“A feeling of optimism” at Pure London's 36th edition

There was a feeling of confidence, renewal and optimism in the air at fashion trade show Pure London's this week which saw over 800 brands and some of the top buyers from around the globe gather together in Olympia for the fairs 36th edition, which ran from August 3 to 5. “I have received the most positive

feedback ever from a show, in the four years that I have been working as portfolio director for Pure,” said Julie Driscoll, portfolio director for Pure London at i2i Events Group, which organizes the event, to FashionUnited. “We have already re-booked 60 percent of our customers, which is a new record for Pure and reflects the success of this season's show.

"Pure London's internal team has been busy over the past few months injecting innovative ideas into the show, introducing new brands and launching projects such as the implementation of the architectural theme and its inaugural Buyers Power list, which is Pure's “opportunity to give something back” to the community. Combined with the shows lectures, presentations and exhibitions all theses changes have helped contribute to the shows success.

Pure London's "most phenomenal show to date"

Mark Ashton, chief executive of Little Mistress Group, stated that this season's edition was the “most phenomenal show to date.” Across the group's three brands, he noted that they had “written orders for over 20,000 pieces.” The owner of Little White Lies, Angie Denapoli, revealed to Driscoll that “this had been the best show to date,” after trading in the industry for 27 years.

“The higher-end brands were doing much better than in the previous years, partly thanks to our new mix of brands,” pointed out Driscoll. “A lot of the attendees felt that the show and its overall layout was much stronger this season. Many visitors said that the show felt very clean and aesthetically pleasing this season, due to our new architectural theme, which led to a rigor and structure display.”

“We also launched a new catwalk design which was created around our inaugural theme, which was really well received by exhibitors and buyers alike,” continued Driscoll. Key looks and trends were presented at two main stages, drawing praise from the show's attendees. “[I] am really impressed by how strong the looks are,” commented Kate Dingle, a buyer for online retailer boohoo.com in a statement. “Its great to see everything pulled together on the catwalk, then to be able to see it individually on the stands.”

Another aspect of the show that received a lot of attention this season was the Spirit section, which listed 120 fashion brands. Jenna Needham, wholesale manager at Motel, told FashionUnited that their stand witnessed “a great reaction to the collection and generated plenty of orders.” She added that although this season's show was quieter overall than previous seasons at Pure, Motel will continue to exhibit at the trade fair. “Its great exposure for us and allows us to meet with customers who aren’t always able to see us in our showroom.”

“There’s a good brand mix in the Spirit hall where we were and lots of choice for the buyers to see. The show has also built up a fantastic reputation over the years as buyers trust that they will be able to order from existing brands and source new brands for their stores.” Buyers seemed equally pleased with the new brand offering in Spirit and as well Pure's emerging brands, reflecting the renewed sense of confidence in the industry's growth.

Pure London: "A great show for retailers who need to stay on trend"

Les Mar Fashion Group was one of the many new exhibitors at Pure London who had a positive first time experience. “This was our first time at the fair, but the interest in our brands has been great,” said Cristian Filguerias, Sales Director for Les Mar Fashion Group. “It was great attending the show and I think Pure is a great show for retailers and other visitors who need to stay on trend.”

“Our sense of sharp editing came through this season, with innovation continual development doing things different, not doing the same thing year after year helps keep us ahead,” pointed out Driscoll. “We work with WGSN ensure our shows are always on trend.” Sach Kukadia, founding partner and buying director at Secretsales.com, said that they brought the flash website's entire buying team to Pure to meet new and existing brands to make sure “they stay ahead of the curve.”

Driscoll added that the overall mix of international and UK brands felt better this year and she noticed a higher quality of buyers this season, with the show noting buyers from premium department store such as Selfridges, Liberty, Fenwick, Debenhams, House of Fraser, John Lewis attending as well as retailers such as Topshop, Next, Schuh, Anthropologie and Asos. “Some even told me that they had managed to order 80 percent of their business at Pure, which is great to hear.”

However, one exhibitor noted that the show failed to draw the attention of many international buyers. “Overall [the show] was quieter, as a lot of people seemed to be still on holidays and the weather was extremely sunny, so that people probably stayed outside instead,” said Nicolai Schuemann, founding director at Alice's Pig. “Also it was striking that there were less international buyers for the same reasons [most likely].”

Despite this slight draw back, the 36th edition of Pure was an overall success for both exhibitors and buyers alike and the team is already busy with plans for the upcoming edition. “We really want to nurture and help the show grow in the right direction in the years to come,” concluded Driscoll. “I am already excited for the next season and we are currently planning some new exciting things for the next seasons to come.”

Pure London's next edition is scheduled to run from February 8 to 10 and August 2 to 4 in Olympia, London.

Images: Pure London at Olympia, courtesy of Pure London