SIMM: The latest trends in consumer fashion and new strategies for boosting the industry will be on show at the sixty-seventh edition of SIMM
• At this edition the fair will feature the participation of around 800 companies, a 62% increase compared to February 2011. The fair will also present a larger net exhibition area, coming to 13,850 square metres in total. Foreign brands, especially those from France, will significantly increase their level of attendance
• The IFEMA Fashion Showrooms, featuring brands from the medium-high segment, continue to expand, now presenting some one hundred participating brands, a 22% increase compared to February last year.
• The Speaker's Corner Forum will complement the fair's trade exhibition, based on an attractive programme of activities featuring a series of renowned experts. The introduction of new sales models, experiential marketing and the latest new trends presented in the collections for Autumn/Winter 2012-2013, are just some of the aspects that will be tackled at Speaker's Corner.
• The EGO Area will present the collections and ideas of 21 young designers
• Castile-Leon is the Guest Region at this edition
With a strengthened trade exhibition resulting from the significant increase in participating companies, together with a comprehensive know-how area aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the clothes manufacturing industry as a whole, SIMM, the Madrid International Fashion Fair, an event organised by IFEMA, will stage its sixty-seventh edition between 2nd and 4th February in Halls 12 and 14 in the DC Area at Feria de Madrid.
The leading showcase in Spain for clothes manufacturing and consumer fashion is due to stage a new edition, based on some favourable participation figures (nearly 800 companies, a 62% increase compared to February 2011) and a slight increase in the fair's net exhibition area (13,850 square metres). In this sense, SIMM will present the women's fashion, leather fashion and accessories for Autumn/Winter 2012-13.
As is customary at each edition of SIMM, the fair will present its products and services on this occasion in a series of different sections organised according to type and style of product. In this sense, "Charm" features urban and practical designs; "Class," contemporary basics; "Gala," cocktail party outfits, evening-wear and ceremonial attire; "Natural," natural clothing items that define the country, folk and Ibizan styles; "Warm," woollen fashion and technical fabrics designed to protect the wearer from the rain and cold, and Iberpiel Moda en Piel, leather fashion; "Shop," with all kind of services that enable members of the trade to innovate at their points of sale; "Ready," inter-seasonal fashion collections; and "Touch," that will focus on fashion accessories. This wide-range exhibition is completed with the EGO Section that brings together the collections of some 20 up-and-coming designers.
Among the participating companies at this edition of the fair, we might highlight Intuition Paris; Lang Furs; Le Fate; Pause café; Espri; Moma Costume; Cocoa; El Escondite Francés, Gymtonic; Simorra; Beat the Beatle; Kookai; Ana Mora; J+G; Flamenco; Veneno en la Piel; Vilagallo, Oky Coky and Alba Conde, among others.
For their part, the IFEMA Fashion Showrooms, which bring together brands from the medium-high fashion segment at the North Convention Centre of Feria de Madrid, continue the expansion trend witnessed since their first edition a year ago. On this occasion they present more than one hundred brands, a 22% increase compared to last February.
Under this heading, we might mention companies such as Airfield, Albert S.Lasry, Anathea, Andrea Lisinicchia, Anneclaire, Bleu Blanc Rouge, Byblos, Cantallops 1897, Caractère, Dellacianacashmere, Didier Parakian; Dismero, Elena Miró, Eleonora Amadei, Galloti, Gina Bacconi, HS Collections by Sofia de Habsburgo; Les Copains; Les Copains Bleu; Luisa Cerano; Manetti, Michael Wagner; Miroglio España; Nina Ricci Foulards, Gerard Darel; Mercedes Alonso and Piedad Rodríguez, among others.
An Increase in Foreign Companies
As part of the fair's excellent progress in terms of participation at this edition, we might highlight the significant increase in the number of foreign companies attending the event. In the majority of cases these are brands that already operate on the international market and have chosen the fair as an ideal trade forum at which to gain access to the Spanish market. France is the country that has witnessed the strongest increase in its number of participating firms, numbering more than 30 exhibitors in total. We might also highlight the large number of participating firms from Portugal, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
For their part, Spanish brands have remained loyal to this grand trade event in Madrid, effectively maintaining the participation figures recorded at previous editions. Therefore, we might highlight the increase in the number of exhibitors from the Balearic Islands, which complement those from Castile-Leon, the Guest Region at this edition. As on other occasions, the Regions of Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia are the ones that send the largest numbers of brands to the fair.
Castile-Leon Attends As Guest Region
Castile-Leon will take up the baton from the Balearic Islands as the Guest Region at the sixty-seventh edition of SIMM, based on a strong level of representation on the part of companies from this region in the CHARM, EGO, WARM and TOUCH Sections at the fair.
According to figures furnished by Regional Government of Castile-Leon, this region has more than 700 companies from the textile sector, which provide employment to some 4,000 persons. All of these companies have stood out in recent years for their capacity to innovate and adapt to new circumstances. Specifically, these companies achieved an increase of more than 10% in overall sales last year, whilst during the first half of the year their turnover figure came to 31 million euros, according to the Tax Department of the Regional Government of Castile-Leon.
Seminars and Conferences Designed to Boost Sales within the Industry
This edition of SIMM also aims to provide trade buyers with the guidance and training they require, as part of a forum at which they can discover the key factors that may help them to adapt their businesses to a series of new circumstances. On this occasion the fair's activities area, which is known as the Speaker's Corner Forum, will focus in particular on boosting competitiveness within the industry, both from the perspective of fashion trends and the perspective of experiential marketing. It will achieve this goal through the staging of a number of presentations and debates featuring the participation of leading experts.
As far as fashion trends are concerned, the fair's collaboration with Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), the exclusive Trend Partner at this edition, will enable professionals to the discover the key aspects on which the trends for next Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 will be based, specifically within the realms of retail fashion, visual merchandise and new technologies for the industry. Participants will also discover new consumer habits and new purchasing trends.
According to the experts at WGSN, minimalism, a natural style, superimposed effects and colourful prints will be the key factors to bear in mind next winter.
For its part, the Textile Trade and Accessories Business Association (ACOTEX) has organised a roundtable in which a series of renowned professionals will debate the best means of selling different brands on social networking sites. We might mention various other presentations, such as a paper on how to connect with the emotions and sensations of our customers and boost our business activities, delivered by José Cantero, an expert in experiential marketing. Cantero believes that the management and creation of new experiences at points of sale constitute an innovative strategy when it comes to boosting sales.
In view of its success at the last edition, SIMM will also place its FashionJobs.com area at the disposal of all visitors. This initiative consists of a job pool specialising in the fashion, luxury and beauty care sectors, one that offers users the opportunity to consult and publish job offers on the web portal's wall at the fair.
Furthermore, the Higher Centre for Fashion and Design (CSDMM), which has more than 20 years' experience imparting specialised training within the field of fashion in Madrid, will present an exhibition of the work carried out by its students under the heading of "Experimental Volume".
Some Twenty Young Designers Take Part in the EGO Area
Once again at this edition, SIMM will confirm its commitment to supporting young designers, based on the staging of the fourth edition of the EGO Area. This area has become an interesting showcase for the latest creative talent in Spain, one where a series of up-and-coming designers can present their fashion and accessory collections to professionals from the industry.
In this respect, SIMM is a perfect tool to contribute to the launch, promotion, marketing and consolidation of these promising young talents and their ideas. In total, this edition will feature 21 up-and-coming designers.
In general terms, each idea, each item and each creation presented in this area seeks to offer buyers an opportunity to wear something that is quite exceptional and entirely original. In many cases, the designers have sought to invent unique designs, based on a certain tendency to use natural materials. We can also observe a sense of inspiration from the world of nature in terms of the themes and prints employed.
The 21 designers who will be exhibiting their collections in the EGO Area on this occasion include Auge, Anmargo, Sedanía, Milles, Condesita Barcelona, Vintage Waves, Aragón Marca Moda, Flaska Laverne, Novedades Dorins, Puntog, Jimena Rilova Tocados, La Planta Cactácea, Marta Moore, Mónica Guillám, Artesmalte, Galiciademoda, Ruw Design, Indorata, Santa Mistura, Apodemia and Susana Escribano.
Modernisation, Reindustrialisation and Internationalisation of the Industry
Modernisation, reindustrialisation and internationalisation: according to the leading business associations from the textile and clothes manufacturing industry, these are the three fundamental pillars on which companies' strategies should rest in order to tackle the climate of economic uncertainty and the drop in consumer demand predicted for Spain in the year 2012. In view of the rather unfavourable economic prospects that are forecast for the current year, leaders from the industry consider exports to be the most important factor when it comes to maintaining growth over the next few months.
Thus, the Spanish Federation of Clothes Manufacturing Companies (FEDECON), through the auspices of its President, Angel Asensio, believes that now is the right time for the Spanish textile sector to undertake a reindustrialisation process, in addition to developing new forms of production and modifying sales methods.
For its part, the Textile Trade and Accessories Business Association (ACOTEX) has already observed the emergence of new ways of operating among companies from the industry, such as on-line sales, initiatives on social networking sites, etc., which could play a key role in terms of kick-starting a recovery and encouraging a change in attitude amongst consumers.
Spanish Fur Fashion Reinvents Itself
Spanish fur fashion has reinvented itself and updated its commercial and production processes, this being the best way of counteracting the current adverse economic climate. So, in view of the current economic crisis, the companies that make up the industry are currently working to update their products, their manufacturing processes and their sales channels, with a view to adapting to new consumer tastes and trends and, thus, emerging stronger from this difficult period. According to Manuel García Gutiérrez, President of the Spanish Fur Fashion Business Association (OEEP), this development has been made possible largely thanks to fashion shows, which have paraded examples of clothing fashion featuring fur combined with other materials on their catwalks.
At the same time, the business association has detected a change in consumers' tastes. Thus, although mink, fox and rabbit continue to be the most popular fine fur varieties employed, clothing designs have become more comfortable, lighter and easier to wear on any occasion.
The fur fashion sector has successfully managed to find refuge in the export markets. Over the first ten months of the year 2011, the balance of trade was highly favourable to Spain. Throughout this period, although exports and imports both grew at a good rate, the rise in sales abroad was especially favourable. In fact, throughout the year as a whole, exports increased by more than 23%.
A Focus on Internationalisation
SIMM aims to aim to boost its international dimension. That is why it has decided to strengthen the Hosted Buyers and Foreign Press Programmes that they have been implementing for a number of years, with a view to promoting and opening up new markets for the exhibiting companies at the event.
By means of this initiative, which is implemented in collaboration with the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX), the two editions of SIMM that are due to take place in 2012 will attract all of the main trade sector media (both printed and digital), as well as retailers and independent fashion distribution chains from different geographical regions throughout the world, based on two distinct working strategies. Thus, for Europe the objective will be to promote and win the loyalty of companies in regions that are already familiar with these fairs and that already receive large numbers of Spanish goods, such as Portugal, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Greece and the UK. In the case of other geographical regions, such as Eastern Europe, SIMM seeks to consolidate its presence in markets such as those of Russia, the Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The fair also wishes to make inroads throughout the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the Lebanon.
These markets have been selected by taking into account the leading clients of the Spanish clothes manufacturing industry, as well as the origin of the professionals who have visited the last few editions of SIMM.
This new campaign to promote the internationalisation of SIMM will attract buyers from Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia to this edition of SIMM, alongside journalists from Russia, Poland, Finland, Slovakia, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the United Arab Emirates. The initiative will have its maximum impact at the fair's September edition.
Free Services for Members of the Industry
During their stay at the fair, professionals will come across various different areas offering free services. Thus, La Caja de Maquillaje will offer its Beauty Bar, featuring express image and make-up design and touch-up in a booth located at Stand 12A21. Meanwhile, Marco Aldany will offer a free combing service to all those who visit Stand 12A21A. Furthermore, at Stand 14B11 visitors can sample a selection of different wines and cavas, offered by the companies, Cava Rafols and Suria.
Coincidence with MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK MADRID and GlFTRENDS
Alongside the above, we might also highlight the fact that this edition of SIMM will coincide in terms of dates and venue (DC Area 12.14) with the fashion shows of the grand catwalk in Madrid, an event which, as of this edition, will be known as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid. This joint staging brings together the leading representatives of the fashion industry (manufacturers and designers) at venues that are very closely linked at the IFEMA exhibition centre, whilst also expanding the range of products and services available to trade buyers. To this we must add the habitual coincidence of the February edition of SIMM with Giftrends Madrid, which represents different sectors, encompassing fashion, accessories, fashion jewellery, jewellery and decoration in general. This coincident staging has been very warmly received over the last two years.
SIMM (Madrid International Fashion Week) will be open from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
- Español |
- English |
- Web Map |
- Accesibility |
- Legal Notice |
- Contact |
