Buoyant Mood Results in Great Business at Pure London

The 'who’s who of fashion buying attended Pure London this weekend and exhibitors reported plenty of orders being written and good business being done. The show closed its doors on Tuesday having maintained visitor numbers year-on-year and key buyers were committed to spending more time than ever at the show with a sharp increase of 16% returning for a second and third day of buying.

Visitors included Darkroom, Donna Ida, Browns, Black White Denim, O’Keefe, Bank, Harrods, Next, Elisabeth May Shoe Boutique, ASOS, Amazon, Choice, Snooty Frox of Harrogate, Arnotts, Hoopers, Figleaves.com, Selfridges, Pretaportobello.com, Start Boutique, Sunday Best, John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, Fenwick, Net-a-porter, Black Truffle and The Dressing Room.

With over 1,000 brands, including 250 new to the show, and the addition of new sections including Pure Body showcasing lingerie, swimwear and shapewear, Pure Junior housing top childrenswear, and the French Boulevard with a selection on French accessory brands; Pure London has expanded in size opening up into the new West Hall Level 1.

‘It has been a huge show this year, it’s a show I cannot miss, I have visited every day there is just so much to see. I have found three new exciting collections, and the French Boulevard has been an interesting addition the show. Pure London is a must for buyers; it gives a great overview of the market, and is the best place to find new up and coming brands’ commented Jan Shutt, Managing Director, Sunday Best.

Exciting content on stage at Pure London has been key to a creating a positive visitor experience, with better buying and better business high on the agenda. This season saw seminar attendance at an all-time high with the unbeatable line up of speakers attracting more than 2,550 buyers over the three days. Sixty industry experts took to the three stages including founder of MJM International, Michelle Mone OBE who spoke to a packed audience on building her empire, while Brix Smith-Start took to the stage to discuss her top trends for spring / summer 13. The addition of the new Gallery Stage allowed buyers to see the accessory, footwear, lingerie and swimwear trends translated for the season and the Queen of British Fashion, Zandra Rhodes presented the launch of her handbag range.

 

 

‘I always come to Pure London, I come twice a year and I’m always very excited about it! What a show it is this season! The stands are all looking so beautiful and I think everyone has really gone for it this year! This season I was so excited about coming to see the seminars. The WGSN forecasts are always amazing! It really inspires you for the next season’ commented Janine O’Keefe from O’Keefe’s.

Tracie Charity, Merchandise Manager of Fenwick commented ‘At Pure London we are able to get inspiration, ideas and it’s always on trend. Today we have seen fantastic brands and a wide range that are a perfect fit for us! ‘

International attendance was strong with visitors attending from over 72 countries including Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia and the US and from as far afield as Australia, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong and UAE. Seth Prezioso, Commercial Director of Angels Never Die commented ‘ We have opened lots of new accounts in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong and France.'

 Buyers saw the biggest selection of womenswear, footwear, accessories, premium brands, young fashion, intimate wear and childrenswear all under one roof, with many brands choosing to present their S/S13 collections exclusively at Pure London. Womenswear brands included Almost Famous, Fenn Wright Manson, Pamplemousse and Fever alongside top young fashion brands Little Mistress, Kat Von D Los Angeles, Glamorous.

Danielle Butter, Wholesale Manager at Mina commented ‘ It has been a great show. We have had some new customers both internationally and from the UK . Monday was very busy for us, this is the only show we come to at the moment, it is great to see all our clients here.’

Footwear and accessory brands included Jeffrey Campbell, Becksondergaard, Melissa, House of Harlow 1960, French Sole, Tatty Devine, Sultanesque and Christian Lacroix.

Pure Junior launched this season in the National Hall, with selected childrenswear brands including Yumi Girls, More Stories, Crew, Little Marc Jacobs and French Connection Kids. Ally Tayler, Director of childrenswear brand Kite commented ‘ We have seen a lot of buyers and have had lots of new leads from people we would normally not see. We have spoken to lots of womenswear buyers who are considering placing orders with us.’

Within the new hall, the Pure Body section dedicated to lingerie and swimwear has been a great success. Huge demand and fantastic feedback from visitors means this section will grow significantly in 2013. Laura Fuser, Export Manager of Cosabella confirmed ‘ Pure Lingerie has been an excellent show for us, much better than we expected. We have met with some great retailers. The atmosphere that been created around the new Gallery Catwalk has been superb.’

‘I have been thrilled to spend three days in such a positive environment, despite all the challenges in the industry right now the atmosphere has been buoyant. We have had a great show with both the clothing line and the launch of footwear, writing orders with all the right buyers’ commented Mark Hackney, Kat Von D.

 

Sarah Lawrence, Event Director of Pure London summed up the mood at Pure: ‘The overall vibe of Pure London has been extremely positive amongst both exhibitors and visitors. The combination of exciting features, catwalks, seminar content and brands have all contributed to an exciting and inspiring event. We are already looking forward to the next show 10-12 February 2013.’

ULTIMO, CHANTAL THOMASS AND VELDA LAUDER CHOOSE PURE LONDON LAUNCH

19th-21st August 2012 London Olympia

This August sees the hottest names in intimate wear unveiling their collections at the launch of Pure London’s brand new section, Pure Body. Housing the very best in directional and designer lingerie, swimwear, shapewear and loungewear, Pure Body will be located in the newly opened West Hall Level 1, upstairs in Olympia from 19th – 21st August.

Image from Made by Nikki

Brands not to be missed include Ultimo, the underwear brand launched by Michelle Mone OBE in 1999, which will be showcasing its latest collection. Since its launch, Ultimo has become one of the most well-known lingerie brands in Europe due to its high-profile media campaigns and famous celebrity models, having risen to fame thanks to its innovative use of silicone gel in its bras.

Their Spring Summer 2013 collection draws inspiration from the iconic 70’s Charlie’s Angels, creating a beautiful fusion between true femininity with the slight scent of peril. The collection borrows vintage glamour by using muted pinks, blues and nudes. It is edged with bold piping, bright corals, and chiffon animal, finished with acid lime to entertain the intrepid season of summer! Founder and co-owner of Ultimo’s MJM International, Michelle Mone OBE is also confirmed to deliver a keynote speech at the show on Monday 20th August where she will be divulging her top tips on how to carve a multi-million pound empire and overcome adversity.

Also showing is Velda Lauder Corsetiere, favourite among celebrities including Dita Von Teese, Pamela Anderson, Tulisa Contosavlos and Courtney Love, and a brand which has devoted nearly two decades to sculpting the female form into beautiful hourglass proportions. Designer Velda Lauder’s love of 40's and 50's cinema ignited her infatuation with curve-creating garments that intensify and empower. Velda has refined and evolved the traditional craft of corsetry to comfortably reduce the waist of her clients by four inches without oppressing the ribs or hips.

Image from Velda Lauder

Swimwear brand, CrisBerry will be showing its bright and cheerful collection inspired by the freshness of the Californian coasts. The range consists of colourful motifs and patterns, each of which are conceived and designed entirely by the two creators, Cristel and Romina Carrisi. The collection finds inspiration in 1980’s cartoons, dreams, Roald Dahl’s books and vintage music stores in Hollywood.

Other brands to watch include one of Britain's most luxury lingerie and body wear brands, Made by Niki, which will offer some of the world's most covetable pieces, created by a team of underwear obsessives in the heart of the English countryside.

Image from CrisBerry

The ResultWear collection, which was created to meet the demand for beautiful shapewear that creates a smooth silhouette without the need for bra or underwire, features contoured bands and breathable performance fabrics that firm and shape problem areas while enhancing a woman's best assets, whilst maternity brand, HOTmilk brings a range of sensual nursing bras, camisoles and nightwear.

Other unmissable labels joining the line up include Claudette, Doro Design and, one of the leading proponents of glamorous lingerie, French name Chantal Thomass. Pure Body will also be launching a series of show-stopping lingerie, swimwear, shapewear and loungewear catwalk scenes on the new dedicated catwalk in the West Hall Level 1.

 A must-attend for all, these will provide buyers with an opportunity to discover the trends first-hand and brought to life on stage.