Denim Première Vision to focus more on fashion

By

Olivier Guyot

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
May 11, 2018

Denim Première Vision’s spring session is scheduled at the Parc Floral in Paris on 23rd-24th May, when the denim trade show will be sporting a new look and introducing a new format.

The show’s management team has changed recently, with the arrival at the helm of Guglielmo Olearo and Fabio Adami Dalla Val, and they are injecting new zest into the event. Their approach in showcasing the denim industry’s new solutions for the Autumn/Winter 2019-20 is to amplify the connection with fashion. The show is designed to simplify the R&D work of apparel brands, and to support labels and designers in choosing the denim fabric that is right for them.

To mark this new orientation, the show has for the first time given carte blanche to a designer, Lutz Huelle. “The world of denim has changed greatly,” said Pascaline Wilhelm, in charge of fashion at Première Vision, at the event's presentation. “After the cowboy and rebel eras, [denim] is now turning towards hybridisation, fusion and customisation. This mirrors very closely the work of Lutz Huelle, a pioneer in this field, who blends design references as he works on the structure and usage of garments,” added Pascaline Wilhelm.

The fashion relevance of denim will be highlighted via five themes, from the use of denim in sportswear looks to the solutions and treatments for tailored denim. Visitors will be able to explore these themes, and also to add to their denim knowledge thanks to three seminars: one on working with materials, another on cuts and shapes and a third on the season’s main trends.

The trend presentations will help brands and designers find new resources and ideas. This season, a first forum will focus on the leading approaches for the five chosen themes (Impact Tailoring - Wild & Woolly Denim - Evening Denim - Active Denim - Extroverted Street). The show’s 75 exhibitors will as usual highlight their innovations, processes and special expertise, as well as their collections. A section called Denim Smart Square will be reserved to sustainable manufacturing solutions. The SMQ section, dedicated to small production runs, was successfully introduced last season to address the needs of emerging labels, and will be featured again. Instead, the show will not feature a section for the general public, which at the end of 2017 gave rise to the Denim Street event in Paris.

Paris remains the home base of Denim PV, and its spring editions will continue to be held in the French capital. But its future autumn session will take on a new touring format. The disruptive new approach will kick off at the Old Truman Brewery in London, on 5th-6th December. Once again, the goal is to reach out to fashion labels and designers and showcase the wealth of solutions denim can offer.