FESTIVAL OF FASHION AND A WINDOW INTO SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES AT PURE LONDON

Festival of Fashion, Pure London proved itself yet again to be a successful three days of business and inspiration, welcoming visitors from over 80 countries.

Despite hurricane Ciara, buyers from stores including Selfridges, Debenhams, Next, Galeries Lafayette, Pamela Shiffer, Sunday Best, Asos, New Look, The Dressing Room, and Jules B flocked to Olympia for the AW20/21 presentation of over 1,300 inspirational and trend-led collections along with a three-day programme of insightful, challenging and stimulating content.

While sourcing and manufacturing show Pure Origin attracted sourcing managers from brands including Prada, Burberry, Ann Summers, Gibbons, Next, Karen Millen, Maniere De Voir, Long Tall Sally, James Lakeland, Lipsy, Radley & Co, Monsoon, The Sourcing Team, YMC, Gloverall, Centro Sourcing, Amazon and TK Maxx.

Martin Arnold, Fashion Portfolio Director of Hyve Group plc said:

“Buyers really made the effort this season highlighting the importance and relevance that Pure London has in the buying calendar. It seems that even extreme weather cannot abate the insatiable appetite of the Fashion Industry. Even with trains and flights cancelled due to the weather they showed the true grit of UK fashion to keep it business as usual, demonstrating the resilience of the market.”

Matthew O’Brien, first time exhibitor was delighted by the response to his collection:

“Pure London is a great show, it’s our first season here and there’s a real buzz. We’ve seen some great customers from all over the world including South America, Israel, Ireland, Scotland and England. The international buyers seem to love that we are designed and made in the UK, it excites them, and they love the quality. We’re excited to come back for next season.”

Sharon Donovich, European Product Manager at Kornit Digital was delighted to engage with the Fashion community:

“Sustainable manufacturing is an essential component to accelerate positive climate change and must be utilised to reverse the negative impacts of fast fashion. Sustainability is at the heart of Kornits revolutionary Eco-Digital Printing technology. Knowledge is power, and it’s never been more important that we share our resources and together change the manufacturing processes of the past. Kornits technology offers the Textile Industry a clean, waterless alternative to the pollutant practices of the traditional print routes.”

The appetite for information and trends content saw no signs of abating. The AW20/21 catwalk shows and Unique Style Platform trend presentations were standing room only, whilst talks on the Nomad and Origin Stages were delivered to packed audiences with record numbers attending. Over 2500 people digested topics focused on sustainability, authenticity, visual merchandising, textile production and fabric life-cycles, garment marking, sourcing advice, industry standards, fashion-tech innovation, forecasting, inclusivity and empowerment, as well as a daily morning briefing outlining the unexpected benefits of Brexit and a workshop session on building business strategy to be Brexit resilient. 

But aside from the many Collections on show at Pure London, an important new agenda is blossoming:  

Brands must focus on sustainable supply and take their CSR (corporate social responsibility) seriously.

 The numbers speak for themselves and according to research from the latest GlobalWireIndex Research report:

“68% of online consumers in the U.S. and UK would or might stop using a brand because of poor or misleading CSR. 84% say a poor environmental track record would or might cause them to stop buying from a brand. Nearly half are willing to pay a premium for socially conscious or environmentally friendly brands”.

With younger generations most aware of the impact of both their purchases and the brands they buy from, the pressure on brands to have a flawless reputation is set to increase as they move into higher-earning roles.

Trend partner Unique Style Platform outlined the macro trends for the AW20/21 season, highlighting a younger generational divide of Greta Thunberg vs Love Island groups – those fighting fast fashion opposed to those over-consuming it. Jane Kellock, Founder and Creative Director of USP said; “We are entering an era of extremes and conflict in society. AW20/21 is about finding balance.” The four key trends, Hibernate, Attune, Opulence and Nu-Tech were brought to life on the catwalk with a showcase of exhibiting brand collections.

Show organisers, Hyve Group plc, announced a number of changes for the July 2020 show. As it powers forward with its commitment to sustainable fashion in partnership with the Conscious Fashion Campaign and the Sustainable Development Goals, PureConscious will move from the National Hall to the front of the Main Hall, making it the first stop for buyers as they enter the show.  

As Pure Origin outgrows its current space, next season sees it take over the entire National Hall and introduce manufacturing machinery. A dedicated space for machinery and manufacturing providers will showcase the latest and most innovative solutions for pattern cutting, trimming, sewing, printing and more….

The next show takes place on the 19th – 21st July 2020 at Olympia London.