A great start to Fall Winter 19/20 Season
Once again along the Hudson river, Pier 94 turned into a Fashion Beacon hosting the 38th edition of Premiere Vision NY Fall-Winter 19/20. The two-day show welcomed 3,188 visitors from the fashion industry, who had the opportunity to enjoy the extended quality offer created by the show throughout its five sections: Designs, accessories, manufacturing, fabrics, leather and the development of the yarns and knits sectors, all under the same roof.
Year-after-year, Premier Vision NY continues to forge ahead in its catalytic role of bringing people together as well as creating channels for sharing and networking within the fashion industry. This year, together with the almost 300 exhibitors, PV curated a show of great relevance and content. Visitors had the opportunity of acquiring knowledge about fashion trends and colours through the Trend Area and Fashion Seminars, and were offered a thorough programme of Smart Talks to keep ahead of the curve about sustainability initiatives in the fashion world, cementing Premiere Vision’s legacy as a show that continues to inspire and lead fashion professionals all over the world.
“I like to come to PV New York due to its trend setting trajectory. This is a great show to research trends, innovative materials, and get inspired. It is also a great way to connect with Italian, Japanese and Italian mills,” said Marie Saint Pierre, President of Maison Marie Saint Pierre in Canada.
“There are so many smart things that I get out of the show. It is a great place to explore opportunity and to create more ecofriendly garments and accessories. Showcasing people who are doing it right offers a great source of inspiration and amazing global contact opportunities,” said Janine Donen, President and CEO of Brilliant Design, LLC, New York.
A format that continues to attract new visitors
This new edition welcomed some new 40 exhibitors who saw a very positive outcome from joining the show as a business expansion strategy. Among them Juan Arias from Tandem, Peru, was extremely pleased with the outcome as his stand was visited by many important brands like Saks, Oscar de la Renta and Amazon, opening new business opportunities for his company.“This is our first year in PV New York. We are very happy with the results. We have been visited by great brands like Patagonia, Nike and Target,” said Eric Gunzle from Filatures de Parc, France.
Leading the way to sustainable fashion
For this edition, the Smart Creation programme expanded to offer not only Smart Materials and the Smart Wardrobe, but also amazing Smart Talks. To kick-off this new project, the talks revolved around Circular Economy and its connection to design, innovation, the creation of new business models and the importance of co operation and communication. Première Vision New York had the pleasure of welcoming Andrea Röhrich (Wolford), Luna Atamian Hahn- Petersen (Salterbaxter), Tara St.James (Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator), InkaApter and Carmen Gama (Eileen Fisher), and GiusyBettoni (Sustainability Consultant for Smart Creation), who acted as moderator.
“I find these seminars very inspirational. I always make recaps that I share globally through our company’s intranet,” said Meg Winkler, Associate Director merchandising for Esquel Group. Andreas Röhrich’s discussion about the new role of design and technology and Wolford’s approach to sustainability was a great highlight of this edition’s Smart Square talks, “We realised the threat posed by manmade fibres, so we used this to stir a shift in our company. We are constantly looking for new challenges to spur our growth as a responsible and sustainable company. Innovation is in our DNA. This year we will be launching our first Cradle to Cradle gold certified line. In the next seven years, we are aiming to have 50 per cent of our production certified gold.”
As part of PV’s commitment towards sustainability, the Smart Square showcased the garments of designers Cienne, Bethany Williams, Sylvia Heisel and Studio 189: All produced according to responsible sourcing and manufacturing processes. This exhibit offered a window into sustainable fashion readily available in the market.
Sylvia Heisel declared, “I have always been interested both in fashion and technology, and this is a very exciting time for me, as my work bridges both disciplines. Thinking outside the box, finding new things and new ways of creating. 3D garment printing technology is opening the way to new and sustainable options in the manufacture of garments.”
According to Abrima Erwiah from Studio 189, “Everybody should be entitled to buy healthy, conscious, and responsible clothes. Everybody should be able to afford them too. At Studio 189, we are applying creativity and innovation to empower change through the activation of existing artisanal communities.”
This premiere, the Smart Talks revolved around Circular Economy and its relationship to design, smart innovation, communication, the creation of new business models and the importance of cooperation. To talk about these themes, several speakers were invited: Andrea Röhrich (Wolford), Luna Atamian Hahn-Petersen (Salterbaxter), Tara St.James(Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator), and InkaApter& Carmen Gama (Eileen Fisher).
PV Collaborations and Sponsorships
Continuing Première Vision collaboration with the CFDA to encourage local manufacturing and to promote American know-how, this edition included companies like Acme Design + Studio, who visited the show for the first time and shared their excitement.
“We are second-generation factory owners, fully committed to invigorating and promoting Made in New York garment manufacturing, as part of NY garment district revival,” said Jenni Han. This edition also served as a platform to exhibit the work of the Hyeres Fashion and Photography festival winners Rushemy Botter and LisiHerrebrugh, reaffirming PV commitment to supporting and promoting rising new designers. The young duo’s fresh and honest collection attracted a lot of attention and interest in the show.
Fashion tools to get the most out of the show
Many fashion tools were at the visitors’ disposal to enhance their experience. The colour range provides inspiration as well as the key seasonal information, and the Trend Tasting Seminars offer a thorough analysis of the season’s colours and main trends’ orientations. This year, for the first time, an audio guide, available through the show mobile app, enabled the visitors to discover and decipher the Forum, which displays a selection of the season’s most inspiring materials, through explanatory audio tracks. To complete this offer, seminars were delivered by experts from trend books and design agencies.
An expanded smart square with the development of smart talks
Since its launch, the Smart Square, informative and visionary multimedia space on eco-responsible fashion, has been a great success, attracting numerous visitors and highlighting environmental issues which have always been part of Première Vision’s values. This summer, the Smart Square expanded with the creation of Smart Talks: Round tables and conferences about the issues and challenges the fashion industry faced in the future.
For this premiere, the Smart Talks revolved around Circular Economy and its relationship to design, smart innovation, communication, the creation of new business models and the importance of cooperation. To talk about these themes, several speakers have been invited: IDEO, a global design and innovation company, DESCIENCE, a global collective, which explores the links between fashion and science, ARTSTHREAD, the world’s leading network for the new creatives, Julie GILHART, famous business consultant from Amazon, and Luna ATAMIAN, writer for Business of Fashion.
Hyères Festival – Supporting Young Talents
The Hyères Festival exhibition was a fantastic complement to this edition’s Smart Square. The winners of the Grand Jury Prize Première Vision, Rushemy Botter & LisiHerrebrugh (Netherlands), presented their highly political men’s collection: Fish or Fight. Claiming their history and origins, the duo created a collection to promote deconstructed and versatile tailoring, while exposing industrial fishing and its consequences on local economy. Inspired by the outfits of fishermen in the Caribbean, the colourful collection was an active statement and an ode to the environment and illustrated Botter & Herrebrugh’s honest and authentic vision of fashion.
