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.’

Pure London Expands for August 2012

The 'who’s who of fashion buyng' attended this season’s Pure London, with a positive and buoyant atmosphere throughout the three days. As Spirit Young Fashion returned to Olympia, buyers had their pick from over 1,000 brands from the biggest selection of womenswear, footwear, accessories, premium brands and young fashion in the halls of Olympia. International attendance was strong, with high presence from Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia and the USA, and from as far afield as Australia, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong and the UAE.

Andre Laufer of Isabel del Pedro commented “The show has been brilliant! We have opened new accounts with lots of independent boutiques. This is the best season we have had in the last six years.”

Jan Shutt, owner of award winning retail store, Sunday Best commented “I love having everything under one roof, it makes is so easy for buyers! There are loads of great brands on show.”

Visitors included AB10, Anthropologie, American Pie, Author, Black Truffle, Black White Denim, Coggles.com, Debenhams, Donna Ida, Fenwick, Fortnum and Mason, Hambledon, Hub, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Joy, Jules B, Lewis Yates, Kurt Geiger, Topshop, Office, Selfridges, Williams & Griffin, Start, Urban Outfitters and Wish. Online stores included Amazon, ASOS, My-wardrobe, Getmyfashion.com, Net-a-porter and international names included Dunnes, McElhinneys and El Corte Inglés.

Womenswear brands Mina, Almost Famous, Fenn Wright Manson, Carling, Sticky Fingers, Pamplemousse, Fever, Ian Stuart London, Darling and Anoushka G all showcased their Autumn/Winter 2012 collections alongside top young fashion brands Quiksilver, Kat Von D Los Angeles, Desigual, Yumi, Little Mistress, Molly Bracken and Mina.

Alnifa Hackney, creative director of Kat Von D Los Angeles commented “It has been a great show for us to launch at. The flow of buyers has been constant and there is a really nice atmosphere. We have seen lots of department store buyers. Kat was really impressed with the show, meeting the buyers and press!”


Buyers were looking for exciting new brand and fresh ideas, and the accessory and footwear halls completed the buying experience, with exhibitors such as Love from Australia, Fly London, French Sole, Vamp, Orelia and Oililly.


Janice Briggs, managing buyer at Pebbles in Tredegar commented “We always visit Pure London for the variety and choice of accessories and footwear. We spend at least two days at the show as there is so much to see!”

Olivia Rollins, brand coordinator at Ruby and Ed commented “We have had a fantastic show and seen lots of key buyers. We only ever show at Pure London, it’s the best trade show! We have really felt a buzz this season and have been so busy, none stop for three days!”

Tom Turton, account manager at J Shoes commented “This has been the best show we have had in a long time. There was a great buzz and atmosphere, and a really good flow of buyers writing orders. We have seen a number of key accounts.”


Pure’s Premium Womenswear section upped the fashion ante for Autumn/Winter 2012 with a host of established design heavyweights. Returning to Olympia’s Pillar Hall, collections from Wondaland, Winter Kate, Jofama, TBA, Lounge Lover, Goat and Tara Jarmon accompanied premium accessory brands Sam Ubhi, Zandra Rhodes for Adele Marie, Becksondergaard, Matt & Nat, Ally Capellino and Lulu Guinness Luggage in the Gallery Level.


Kam Harris, UK sales agent for Becksondergaard commented “We have had an amazing show! We have opened new accounts including Fenwick Newcastle, and seen all the key buyers!”

Deryane Tadd, owner of The Dressing Room, St Albans commented “The mix of collections at Pure London is excellent this season with great ideas in accessories and footwear. I feel all the content and seminars are really important, they are very informative for all types of businesses.”

This season saw an impressive line up of industry experts including leading fashion gurus from the world of TV, online, high street and independent retailing. Guest speakers included stylist and fashion presenter Antonia O’Brien, designer Zandra Rhodes, trends commentator Khabi Mirza, editor of Retail Jeweller Laura McCreddie and senior retail editor of WGSN, Lorna Hall. WGSN presented daily inspirational womenswear trends for Autumn/Winter 2012 while Drapers provided essential buying advice for maximising profit.

Sarah Lawrence, Event Director commented, “This Pure London has been our biggest ever with over 1,000 brands on show. It is known for being a show where people pick up new brands, write orders and enjoy informative seminars that are a source of inspiration for boutiques.”


New for 2012

The show is set to expand next season, increasing its footfall by at least 700 sq m to expand current areas and create new sections. An extra hall on the first floor of Olympia will open up allowing more space for accessories including a French Accessories Pavilion, as well as a new section Pure Body, a destination for buyers looking to source lingerie, swim wear, hosiery, leggings, loungewear and casualwear. In Spirit Young Fashion, the introduction of a kids section will showcase trend-led childrenswear brands.

Another addition, Pure Expert will bring expert business advice to life. A dedicated seminar and workshop programme will focus on retailing, visual merchandising, cashflow, bricks to clicks and more. Plus, fellow professionals will take to the stage and share their experiences, what solutions they have employed and with what results.

Pure Britain will also be introduced, ensuring that ‘Made in Britain’ ranges are highlighted to UK and international buyers looking to buy British.

In line with the Olympics and Paralympics, Pure London has moved its August show to a new date line, 19th - 21st August 2012. With the Olympics running from 26th July to the 12th August 2012 in London, Pure London has strategically planned this new dateline to ensure brands and buyers alike are not travelling to the show during one of the country’s busiest ever periods. Pure London will be positioned perfectly to compliment the buying schedule of the independent fashion retail market and the multiples, during the Spring/Summer 2013 buying season.

KAT VON D LAUNCHES CLOTHING LINE AT PURE LONDON

12th – 14th February 2012
London Olympia


Tattoo artist and former star of LA Ink, Kat Von D will be launching her new collection, Kat Von D Los Angeles, at Pure London next weekend.

The latest collection is ultra sophisticated with hints of Kat’s signature style. The range draws inspiration from various elements of nature and architecture, to love letters, and all things from time passed, with a modern romantic approach. Comfy harem trousers and fringed tops are seen alongside structured outerwear including military style coats, pointed edge blazers and pencil skirts, while black lace and ripped tees add a darker edge to the collection.

Kat Von D commented "The purpose of me creating this clothing line is simply to practice and share what Mom taught me: Express yourself through your art - whether it's your drawings in a sketchpad, tattoos on your skin, the shade of your lipstick, or the clothes that you wear."

Kat Von D Los Angeles will be exhibiting at Spirit Young Fashion Stand D11.






Press contact: Kate Stafford at Good Results PR T: 020 7299 0580 E: kates@goodresults.co.uk