Spanish fairs start a new season

The year starts with the winter edition of fashion shows in Spain. If 2011 seemed to emerge very slowly towards a more favourable market, the outlook for 2012 looks more optimistic. The press is full of key words like “complete success”,

“enthusiasm” or “positive” that are the focal point of the three top fashion cities: Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia. All this takes place during a political change to the centre-right in Spain, when positive ideas are leaked to the press and influence public opinion, shedding a hint of optimism on the economy.

After

six editions, since the Bread&Butter urban fashion show returned home to Berlin, The Brandery establishes itself and flourishes in Asia, launching its first edition in Singapore next May.

The biannual event that took place in Barcelona between the 27th and 29th January, presented 135 brands, 26% of which were international and mainly from Europe, and 15 fashion shows. The objective of the fair’s new director, Miquel Serrano, this year is to promote culture and contemporary art with several parallel events. The Brandery, founded by Pere Camprubí, director of the fair for four editions, is still a people’s fair. To enhance Catalan fashion, Camprubí said at the time that “it should focus on emerging companies with a clear entrepreneurial spirit. The combination between creativity and business is a means of revival”. This was achieved and developed further by Miquel Serrano who also has salespeople in every corner of Europe, including Israel and Turkey.

Madrid launched the 67th edition of the SIMM fashion show on the 2nd February last, with 800 brands and 67% more participants than the 2011 edition. SIMM is famous for its traditional concept where people say that buyers “don’t just come for a look, they do business…” The event has now expanded to an area of 13,850 m2 and the majority of its participants are French, with over 30 firms.

Children’s fashion can be found at Valencia’s FIMI (International Children’s Fashion Show) and Salón Cero a Cuatro, dedicated to babies, in which 202 and 250 exhibitors participated, respectively. After three days’ activity at the end of January, the event registered an increase in foreign buyers, mainly from South America. The 74th edition of the FIMI flourishes in a sector that doesn’t show any sign of a decline.

Little Barcelona is the new professional fashion show for youngsters. Privately organised by three well-known figures in the world of fashion, Little Barcelona competes directly with the FIMI and completes The Brandery’s collection. Its first edition ends today with 60 exhibitors, when its organisation told us yesterday that they only expected half as many.

It is important to mention that the Spanish children and toddlers’ fashion sector made 1074 million Euros in 2011, 15% more than the same period in the previous year thanks to international markets.

In a country in the midst of economic reform, the creation of mini enterprises and therefore fashion brands is an alternative for fighting unemployment. In this case, the idea is not just to launch a local brand but to promote it too in fashion shows, focusing on market globalisation.

From our correspondent Anne-Sophie Castro

Fotos: SIMM / Little Barcelona