhanced omni-channel customer payment offering, a streamlined post-purchase service in the H&M app and many other service, and will deliver an unrivalled experience that will delight H&M customers across all touchpoints, according to the announcement.  

Textile and leather companies won top prizes from the industry they serve

Italian wool mill Marini Industrie has won the PV Fabrics Grand Jury Prize 2018 at this September’s PV Awards held during the prestigious Premiere Vision group of trade fair in Paris specifically for global experts and professionals from the textile, garment and fashion industries.

Head judge – the talented Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens – commanded the Prato-based Marini for producing “the most outstanding, symbolic and pertinent fabric of the season.”

In the same event, the PV Leather Grand Jury Prize 2018 went to FC Creacio I Innovacio of Spain, for offering “the most exceptional, symbolic and pertinent leather of the season.”
The Spanish company also won the PV Leather Fashion Smart Creation Prize 2018.

The prize presentation ceremony celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the awards which were created in 2008 to highlight the most creative and innovative work of companies exhibiting at Première Vision Paris from the leather and fabric industries.

Witnessing the event held on 19th September at Parc des Exposition were influencers, movers and shakers of the whole fashion industry -weavers, tanners, designers, buyers, as well as international journalists, who congregated at the Forum PV Perspectives (Hall 5) observing eagerly to discover the winners of the 8 prizes of the 10th PV Awards, and to celebrate textile and leather excellence.

To select the products to be awarded, influential personalities from the international fashion scene responded to Première Vision's invitation and submitted their new developments to an exceptional jury headed by Olivier Theyskens who, after having successfully shaped the destinies of Rochas, Nina Ricci and Theory, has made his re-entry on the Paris stage with his own eponymous label in 2016.

Here is the full list of the 2018 WINNERS:

THE 4 PRIZES FOR PREMIÈRE VISION FABRICS

• The PV Fabrics Grand Jury Prize 2018 goes to Marini Industrie (Italy) for the most outstanding, symbolic and pertinent fabric of the season.

• The PV Fabrics Handle Prize 2018 goes to Texlover (Italy) for the fabric allying the most astonishing tactile and behavioural qualities, the fabric that touches the emotions.

• The PV Fabrics Imagination Prize 2018 goes to Stylem – Zen Kiwami (Japan) for the boldest, most original, most amazing fabric in terms of decoration, technique, finishing, innovation or technology.

• The PV Fabrics Fashion Smart Creation Prize 2018 goes to Toray Industrie (Japan) for the most creative responsible fabric.

The 4 PRIZES FOR PREMIÈRE VISION LEATHER

• The PV Leather Grand Jury Prize 2018 goes to FC Creacio I Innovacio (Spain) for the most exceptional, symbolic and pertinent leather of the season.

• The PV Leather Handle Prize 2018 goes to Naturca By Aysen Butik (Turkey) for the leather combining the most amazing tactile and behavioural qualities, the leather that touches the emotions.

• The PV Leather Imagination Prize 2018 goes to Ckd Cetinkaya (Turkey) for the most daring, original and amazing leather in terms of decoration, technique, finishing, innovation or technology.

• The PV Leather Fashion Smart Creation Prize 2018 goes to FC Creacio I Innovacio (Spain) for the most creative responsible leather

All photos © Lucia Carpio 2018

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.

Premiere Vision Paris Feb 2018 show reported 54,500 international trade visitors

Reporting an attendance of 54,500 from 120 countries to its February edition of trade fairs, organisers of the prestigious Première Vision Paris say the strong visitor figures confirms its role as the leading influential event for the entire international creative fashion industry.

Held over three days (February 13th – 15th 2018) at Parc des Expositions in Villepinte, Première Vision Paris organisers reveal 71% of the total visitors had come
 from outside of France. 

Among the European countries, the French market was strongly present, with trade and professional visitors up by 4%.  In second place was Italy with 6,125 visitors  - 11% of attendance), followed by the United Kingdom with 5,291 visitors (10% of attendance), then Spain with 3,475 visitors, Germany with 1,844 visitors 3% of visitors, the Netherlands and Belgium. Portugal sent a healthy figure of 1,180 visitors while countries from Northern Europe were led by Sweden (508 visitors) and Denmark (473 visitors).

Some 9% of the professional visitors came from Asia, led by which sent 1,544 visitors, following by South Korea with 990 visitors, and China with 780 visitors.

Turkey saw an almost 20% increase with 2,859 visitors, ranking it as 5th among visitor countries.
However the organisers say the total visitor figures of the February 2018 edition also show a slight decline of 3% compared to the February 2017 shows, following growth experienced in two previous successive editions.

The slight pullback in visitors has been attributed this season’s show dates with the Chinese New Year, a situation that on its own accounted for 50% of the decline in visitors - with visitors from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong falling by 42%.

Attendance at the show also reflected current challenges related to the transformation of the retail landscape, which is particularly affecting the US market, with US attendance recording some 1,900 visitors, a decline of nearly 5%.

The next edition of Première Vision Paris will take place September 19-21, 2018.

Photos © Lucia Carpio 2018.