PURE WOMENS WEAR

Pure Summer Success

Pure which took place between 15th –17th August, Olympia, London, was bustling with more buyers than ever before. The show was a resounding success with a 16% increase in attendance on the previous year. The unparalleled quality and diversity of the 800 plus collections, including over 100 newcomers this season, meant buyers were spoilt for choice in deciding what to buy for Spring/Summer 05, and also for those buying in season.

Brands saw an excellent array of independents from UK and Ireland including buyers from Selfridges, Harrods, John Lewis, Fenwick and House of Fraser. UK companies exhibiting were pleased with the amount of European visitors, including high numbers from Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Scandinavia.

“We’ve had an incredibly busy few days. We’ve had lots of enquiries from new independent stores. We have also formed links with a surprising number of department stores. The brands on offer now are much stronger and the atmosphere is a very positive one”, commented exhibitor June Jury from Sticky Fingers.

Emily Croft-Baker of newcomer Nooria was equally pleased with the response from buyers at Pure: “Pure has been a fantastic opportunity to sell to exceptional boutiques and department stores. Pure definitely raises the standards as far as trade shows go”.

Buyers at the show continued to place importance on the number of up and coming labels at Pure, many of which show exclusively at the event. The mix of brands selling forward and short order was also important, as many buyers were holding back bigger proportions of their budget to buy closer to the season.

Jo Pott, Owner of Mercer in the UK said she found the event had “A dynamic range of fashion with an excellent atmosphere. I’m getting plenty of ideas and have met many exciting new brands”, while Morena Gandini, buyer for Mantovano in Italy, commented “The layout is well organised and accessible, a beautiful catwalk and a very attractive selection of products”.

Pure Accessories, which takes up the whole of the first floor at the show, continues to be hugely successful. “An absolutely fabulous show, once again Pure has exceeded all expectations!” said Charles Rudgard, Jonathan Charles Handbags. The buzz around accessories was echoed by the buyers, such as Ann Furbank, owner of Ann Furbank who enthused “Pure is looking great, what a fantastic array of brands both new and old. I’ve found some brilliant accessories and have loved the riot of colour among the collections. It’s been great to see”.

Event Director for Pure, Louise Young commented “Pure once again has provided a fantastic event for both buyers and brands. Pure’s strengths are in its quality of collections and the editing, which guarantees the high standard and range of what’s on show. The next edition of Pure in February is already set to wow buyers with an even more inspirational offer.”

Independently edited catwalks took place throughout the three days of the event, giving buyers an essential and accurate insight into the Spring/Summer trends. Further trend information was also available through presentations.

The dates for next season’s Pure are 13th - 15th February, at The Grand Hall, Olympia, London. Pure is organised by Emap Retail.

www.purewomenswear.co.uk