PAPP: Fashion electric shock for the new season

The influential people in Paris, the Capital of Design, get together throughout the year and more particularly during the 25 fashion and home fairs in September and January. The most eagerly awaited of all these shows is no doubt the Prêt-à-porter Paris (PAPP) fair. The leading fashion fair in Paris closed its doors on Monday evening. Neither the uncertain economic climate nor the changeable weather could prevent visitors from enjoying to the full this event that brings together more than 1,550 brands from over 45 countries with 400 new arrivals per event.

According to Patricia Chelin, the press officer of Prêt-à-porter Paris, the great attraction of the luxury Atmosphere section (the zone dedicated to the elite of international design and to rising fashion stars) and The Box section (top of the range fashion accessories) continues to stimulate buyer attendance: "This year, these two sections, the two reliable assets of the fair, have above all favoured the establishment of contact between buyers and designers," she explained.

The brands that created the event at PAPP: Lee Cooper celebrated 100 years there.

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) presented its international campaign with big names from British fashion associated with organic cotton. Award winner Jaehwan Lee, who by unanimous vote had won the Grand Prix Femme (Women's Prize) of the 14th international festival of young fashion designers in Dinard in 2007, unveiled his summer 2009 collection in the Atmosphere area.

The labels that characterised the fair: Millerostock, Weis, Jaehwan Lee and Bllack Noir in the Atmosphere area. From the Danish "New Generation," talented designers like Makezenz, Annhagen, By Malene Birger, Baum und Pferdgarten and Rützou. On the fashion accessory label side: Corpus Christi, Perle de Noa, Jérôme Dreyfuss, Avril Gau, BA&SH, Gaspard Yurkievich and Annabel Winship.

In addition to its two new sections, Creative By and Link, which focuses on flash collections updated every fortnight, 80 labels created the buzz in the So Ethik section, which is dedicated to "branchée - engagée" (switched on - committed) design. Larissa Clark, an exhibitor on the stand of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF - working to defend human rights and to protect the environment by protecting cotton) was thrilled to see that the So Ethic area was steaming ahead. She discovered that there were at least twice as many organic brands as the year before.

Having given plenty of attention to urban and concept labels and streetwear (with a good line-up of labels like Monsieur Poulet, Doubichou, Ndeur, Boxfresh and the young Berlin label Niconé in the Shibuya section), PAPP's creative energy is rivalling what the Who's Next fair has to offer. En route to the Prêt-à-Porter Paris fair, several visitors each armed with a fashion pass (the new single pass giving free access to the four fairs: PAPP, Who's Next/Première Class, Mode City and Éclat de Mode accessories) noticed that "there wasn't a soul" in Hall 1 where the Who's Next fair was being held. While waiting for the statistics on the traffic at the Who's Next fair, it has been possible to establish that several stands looked "sad." One exhibitor confirmed that there were "fewer people in the aisles" compared with previous years.

The Who's Next and Première Classe fairs brought together 1,100 brands of streetwear for this event. The September event dedicated to s featured the theme of men's ready to wear fashion and accessories fashion for men. Many labels emphasised their accessory and shoe lines for men (Lady Luck Rules OK, Picky-poo, Veja, Eroik, True, Blackpearl Industry and Shirt Kid Vanilla).

Faithful to its strategy of supporting upcoming designers, Who's Next presented 16 young talents including the fair's 6 award winners: Alice Hubert, Makin Jan Ma, Wear it for the Body, Vivi, Boessert/Schorn and Anticorps 7.

Photo: The Box