So were the fairs from Florence, Berlin to Copenhagen

After the interruptions during the pandemic, fashion fairs in Europe are returning to normal operations. But the lockdowns have left their mark, brands and buyers were sometimes reluctant to travel in view of the uncertain economic situation.

To what extent were trade fairs like Pitti or Premium able to return to their old form? An overview.

Pitti Uomo, Florence

Pitti Uomo is and will remain the place where the (men’s) fashion industry gathers at the beginning of the ordering season. The number of exhibitors recovered from the slumps during the pandemic to a total of 800. The number of visitors rose to over 18,000: 13,500 were buyers, 33 percent of whom came from outside Italy. Before the pandemic, the fair still had 1,200 exhibitors and over 21,000 buyers. In its January edition, the trade fair again knew how to impress with fashion highlights, such as fresh, up-and-coming brands and shows by guest fashion designers such as Jan Jan van Essche and Martine Rose. For the first time there was also a section for dog fashion.

Premium and Seek, Berlin

The mood at the Berlin trade fairs Premium and Seek was more relaxed than expected after fears about the Christmas business did not come true. Around 500 brands showed their collections at the two fairs, before the pandemic there were around twice as many. According to the organizer Premium Group, a total of around 10,000 visitors were counted, 80 percent of whom came from German-speaking countries.

Overall, Seek seemed livelier with streetwear and lots of green brands, while Premium was quieter. Some visitors remarked afterwards that the Premium in particular could be even more curated. For the first time in three years, the Berlin Fashion Week took place at the same time as the trade fairs. The sustainable fashion fair Beyond Fashion Berlin also made its debut in the same week.

Fashion factory, Amsterdam

450 brands presented themselves at Modefabriek in a colorful and lovingly curated ambience. With this number, the Amsterdam fashion fair is still below the level before the pandemic. Around 100 newcomer labels used the event primarily to present or reposition themselves on the Dutch and Belgian markets. The fair does not disclose the number of visitors, but some brands noticed an increase compared to the previous edition. Like the Pitti and Premium, the Modefabriek is not a traditional order fair, so most of the exhibiting brands had to wait and see whether the good mood would also be reflected in the orders in the showrooms.

Who’s Next, Paris

In Paris, many brands drew a positive balance from the fairs, which have continued to consolidate. The fashion fair Who’s Next and the Salon International de la Lingerie took place at the same time under the organizer WSN. More than 1250 exhibitors showed up at Who’s Next and Bijorhca. In the packed halls, established brands from the mainstream did good business and received orders, while smaller labels had a harder time. The green fashion fair Neonyt was only represented with a stand at Who’s Next, but things should really get going in September.

According to its own statements, Who’s Next reached the pre-Corona level again in terms of exhibitor and visitor numbers. Overall, the organizer WSN counted around 40,000 visitors at the Who’s Next, Bijorhca, Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris trade fairs, around 40 percent of whom came from outside France. With these figures it is important to note that more trade fairs are being hosted by WSN in Paris than before. Every entry counts and not the individual guests.

Düsseldorf order days

The fashion industry started ordering at the Düsseldorf Fashion Days. The number of visitors at the Supreme fashion fair was good, and Hall 29 was also busy. More international visitors were spotted. A total of 400 brands presented themselves at the Fashion Rooms and at the green fashion fair Neonyt, which was held for the first time in Düsseldorf. There is no record of visitor numbers, and the frequency varied greatly depending on the showroom and time of day.

CIFF and Revolver, Copenhagen

The Danish fashion fair CIFF took over the smaller Revolver in January. While the merger was a hot topic in the exhibition halls, the winter edition of the two shows seemed rather quiet. Beauty brands were also presented at CIFF for the first time.

On request, the two trade fairs have not yet announced how many brands are exhibiting at CIFF and Revolver. Nothing is known about the number of visitors. It is therefore still unclear how the trade fairs performed compared to the pre-pandemic level in view of the upheavals in the Danish capital.

This post was made with the help of Nora Veerman, Jule Scott, Ole Spötter, Julia Garel, and Caitlyn Terra.