First class

The accessories trade show Premiere Classe opened simultaneously with the fashion trade fair Pret a Porter Paris last Friday at the Porte de Versaille in Paris . Premiere Classe is a partner of Who's Next, the fashion trade show that manifests itself as a predictor of trends and a platform for new ideas.

With 295 accessories labels in Premiere Classe, 145 clothing brands in Who's Next Fame and 85 young designers in Who's Next Fresh, this show was a veritable cornucopia of hip labels. Popular fashion labels like the American James Perse and British accessories queen Lulu Guiness shared the space with up-and-comers in Europe like the American/Italian shoe label Due Farina.

The halls of the show were buzzing with positive energy, the quality of the particpating brands was high and innovative. Labels new to the trade show, like the British jewellery label Doy, provided a fresh outlook. "I am exited about this show and am curious to see what will come of it," said Doy founder and designer, Doy Sison-Jones, who chose to show her new Flex collection at the show; the pieces are made of rubber in various colours and adorned with pearls. "It's a new concept and a different approach to making jewellery. It's flexible and surprising. I hope that people will be able to appreciate it," said Doy. We certainly do. And we will most definitely be clearing a space in our diaries for the next edition of Premiere Classe and Who's Next.