Industry Expert: Premiere Classe

For 30 years, Premiere Classe has been the conduit for connection between fashion accessories designers across the world. Twice a year, over 4 days, Premiere Classe hosts an unparalleled event that brings together over 500 jewellery, footwear, leather goods, accessories and ready-to-wear brands and designers chosen specially for their creativity, their originality and their style. In anticipation of their event occurring September 27th to 30th in the iconic Jardin Des Tuileries, we spoke with Premiere Classe to hear more about their thoughts on the future of fashion events and so much more. 

How do you see your events adding value to the careers of new and emerging designers?

Putting the spotlight on young and emerging designers has always been a core value for WSN. We accompany them through each step before, during and after the trade show. We act as a stepping stone between creation and commercial: thanks to our training sessions, we educate them about the market and the business of fashion. Our trade shows give young designers the unique opportunity to make themselves visible and create lasting relationships with buyers, retailers and press from all over the world.

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What is your favorite part of attending and running trade shows and fashion events?

Organising a trade show really is a team effort, so it’s amazing to see our hard work materialise and come to life. The most exciting part is when we open our doors on the first day and see the attendees’ reactions. It’s very satisfying to experience relationships being created between brands, buyers and journalists - it’s a truly unmissable meeting place for the fashion community. Another one of our favourite parts is seeing the return of young designers who started their careers at our trade shows - it’s amazing to see how they’ve grown and how we’ve contributed to their success. And of course, we have to mention our parties - they’re part of our DNA! It’s great to see people continue networking in a relaxed, fun environment. 

Photo by: Florie Berger

Tell us a bit about some of your favorite moments from past events and trade shows. Anything particularly inspiring or evocative?

Speaking of parties, the January edition was an incredibly emotional moment, as it was the 25th anniversary of Who’s Next. We brought together more than 3500 people to celebrate 25 years of fashion, networking and passion with an unforgettable evening filled with artists and performances. We are also looking forward to celebrating 30 years of Premiere Classe at our upcoming edition in September. It’s going to be an unmissable event!
 

How has the rise of social media as a marketplace and ecosystem of exposure for designers impacted the relevance of trade shows? How have you adapted your approach with this new reality?

We see social media as a way to inspire, create new business connections and share experiences. That’s why it’s such an important tool for each of our departments - whether it be for Sales to discover new brands, or for Communications to reach a wider audience. However, human contact is still at the heart of our trade show: it’s important for our community to build relationships with one another, so we use social media and our WSN by Swapcard app as tools to allow people to continue networking all year round.

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What does the future of trade shows look like?

One of the biggest challenges that faces the fashion industry today is the ecological impact it’s having on the planet. Trade shows like us have the responsibility to engage our community not only by accompanying sustainable brands and including them in our offer, but also by assisting other brands to become more ecologically aware. We also have a responsibility to educate retailers and boutiques on the ecological transformation of the fashion industry.