Pure London closes in upbeat mood

Last season, Pure London was about “re-editing” the apparel and accessories trade show, for spring/summer 2017 there was an energetic energy, with exhibitors expressing their delight regarding this year’s A Life Less Ordinary theme interpreted through the Latin-American trend, and the eye-catching flash mob of Brazilian dancers and Samba music which played throughout.

The new theme each season is at the centre of the Pure London’s progressive plan for newness, with A Life Less Ordinary carrying on the positivity of last season’s Pureism, with an injection of passion, creativity and energy that was certainly felt across the exhibitors and visitors.

The 3-day tradeshow, which ran from July 24-26, saw 700 brands featured, 300 of which were new to the show, across womenswear, accessories, jewellery and menswear, which returned for its second season with more than 1,500 square meters extra to double the space on its debut. It featured brands including Ben Sherman, Blame Label, Dami Shoes, Soul Fetish, Cheap Monday and Bench, which exhibited its menswear for the first time, following the success of last season.

Bench UK sales manager, Jonathan Kenyon said: “This is the first time we have exhibited menswear, the show feels focused and the mix of brands here is really great to see. It is a trade show where we can actually write orders! Pure London is a one-stop-show, it is really important for us to be situated with the bigger brands.”

Cheap Monday senior account manager, Nichola Morgan commented: “Its great being at the show, we’re reaching out to more independents and it’s good for us to be more commercial. There is a varied mix of brands here; it’s good to sit alongside the edgier and more urban menswear brands here.”

Pure London increases menswear offering

It was the diverse mix of returning and new brands, which included Deumer, Stay Sunny Chicago, Cape Alpaca, DR, Dami Shoes, Mi-Pac, and Martha Ellen, as well as the new layout, which has continued from last season that impressed key buyers and visitors to the show, alongside the range of seminars and catwalk shows, which organisers said were well attended and received across the 3-days.

Highlights including the keynote speech from Dylan Jones, who talked about the inspiration London has on fashion, and the Brexit panel discussion that covered boosting customer confidence, offering bespoke customer service, investing in mobile apps and online tools, as well as preparing for greater accessibility to the Chinese and Indian markets.

The Brexit discussion heard panelist Nick Everett, global insights and strategy director at Planet Retail, encouraging the audience to take a long-term view of the change: “The biggest concern for retailers at the moment is the exchange rate. It means growing top line sales will be harder with pressure on costs and operating profit margins with less of a focus on market share and sales, however, going forward, sterling could appreciate.”

Even in the wake of the Brexit vote, Pure London still attracted a high number of International brands, with 60 percent of all brands showing coming from outside the UK, helped by a number of trade associations including South Africa, Peru, Korea, France, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Romania and Italy, showcasing new brands, including Blaklisted, Larisa Moda, and Jagadi Couture to the UK market.

Pure London attracts key buyers

What would a trade show be without buyers? Well, this season saw a high number of key buyers visiting, including Net-A-Porter, Asos, Arcadia, John Lewis, Whistles, Sole Trader, House of Fraser and Anthropologie, alongside many of the UK’s top independent retailers such as The Dressing Room, Caramel Clothing, Pamela Shiffer and Sunday Best, with the mix of brands, the catwalk experience and layout impressing.

Whistles buyer, Clara Madalena, said: “The show is really interesting, I’ve met so many international brands and it’s been great talking to people from all over the world. I loved the catwalk and was overwhelmingly pleased to see all the different styles and brands.”

Sunday Best’s Jan Shutt, added: “I have been coming to Pure London for years and this is the best show I have been to, the mix of brands, the clear editing and new collections have been fantastic. I haven’t stopped placing orders for two days.”

Even though talk across some exhibitors was that footfall seemed to be down this season, the carnival atmosphere was praised, as was what most felt was a more curated selection of brands, and that most had received a high-level of interest from buyers.

Founder and director Jayshree Patel of handbag brand, Lily Lyn, which has been showing at Pure London for the last three seasons, said: “We went with Pure as it stands out in the industry as a well put together trade show that introduces growing new brands.

“Lily Lyn started off in the launch area 3 seasons ago and now we are in a great position within the luxury accessories, where we’ve had good traffic and a lot of interest.”

The show also saw a number of new launches, accessories brand Helen Moore launched a menswear collection, while British designer Martha Ellen debut her ethically, produced, handmade Tenun Ikat womenswear, and retail online fit solution, SizeWhizz showcased its tool to eliminate online clothing size confusions.

Talking about how the spring/summer 17 show went, Julie Driscoll, portfolio director of Pure London said: “We provide a gateway for global fashion brands offering originality as well as new collections from existing brands. This season we have re-enhanced the visitor experience, with magical moments! We will continue to listen to what our customers want and change, evolve and adapt.”

The next edition of Pure London is set to run February 12-14, at Olympia, London, while Pure Shanghai is set to take place October 11-13.

Images and video: Danielle Wightman-Stone