UK trade shows sustain interest with new brands

The London selling season is officially in full swing, with showrooms, independent brands and trade show exhibitors all vying for the sacred, sought-after rail space in the UK's best boutiques and department stores. The brands which will thrive this season, and those who will struggle, is the veiled question on every brand's lips.

The outlook for 2010 after all the analysis and official government notices the economic crisis is coming to its end, is still volatile for many retailers. Only last week the media was full of heart-breaking figures that 50 per cent of fashion independents in Britain's smaller towns are considering or forced to close their businesses. The costly trade shows can be a deterrent for brands who are struggling to keep their heads above water, as stands at some shows can cost upwards of £7,500.

But the news isn’t all bad. Designers exhibiting at the London trade shows are upbeat that Autumn Winter business will pick up from last season. At Pure London, for example, organizers are expecting £1,2m of orders to be written and with the inevitable budget cuts of buying teams, it also means those retailers who cannot afford to go abroad on buying trips will be buying their collections at home. Of the 10,000 buyers that attend Pure, over 65 per cent have purchasing power, and are not just browsing for the next best thing.

The demand for emerging brands and new labels is higher than ever, affirming consumer demand for more considered and unique product. This has inspired a new breed of shows such as Stitch and Label, the latter which shows alongside Pure London. UK stores are reacting positively and are upping their budgets for new brands compared to SS10. For example, Premium independent Sarah Coggles, which recently won 'Best Independent Etailer 2009' has increased the budget for new brands by 45 per cent as sales of new designers outsold its established lines. New international brands are flocking to London too for a slice of the lucrative retail pie, such as Italian menswear label Revenge, which is showing for the first time at Margin.

30 per cent of brands showing at Pure are new this season, including the new accessories area, Funky & Fresh, which showcases accessory brands for the cool, young fashion retailer.

Other brands, however are keen to try their luck overseas, skipping London and hoping for international success. London-based casualwear brand U by Universal Clothing Company, for example, has foregone the London trade shows to show at Designers & Agents in New York instead. With incomparable greater footflow of international visitors, the company is expecting to see key retailers, such as Harvey Nichols, Liberty, Selfridges and other buying houses. U’s Creative Director Rafal Antos commented: “we want to make an impact with our second collection, and by showing in New York we feel we will maximize on seeing international boutiques that would otherwise not come to London.”

Ultimately it will be the strength of London Fashion Week that determines which buyers come to town and the success of the trade shows. The Paris shows, until now, are by far Europe’s most successful ready-to-wear fairs, as the caliber of Paris fashion week attracts the core of the global press and buying communities. Thankfully the British Fashion Council is aiming to push the bar higher each season with Caroline Rush and Simon Ward at the helm. This season about 300 designers are participating, with 70 labels showing on the catwalk, 20 hosting presentations and 200 selling their collections within the Exhibition at Somerset House.

Image: LFW Catwalk