Womenswear fair Pure London returns to the English capital this week for its SS24 edition. The event, taking place at the Olympia London venue from Sunday to Tuesday, will showcase a mix of new and established national and international fashion, footwear and accessories brands.
Ahead of the show, FashionUnited spoke to Gloria Sandrucci, Events Director at Pure London, about what to expect from this year’s summer edition and what sets Pure apart from other trade shows.
For the first time, the UK trade show has also partnered with Graduate Fashion Week to showcase the work of a selection of this year’s winners, including Bath Spa University’s Erika Roznyte, Arts University Bournemouth’s Lucy James and Edinburgh’s Phoebe Potter College of Art. Also on the agenda are trend-led runway shows, a talk by industry veteran George Davies and a Circular Fashion Panel on topics such as regenerative design, resale and recycling.
What can we expect from Pure London this season?
This season is all about novelty. We have a number of exciting new brands including Desigual, NKN, Surkana, Chie Mihara, Sahi London and Glamorous. Also returning is British lifestyle brand Joules, which has been absent for almost a decade.
And aside from the brands, what new content can we expect?
We have a new segment launching this season called ‘Pop’. Inspired by pop culture, it offers a diverse selection of streetwear, alternative, gender-neutral collections, vintage labels, festival wear and tech-inspired fashion. So it really brings a variety of styles together.
Do you want to attract a younger generation with pop?
Yes, we’ve seen a big trend lately for brands committed to inclusion and diversity. We are also seeing an incredible increase in unisex styles and streetwear and as a dynamic show we need to embrace these changes.
We are also collaborating with Graduate Fashion Week for the first time and will be showcasing some of the graduate designs on the Pure London Catwalk. So we’re really trying to show our support for new talent and designers.
What is the topic of the current issue?
This season we have chosen the theme “Nature-Verse”, which is composed of two trends that are very popular in summer: nature and technology-inspired fashion. It is truly a fusion between technology and the preservation of the natural world and as such all colors will reflect this – we have a fresh, vibrant color palette with metallic and iridescent tones.
Will there be changes in your area of sustainability?
The sustainable destination remains a central part of Pure and will showcase a carefully curated selection of conscious exhibitors who are truly leading the way in addressing their environmental and social impact. These are selected and audited based on their efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will have some new and exciting brands like Pink Lemon, Mirla Beane, Nila Rubia, Line Planet, Eno Echo and Ubere Mama.
In what direction will the casual wear and formal wear sectors develop?
We’re seeing more versatile styles and outfits that can be reused and adapted for all types of activities, whether it’s a simple dress or a shirt and pant combo.
The future will be all about versatility – the ability to combine a comfortable and relaxed style, but also to be “dressed” to go to dinner or to the theater.
How has the trade fair changed after the pandemic?
Aside from the trend developments already mentioned, I am personally very happy and excited to see the positive vibes and energy returning. So far, a record-breaking number of international buyers have registered. So we see that everyone is very interested in ordering face to face.
Finally, what does Pure have to offer that other competing shows don’t?
In the UK we are the only show with a trend partner. Also, we have a catwalk which is our USP, our hallmark, and a very strong content program that also offers the educational aspect that is crucial for the advancement of the industry.
In the European trade fair landscape, we are established as a women’s fashion fair. So that’s our specialty and we feature a variety of categories – from premium brands to casual wear, streetwear and also gender neutral brands.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.