Brands Seek to Cultivate Desirability at Paris Trade Shows, Showrooms
The labels showing at Première Classe, Tranoï and in showrooms around town were getting creative in a challenged context for retail.
PARIS — In tough times for brands small and large alike, the trade shows and showrooms here during Paris Fashion Week doubled down on boosting excitement, desirability and discovery. Trends gave way to statement pieces and storytelling in a drive to stand out.
“What’s catching my eye is the people who have real skill and a point of view, and that’s not easy to find. I want something with a soul,” said New York-based marketer Justine Potashnik, who is looking to innovate with a new concept for international brands to show in New York this fall, based on the loss of high-end retailers in the city creating a gap in the market and consumer frustration with e-commerce. Founder stories are key, she said. “If I met the person who made it, I’d buy it full price,” she summed up.
Accessories show Première Classe teamed with “Emily in Paris” costume designer Marilyn Fitoussi on a curated space at the entrance. “It was a playground to create my own curiosity cabinet,” Fitoussi told WWD. “When you go to a trade show, you really have to seek things out, this was conceived as a way of making things easier.”
The colorful selection was presented like an art display and without brand labels. “It’s a little bit my purpose in life to [shine a light on] young designers, young brands who maybe do not yet have much visibility, to amplify them and make them shine,” Fitoussi said during a presentation. She addressed brands: “With your heart, your creation, you give the audience the desire to buy new pieces.”
At Tranoï, the Canex space for African designers continued to gain traction and praise for its increasingly elevated offer. There were also new spaces for designers from Hungary in partnership with Budapest Central European Fashion Week and Denim Artistry, with creators from Hong Kong, allowing the show to take a more curated position in denim, chief executive officer Boris Provost explained.
Highlights From the Paris Trade Shows and Showrooms
Laruicci
Category: Ready-to-wear and jewelry
Showing at: Run
Best known for her bold jewelry pieces and celebrity dressing, Lauren Laruicci collaborated with Paris-based designer Cem Cinar, who cut his teeth at Rick Owens and Y/Project, for her Paris-based ready-to-wear studio, launched in 2020. The brand’s clothing combines reconstructed tailoring with glam rock attitude, mixing heritage fabrics like Harris tweed with draped velvet and glittering lamé in bold, size-inclusive silhouettes punctuated by metallic hardware details.
Pricing: $60 to $1,550 (retail)