Pure London: new exhibitors to know about – Modern Love

In a new mini series in the lead up to the host of internationally recognised trade fairs happening across the UK over the next couple of months, FashionUnited is looking at some of the labels exhibiting at these events for the

first time. Founders and creative directors are giving us insight into their labels and why they decided on a specific trade fair. Here we talk to Anya Media’s on-stand designer, Sarah Arnett, Founder and Designer of Modern Love, about using Pure London to help raise brand awareness and create new relationships for her label.

Who

is Modern Love brand?
Designed by women, for women who want to invest in a wardrobe, which reflects their desire for artistic, individual clothing, which is also wearable.

What fairs/tradeshows are you at this season and why did you choose Pure London?
Modern Love will also be showing at London Fashion Week in September 2012. We decided this season to make sure we reach as many people as possible, introducing them to the collection at Pure and hope to catch them again at LFW. We believe that the collection is also perfect for small boutiques as the unique prints mean that even with a smaller selection the print can stand out and stores can easily buy into the Modern Love. Of course our partnership with Anya Media was also a determining factor that led us to choose Pure.

What makes Modern Love special?
The prints, which are completely unique, are designed and engineered to fit the shapes beautifully. We make sure that every item of clothing firmly supports the Modern Love design aesthetic. We print in Italy but the design, cut and manufacturing are all British.

Who is your target customer?
30+ women who have a great sense of style who want to invest in pieces for their wardrobe which will stand the test of time. Women buy Modern Love as they would buy a vintage piece.

What do you expect of your first participation at Pure London?
For us it’s about meeting buyers, introducing them to our brand, getting feedback on designs and prices, and making connections. Every time we have attended a show or event we have always met many different people which in turn has led to some interesting collaborations. We also believe that the best research comes from talking to other exhibitors, and although we have both been in fashion for many years, the market is always changing. As buyers come and go, you can never sit back and think you know your market...it is always changing.

As well as being the first time that Modern Love has attended Pure, it is also the first time that we have worked alongside a technology company, so it will be great to use Anya Media’s merchandising software, Runway, to display our designs  to  give  buyers more details about  the collection. The Runway solution is a great way for fashion brands and buyers to tell the story behind their latest ranges, showcase their products and monitor and track their buying activities.

What is going to be your bestseller this coming season?
We have recently managed to negotiate some really great prices on our jersey fabric and this will be a very strong statement at a great price. We are hoping that this will be a key part of the collection for buyers at Pure. We are very excited about the whole collection, but we know that when stores are buying into a new brand that the ‘opening price’ for key pieces is so important. Anya Media’s online merchandising solution, Runway will allow us to monitor and track our customers’ buying activities so that we can always keep on top of our bestsellers.

What do you hope target/sales wise to achieve from exhibiting at Pure London?
We are optimistic about increasing our stockists but also staying realistic. We want to start new relationships that will have longevity, not just to sell as many units as possible. We want to open key accounts in each area and build our sales as the collection grows. We have had a great four seasons at Liberty and our plan is about quality not quantity.