Start-ups, Beauty, and Immersive Experiences

PARIS — As in-person attendance continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, Première Vision is evolving beyond its traditional role as a textiles trade fair, expanding into a more experiential format and developed panel program as it seeks to remain relevant in the shifting industry landscape.

With the tagline “unpredictability is the new normal,” the show introduced a dedicated start-up zone for the first time, invited white-label beauty developers and immersive artists, and deepened its focus on technology to appeal to a wider range of industry professionals.

For example, it was the first time the fair had a section dedicated to start-ups in the fashion space, with five companies present focused on material digitization, traceability and environmental impact measurement. While a small selection for the first outing, Première Vision chief executive officer Florence Rousson said that it was a significant development for the fair.

“It’s important that these kinds of companies have events to get more visibility and to meet their customers,” she said.

The new area targeted not only designers but also R&D teams, engineers and production heads, which Rousson said demonstrated the current complexity of modern sourcing.

Première Vision has also extended its global footprint with events in New York, Montreal, Tokyo and Shenzhen, which Rousson said demonstrated the strength of PV and has not reduced the effectiveness of the original Paris fair.

“To have this global offer is important also for us, because when we are connected with each territory, it gives us the possibility also to understand better how the market is moving, how the world is moving,” she said.

The regional editions also allow for ease of travel; for example, the Montreal edition coming up in April can be an alternative for those who want access to the North American market without having to travel to the United States.

“In terms of territories, it gives us a global portfolio and ability to offer them the possibility to choose the event that will be the best for them,” she said. There will be significant development for the Montreal and Shenzen fairs in the coming editions, she added.

Beauty Biz and a Bartender

The Prospective Trend Area took on a more sensorial, experiential tone this season with a larger space and immersive experiences. Première Vision invited white-label beauty developers, including nail color manufacturer Fiabilai, which offers texture-matched finishes like cotton, velvet and vinyl in any color. They offered up a nail bar, which had lines snaking around the area throughout the fair.

“It’s just the beginning,” said Rousson of the new strategy. “Our idea is not to become a cosmetic show. Our idea is just to offer the possibility of this new partnership and this new kind of collaboration.”

Also taking part was Emanuele Balestra, former head bartender of the Majestic Barriere in Cannes, who officially stepped away from his role there just two weeks ago to start a new project. For Première Vision, he collaborated on a fragrance, candle wax and cocktail experience, codeveloped with perfumer Sidonie Lancesseur, using the fair’s “color of the year” as a starting point. “We’re not here to sell. We are just given emotional experience,” Balestra said.

Première Vision director of fashion Desolina Suter said these immersive additions are a response to broader industry fatigue. “There is a call for a more emotional and sensorial approach, because we are arriving at a stage of uniformization and globalization,” she said. Suter added that the new installations mirror how designers actually work, drawing inspiration from various disciplines and creating mood boards. “This is sensory-ology, smell experiences, sound experiences, tactile experiences to build more bridges in aesthetics, bridges between different fields.”

The center of the venue was reimagined as a gallery-style exhibit, drawing crowds of attendees who took selfies in front of digital art installations and walls of rich textiles. “An experience when you are in the fair could add a desire to be here and participate in the event. It’s a question of creating pleasure,” added fashion department project manager Carine Montarras.

On the fashion front, Suter said the PV trend team received over 30,000 product submissions this season. Notably, the offer was split, with one direction centering on soft tailoring, with modal and other fluid fabrics shown for blazers and trousers.

The other side leaned into traditional wools, tweeds and blanket-like materials for outerwear and shirting. “Traditional checks are moving to more casual wear, streetwear and sportswear approaches here. It’s quite new to see and an interesting mix this season,” said Suter. She noted the density of the fabrics points to a coming focus on “volume and really well-designed garments” being delivered in the coming months.

This edition also saw an expansion of PV’s hosted designer program, with 45 buyers brought in from priority brands, many in North America.

Among the attendees were U.S. mass brands like Gap-owned Banana Republic and Athleta, American Eagle, and Urban Outfitters. H&M’s &Other Stories was also an invitee, along with British brands Boden and Phoebe Philo, and Chinese label Icicle.

Sustainability Star Power

Sustainability was still top of mind for PV organizers, who created an extensive program of talks. They brought in model and climate activist Arizona Muse for a little star power, as she made her second appearance at the fair to urge fashion brands to eliminate plastics from their supply chains. Muse spent her morning visiting booths and talking to suppliers.

“Seven years ago, it wasn’t easy. [Now] the innovation is there. It’s a little bit more expensive, not a lot. So yes, you can wind that into your margins. Yes, you can make the right decisions,” she said. “The brands cannot hide behind the excuse anymore of ‘waiting for the supply chain.’ No, it’s there, and you’ve decided to not use it.”

Brands emphasized the point throughout the halls, with several posting their eco-credentials such as recyclability, or how much energy they generate with solar panels as the doorways to their booths.

Muse, who also founded the climate nonprofit Dirt, said she is developing a 10-part environmental labeling system with Demeter. The first standard, focused on dyes, is live, with cotton and wool certifications coming soon. Netherlands-based brand Loads Collection is the first to pilot the system.

“We’re really going for luxury first,” Muse said. “Fast fashion is super difficult…convincing them to spend even 1 percent extra is almost impossible.”

She also noted that the global political backlash against ESG has hurt nonprofit funding. “We have really struggled this year financially because of impacts from the U.S.,” Muse said, with donors facing budget cuts.

One plastic-free product on offer belonged to French faux fur manufacturer Ecopel, with its new potato-based bio-fur, which was first unveiled at Milan Unica. Unlike conventional faux fur, it is biodegradable, non-toxic, and petrochemical-free. Promoting the new material is a delicate balance for PR-sensitive brands.

“[Brands] don’t want, for instance, to take food from humans or from animals. It has to be a waste byproduct,” said Ecopel sustainability manager Arnaud Brunois-Gavard of their sourcing, which is from waste. “They don’t want to replace an issue with another issue.”

Despite broader fashion industry headwinds, Brunois-Gavard said interest in the new fiber was strong at PV, especially from luxury brands.

“We see so many brands closing their doors, even the luxury market is slowing down a lot, but it is still very good for us,” he said between excited requests to “see the potato fur” at the buzzy booth.

High Stakes on the High Street

Among the most discussed topics was French high street brand Promod’s turnaround strategy. CEO Julien Pollet shared how the company pivoted from a mass model to a “precision model” to address overproduction and profitability.

Promod, a privately held brand founded 50 years ago by Pollet’s father, operated 1,000 stores in 55 countries at its peak in 2015. Between 2017 and 2020, Promod closed 600 stores in 50 countries, consolidating operations to 400 stores in just five European markets.

The company reduced its stock keeping units by 20 percent and accepted that potential stock shortages would be part of the deal, which in turn created urgency among customers and cut reliance on discounting and end of season sales. “We reduced the stock, then we worked a lot on the brand, on the communication, to work on the desirability of the brand,” said Pollet.

Pollet also emphasized investments in product quality. Coats that were once 100 percent polyester now include wool, raising the average price from 100 euros to between 130 and 150 euros. “Lowering the discount rate gives you more margin. So with less product and a little bit higher in price, we could raise our profitability,” he said.

Promod saw a 10 percent turnover increase in 2024 with just a 2 percent volume increase. The discount rate dropped 5 percent, he said, and end-of-year stock was down by 2.5 percent. These changes pushed Promod to its first profitable year in a decade.

Promod also prioritized nearshoring, shifting 35 to 40 percent of production back to Mediterranean countries, with a goal of 50 percent within five years. They also start with small production runs and only increase production if an item is selling well. However, he noted that a previous experiment with production-on-demand did not work as customers were not willing to wait a few weeks to receive their garment.

Promod’s transformation stood in stark contrast to fellow high street retailer Pimkie, which revealed it partnered with Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant Shein. It shows divergent paths between the two French brands.

The Pimkie-Shein deal was the talk of PV when 22 textile and fashion organizations gathered to sign a declaration urging the European Union to curb Shein’s growth in the bloc.

They proposed scrapping the 150-euro exemption on small parcels and adding a tax of 20 to 25 euros — similar to removing the de minimis rule in the U.S. — to fund customs enforcement.

By inviting the organizations to sign the document at Première Vision, Rousson said that it helps establish the fair’s authority and leadership on textile issues. “It makes sense also for us,” she said. “It’s important to protect the different industries that are represented here.”