Harrogate’s enduring popularity as the venue for a northern fashion show was reconfirmed on Sunday as the The seventh edition of Harrogate Fashion Week got off to a busy and lively start.
Launched in July 2018 by exhibition veterans Sarah Moody and Wendy Adams with around 50 exhibitors, the event featured more than 130 collections this season and had first spread to a third room at the Harrogate Convention Centre.
Sarah Moody and Wendy Adams, founders of Harrogate Fashion Week
Well designed with a simple structure scheme for exhibitors, the show is easy to work with. Booths were filled soon after the doors opened at 9 am Despite its official name, the fair is only two days long, which concentrates buying activity.
Over more than 40 years Harrogate has been a proven location for a mid-market fashion show, regularly vying with the Birmingham National Exhibition Center and London events for supremacy among independent womenswear buyers.
All the evidence suggests that Harrogate is on the up once again. Exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the show’s ability to attract a significant number of buyers from the Midlands, the North of England, Scotland and both sides of the Irish border who do not like or want to visit London events in particular. .
Ian Campbell-Smith of Palladio Associates
Ian Campbell-Smith, co-founder of the The Palladio agency, based in London, has paraded in all the editions of the Harrogate event and highlights that its reach goes beyond the perceived northern bias.
“It’s more of a northern show for us. I have already seen (on Sunday) clients from Devon and Essex. It’s just that this program has a bit of reach that other programs don’t. We’re happy with the people we see at Scoop and Pure in London, but Harrogate puts us in front of a different kind of shopper, not just contemporary retailers.”
Campbell-Smith, who was exhibiting the Rino & Pelle and Dreams collections, was one of the participants who praised the show’s organizers and highlighted the importance of Moody’s long-standing relationship with the independent buyer community, built over their years of work at fairs in Harrogate and then with Fashion at the NEC.
Agent Robert de Keyser with his daughter Lara
Agent Robert de Keyser, another of those present at the event, brought 11 collections this season under his Jonny Drama Group, which includes Ana Alcazar, More & More and Chiara Boni, making him the largest solo exhibitor. He is another fan of the team.
“The fair is well organized and the costs of the stand are reasonable. We run 304 accounts across the country and we’ll probably see about 80 here,” she reported. “I am very happy to have him concentrated in two days.”
Becky Furbank by Anne Furbank
All the chatter along the aisles confirmed that independent boutiques have been having a great time, post-lockdown. When asked what sold well, Becky Furbank, owner of the Anne Furbank store in Buckden, Cambridgeshire, replied “Everything!”
Making his first visit to the event, I had driven to the show to shop for special occasion wear, which is a booming category for retailers and one of the show’s strengths.: “The show has a nice friendly atmosphere and is clearly designed. All the people who dress for special occasions are here, unlike the London shows, but the category covers more than the classic mother of the bride outfits these days. People have different weddings, parties, celebrations and holidays and we have to offer them different outfits.”
Co-founders Moody and Adams noted that the event was more than just a special occasion clothing show. “The category has always been strong in Harrogate because it is strong with northern independents, but we are attracting more exhibitors from other areas of fashion,” Moody said.
“Our goal here has always been to create a positive shopping atmosphere for retailers and exhibitors. Our complete stand package costs £175 per square metre, making it affordable.”
Adams explained that the program’s preference for shopper-targeted e-marketing paid dividends with high retailer participation.
Gerard and Karen Burke from Lizabelle and Bella
Dublin-based Gerard Burke, whose wife Karen designs the Lizabelle and Bella collections that attracted many buyers right at the front of the show, praised Moody’s connections with the right buyers: “We exhibited at Pure, which was good and stable with buyers from the south. Here in Harrogate we are looking at retailers from the North of England and Scotland. The Irish are also well represented this time, thanks to Sarah’s relationship with the best boutiques.”
There is clearly room for the show to expand in size and categories. There were many first-time exhibitors who were pleased with what they found.
The Spanish footwear supplier Xti had two stands for its Carmela and Menbur collections. In the early afternoon of the first day, Sales Area Manager Mike Wylde said, “We didn’t have high expectations, but I’ve already met several potential new accounts, so we’re very pleased. We came here to find fashion boutiques to work with instead of shoe stores and it has already been proven to be the right choice..”
Marc Querol of the Double H Agency
French knitwear specialist St James also made his Harrogate debut. Marc Querol of Double H Agency reported: “We have a few accounts around Harrogate so we came in part to support them, but we felt there were more buyers to see up north and there have been. There aren’t many collections like the St. James at the fair, so we turn heads.”
Linda Marshall, of the London-based agency Parkers, was appearing for the first time with Sani Blu, a colorful sports line separate from Greece. “Zoom calls are not the way to buy or sell fashion collections. You have to see and feel them.,” she said.
“We know that many Northern buyers don’t like to come to London for the shows or showrooms. This season’s annoyance with the weather disruption and rail strikes will not have changed their minds on the matter. I’m amazed at how many retailers I see here that I don’t recognize.”
Agents Irene Douglas, David Finlayson and Antonio Herceg
Agents David Finlayson and Irene Douglas booked a late stand to show their Pia Rossini and Bye Bra ranges in Harrogate for the first time. Shortly after the show opened, they agreed to contract with the agency for another new exhibitor, De Lucca, a Hong Kong eveningwear collection, which was on the adjacent stand, a reminder that shows are effective venues for networking. on many levels.
Josie Smith of Leaf Clothing in Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a womenswear shopper who is always seen at London shows and showrooms during the season, but she visited Harrogate for a few hours on Sunday to support her suppliers, in particular Kevan Jon, based in Halifax. who has been in business for 30 years this year with her glamorous evening gowns.
This season it was shown only in Harrogate, skipping its regular London appearance. “This show really works for us,” he confirmed at his packed booth.
Leaf London’s Josie Smith with Kevan Jon
While it was recognized that supply chain issues continued to plague suppliers, probably the most critical note heard at the event was directed at the national media and its obsession with the cost of living crisis. There was a general feeling that many consumers were not going to be desperately out of pocket later this year.
Said Keyser’s highly experienced broker: “Our retailers are surprisingly positive, given the general state of the world. While there is much talk in the media about the cost of living crisis, The fact is, for many good fashion independents, their customers are not going to worry too much about the fact that it costs them more to fill their car..”
Time will tell if he is right. The next Harrogate Fashion Week show will take place on Sunday 5th and Monday 6th February 2023.
Images: Eric Musgrave
Source: www.theindustry.fashion