Craftsmanship, Creativity and Caution Color Paris Trade Shows – WWD

PARIS — After a post-pandemic boom, times are proving tougher for emerging designers fighting for attention in a crowded market, according to observers at the recent Tranoï, Première Classe and Woman trade shows during Paris Fashion Week. Nevertheless, exhibitors pulled out the stops on the creative front, and there was a wealth of new labels to discover.

Increasingly, buyers — especially independents — are looking to the trade shows to shop for brands that allow them to differentiate from larger retailers. Lisa Taylor, owner of the Epitome boutique in Edinburgh, U.K., commented, “A lot of the big online retailers dictate the market, so you don’t want to buy the brands they’re selling.”

Javiera Balsola, a buyer for Vasquiat Room concept store in Barcelona, Spain, said to pick a brand it needs to “have unique designs, with remarkable quality, that they are original, small productions, that they are committed to the environment, and that they have differentiated items, very differentiated.”

Tranoï’s “godmother” for the season was “Emily in Paris” costume designer Marylin Fitoussi, who has made it her mission to champion emerging designers thanks to her influence on the hit Netflix show. “The success of the series has allowed me to shine a light on young designers,” she explained to WWD.

“I’m not known for a minimalist style,” said Fitoussi. “My advice to young designers is to disobey, it’s their point of difference that makes them attractive… Their dichotomy is between making a product that’s accessible and ‘commercial’ just to survive, and expressing their true creativity.”

Despite their quest for novelty, buyers were being cautious. “I’m cutting back a bit for budgetary reasons,” said Taylor. “Prices have gone up.” Taylor’s customer is moving back to more formal silhouettes after a period of casual dressing, she said.

“Business has not yet bounced back to pre-pandemic levels,” said Chisa Asahina, buyer for the Armoire Caprice chain of 40 boutiques in Japan. “The yen is very low, we can’t spend as much as we used to,” she commented, adding that the Première Classe offer corresponded better with her needs than Tranoï, where brands tend to have higher price points.

According to Tranoï chief executive officer Boris Provost, traffic was up 40 percent year-on-year. Tranoï added 40 new brands this season at its historic Bourse venue, with a total of 170 designers showing. While Tranoï has homed in on curation and promoting emerging design talent in recent seasons, it is also bringing back more established brands. “We need brands that already have established distribution,” he explained. “It adds dynamism and brings buyers in.”

British eyewear label Cutler and Gross made its return after a number of years’ absence. “We decided to go back into fashion eyewear,” explained style director Marie Wilkinson. “We’ve picked up some new accounts and some we used to sell to. This is our big comeback.”

At Première Classe, there were 350 brands showing, and visitor numbers were up 15 percent compared with last year’s October edition. Traditionally focused more on accessories, there was an expanded ready-to-wear offer this season, with designers including Pierre-François Valette of Valette Studio. He showed his unisex collection during men’s in June, and said it was the right decision to show a second time at the trade show. “Presenting a unisex collection during men’s and showing again at the end of the season at a major trade show is reassuring for buyers,” he said. “People who have a little budget left have been placing orders.”

Sustainability was a key preoccupation for both brands and buyers, and is embedded in the DNA of a majority of the emerging brands present. “Our customers are becoming more and more demanding about the origins of the fabrics, for example,” said Balsola. Brands hailing from a range of geographies were focusing on reinterpreting ancestral craftsmanship for a contemporary audience, preserving savoir-faire in the process.

That was the vocation of the Pintu incubator, from Indonesia, at Première Classe. Showcasing four brands, it was cofounded by Lakon Indonesia founder Thresia Mareta in partnership with the country’s French Embassy, aiming to preserve and highlight heritage crafts with cross-cultural initiatives. “Craftsmanship in many places is decaying,” said Mareta. “We can create opportunities if we work together. Traditional craftsmanship doesn’t have to be ethnic.”

At Tranoï, the Canex showroom featuring African designers was in its third and final season, and Provost said it had been so successful that the organizers were looking at how they can renew the program.

There was also the China Select initiative, a collaboration between Tranoï and the China Fashion Association (CFA), with six designers illustrating the “China Pride” movement and a growing place for Chinese designers internationally. “We hope that by participating in Tranoï we can participate in the commercialization of Chinese brands,” said CFA chairman Yang Jian. From Luo Zheng’s delicate heritage-inspired designs to Esmod graduate Zhang Siqi’s Siqi.Z brand with its contemporary twist, and accessories label Serendippo, the initiative aimed to show the breadth of creativity in China today.

“I’m very confident in our potential on the international market,” said Zheng, who has been creating ready-to-wear since 1996. “Lots of international buyers have placed orders.”

Also contributing to the dynamic atmosphere at Tranoï, accessories designers from the IFM’s masters course showcased their graduate collections in a performance from dance troupe Compagnia iFunamboli Paris. Over at Première Classe’s sister streetwear event DRP in the Tuileries, designer and artist Céline Shen initiated a dance performance with humans and robots, as well as an interactive art tour in the gardens outside.

Across Tranoï, Première Classe and Woman, organizers said that buyer traffic had been brisk, with major retailers sending their full teams for the first time since the pandemic and a major presence from both Asia and the U.S. “Our brands have seen boutiques from Japan that they haven’t seen since before the pandemic,” said Antoine Floch, cofounder and director of Man / Woman. “The atmosphere is much more vibrant.” With a selection of 30 brands — up from 22 at the last edition — Floch is considering showcasing around 50 labels at the next edition of Woman in February.

BRANDS TO WATCH FROM THE PARIS TRADE SHOWS

Transparent Sunglasses
Category: Eyewear
Showing at: Première Classe
Story: A chance encounter between Texas native Margot Hogan and musician and producer Marti Frederiksen, when her fledgling eyewear label was just at the prototype stage, meant her statement sunglasses were soon spotted on the likes of Poison drummer Rikki Rockett — for whom she even crafted a custom design with a pair of his drumsticks — Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie and Cyndi Lauper. Made with Italian acetate and TAC polarized lenses, designs are inspired by artists like Janis Joplin and Brigitte Bardot.
Pricing: $300 to 425 (retail)

Lakon Indonesia
Category: RTW
Showing at: Première Classe
Story: Self-taught designer Thresia Mareta has a background in architecture and retail — she previously managed retail chain Star Department Stores. She founded Lakon Indonesia five years ago, aiming to preserve Indonesian heritage crafts by providing new business opportunities for artisans, helping them to update their silhouettes for a broader audience. Her collections combine techniques like batik, hand-weaving and embroidery in a creative contemporary wardrobe, with stockists including Printemps.
Pricing: 100 to 780 euros (retail)

Signe Particulier
Category: Jewelry
Showing at: Première Classe
Story: Launched earlier this year by a Paris-based collective of four designers who previously worked with one of the major costume jewelry players, Signe Particulier crafts a line of bold yet minimalist, contemporary unisex pieces in recycled sterling silver. The brand already includes Printemps among its stockists.
Pricing: 45 to 490 euros (retail)

Léclisse
Category: Accessories
Showing at: Première Classe
Story: Industrial designer Fanny Serouart’s technical background gives her bags a distinctive spin. She seeks to use techniques not habitually seen in accessories — the weaving on her designs is performed by one of the only two remaining suppliers of the traditional seats in Paris bistros, for example. She combines this with leather techniques pulled from car-making and wooden molds for structure. Serouart’s designs were part of the Eyes on Talents selection at the show and have also featured in “Emily in Paris.”
Pricing: 690 to 1,300 euros (retail)

Possery
Category: RTW
Showing at: Tranoï
Story: A play on “peau,” the French word for skin, Possery’s aim is to modernize leather clothing, offering featherweight pieces in a broad array of colors and styles, from an updated cropped perfecto jacket with giant zipper details to super-soft palazzo pants. The brand was created by Paris-based leather specialist Giorgio & Mario in early 2023, and opened its own boutique in the Upper Marais in June.
Pricing: 449 to 1,200 euros (retail)

Awa
Category: Accessories
Showing at: Tranoï
Story: Based in Tunisia, Samia Ben Abdallah was part of the Canex initiative for African brands. The former architect’s brand name is an acronym for “architect with artisan,” and she aims to combine Mediterranean influences — she references Roman, Byzantine, French and Berber inspiration — with artisanal techniques. Using materials like deadstock leather and woven palm leaves, she works with women and young people in her home country to produce her designs.
Pricing: 300 euros (average retail price)

Sand
Category: Footwear
Showing at: Tranoï
Story: Shoe enthusiast and merchandiser Sandy Mitteau debuted her sustainable footwear brand at Tranoï with a line of fun mules, moccasins and ankle boots made with plant-based leather and recycled plastic soles. The different “leathers” give a range of surface finishes to the shoes – pineapple has a crinkled finish that is a perfect match with metallics, while grape offers a smooth matte surface, for example. With a signature block heel in glittery transparent plastic, they are equipped with memory foam-type insoles for added comfort.
Pricing: 110 to 165 euros wholesale

Lah
Category: Jewelry
Showing at: Tranoï
Story: Studio Berçot graduate Hélène Rommelaere worked in jewelry design at Vivienne Westwood and Saint Laurent before going freelance, then launching her Lah label — an acronym for her first name and those of her two children — in 2020. With loop-shaped designs in vermeil as its signature, her multitasking designs can be adapted in a similar manner to high jewelry pieces. Her creoles, for example, come with a stud fastener to be worn in three different ways, while horoscope medallions can be clipped onto her bestselling chain necklace. Further standouts in the line, which includes Merci and White Bird among stockists, included ear cuffs adorned with Murano glass beads.
Pricing: From 170 to 1,250 euros (retail)