Who’s Next and Bijorhca Defy Retail Challenges
PARIS — For their winter edition, the Paris fashion and jewelry trade shows Who’s Next and Bijorhca gathered nearly 1,150 exhibitors under a single roof from Jan. 18 to 20 at the Porte de Versailles.
Spread over Hall 1, the fairs — under the title “What’s Next for Who’s Next?” — were located in a building adjacent to sister events Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière, also organized by the WSN group.
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Crossover between the two venues was on the rise this edition, according to organizers, who reported about a third of attendees to Who’s Next also made the jaunt to the lingerie shows.
If the major wholesale show continues to face post-COVID-19 industry challenges, it has proven an enduring draw for international exhibitors and visitors for more than three decades now, with its last September edition seeing a 45 percent jump in international attendance, effectively outnumbering locals for the first time, according to organizers.
In January, Who’s Next and Bijorhca drew 38,000 visitors, of whom 49 percent were from outside France, while 25 percent of all buyers were first-timers to the fair, the organizers said. Among participating exhibitors, 45 percent are based in France, followed by Italy at 15 percent and Spain at 10 percent, out of the 40 non-French nationalities represented by brands at the fair.
Several buyers told WWD they made the Paris trip from abroad to gain a key competitive edge over large, online retailers by adding unusual finds and new items to their shelves, which customers can’t get easily elsewhere, or may not know about.
With an “oversaturated” U.S. market, buyer Kristina Holt said the Paris salons are her chance to hunt for products she doesn’t see back home. In fact, Holt, who recently opened her boutique in Richmond, Va., called The Lioness, noticed several European brands she discovered at the Paris trade shows appear to have no points of sale in the U.S.
And while shipping costs are an added expense, the handcrafted products she targets are “unique and I think it’s worth it to a customer,” she said.
To stay competitive, “we need to be different,” agreed Julie Ide, owner of the multibrand Virgul store in Bruges, Belgium. “You always have to reinvent yourself, and we try to always adapt, have some new brands with your main brands, so that it’s worth it for your customers to come. Otherwise, they go online,” she added. Among her top picks were Spanish labels Bad Habits and The New Society.
Fair organizer WSN’s chief executive officer Frédéric Maus is on the same page. He revealed that Who’s Next is launching and expanding a new iteration of a design section, which debuted last March, albeit in a smaller format, called Matter and Shape. The move can also be interpreted to reflect the growing attraction of the alternate, northern Paris trade fair Maison & Objet, which many visitors said they were also attending and for which some said they had made the trip to Paris.
As for Who’s Next launching its own design section, “the market needs it, our buyers need it and following what we did with Matter and Shape [last year], we think it’s a great opportunity,” Maus said. Similarly, the fair’s beauty and wellness sector was given pride of place at the entrance and was bustling.
Grouping Bijorhca alongside Who’s Next seemed to work as a cross-feeding approach, but many visitors admitted they missed having a single, dedicated space for jewelry, as in years past. Others felt there was a strong divide between the relatively more bespoke jewelry offered at Who’s Next and the larger brands stationed opposite at Bijorhca.
Additionally, several exhibitors expressed concerns about their designs getting copied at such a large event, and photographs were often strictly restricted. The issue prompted some visitors to conclude that, as a result, higher-end designers have become afraid of showing their creations at the large trade event, an issue they said was less of a problem when Bijorhca stood alone.
But exhibitors who spoke to WWD said they were happy with how the show went and that they were able to add new customers from Europe, Asia and the Middle East, in particular. Japanese buyers were also making a comeback, including buyers from Hayahigo, who said this was their first time back to Paris in five years.
In a similar vein, several major brands made their return this January edition, including Bensimon, Cacharel, Hunter and Guess Jeans with their new Gen Z, all-sustainable collection, leading the way for the Who’s Next’s expanded denim offering.
The historic French ready-to-wear brand Cacharel chose to relaunch its collection at Who’s Next after a break from the French market. Following a focus on exporting, “we decided to come back home,” said artistic director Thomas Derrien.
He explained the new collection is inspired by the brand’s iconic materials and ideas, with crushed velvet pieces as well as signature blouses in Liberty fabric prints. “It must be an easy, ready-to-wear collection. The Cacharel woman is not a fashion victim — she’s elegant. So French,” Derrien said.
In a sense, Cacharel set the tone for the Parisian show, where among most visible trends, faux fur and soft, cozy materials, including textured wool, prevailed. Separate hoodies were still very big, along with colorful sneakers, though several visitors said they were ready for more alternative footwear options.
Labels repeatedly featured short, hip-length, faux-fur jackets in light shades, made with longer strands of fur, for a puffy, almost shaggy, cuddly animal look.
“One of the biggest trends that I’ve seen this year on an even larger scale is the return of the classic winter coat, jackets and capes. All in faux fur, of course. Many of my vendors have offered this classic look, but with a new edge,” said Beth Harris, owner of concept store Relish, in a suburb of New Orleans. “Gone are the puffer jackets that we’ve seen in the past.”
Visitors also noticed a lot of newsy caps, and handcrafted and sustainable products, included upcycled materials from scraps. Textural details on denim were noticeable, particularly at French brand Kaporal, which featured its new streetwear line KPRL in a double booth.
“You have to be very curious at this fair, because there are some really great brands with high-quality, sustainable French materials, but they are scattered around,” said Catherine Dauriac, president of the environmental organization Fashion Revolution France.
She felt the eco-friendly brands with Impact and Neonyt labels were harder to spot this time around, though shoppers willing to hunt would not be disappointed. Her favorite exhibitors included Les Racines du Ciel and Chandam for their sustainable knitwear.
In jewelry trends, many were surprised by the dramatic drop in gold designs, and an increase in prices of sterling silver. That said, gold as a color was trending. To that end, brands were experimenting with lower-cost alternatives, including stainless steel.
“There seems to be a big movement toward stainless steel on the fashion side,” said Sean Layton, owner of Ivy’s Attic Jewellery in Cork, Ireland. “In the past it was seen as the cheaper, mass-produced material,” but thanks to its durability, “I think it’s going to be the next thing, with stainless steel becoming much more mainstream, as brands innovate and are able to do more interesting designs. It’s going to change the game.”
Layton pointed to Spanish brand Anartxy at Bijorhca as one example of a label experimenting with the material. “This show is very good, because I’ve picked up all these brands here in the last few years,” he added, mentioning Chou au Carré, which makes upcycled scrunchies from fabric scraps.
Layton was also excited about Schmuckoo Berlin, which has rebranded as Noyre Berlin, because of their new materials, including recycled brass, good follow-up and after care.
Laurie Doffe, owner of the Belgian jewelry store Le Coloris, noticed larger and bolder jewelry this season, including yellows.
“We’re experiencing a post-COVID-19 revival. People are coming back with new things, and more risks,” she said, offering as examples the jewelry collections of Olivia Dar and Baya. She added that the Dutch jewelry brand Muja Juma in Bijorhca does well at the store, thanks to an excellent quality-to-price ratio — a sentiment others echoed.
In other news, Maus said that in future all the sourcing categories for lingerie, jewelry and ready-to-wear would be grouped together in one dedicated section. And for those following, January had been earmarked as the launch of a redesigned Who’s Next apparel area, but that reveal has been postponed until September.
This time around, the fair debuted a partnership with the trade fair Milano Fashion & Jewels, which occupied a dedicated area featuring a handful of exhibitors. Plus the WSN Academy made its official entrance, offering expertise and solutions for buyers and brands, particularly leading up to the fair.
WSN’s partnership with business-to-business wholesale online marketplace Ankorstore is also continuing, and contrary to concerns over the digital versus physical rivalry, has helped bring buyers to the physical fair. Ankorstore has been “a major evolution in 2024,” Maus said, citing the success of exhibitors on the platform, which counts a roughly 300,000-strong database of retailers.
In another meeting between the virtual and the physical fair model, some visitors said they filmed their experience at the show to create content for their customers online. Layton, for instance, posts “behind-the-scenes” clips of his search for new products.
“A big part of the story is that I go and find brands and bring them back. It’s kind of a collaborative thing, where our customers tell me what they want to see, and we try to guide it toward that, so they’re kind of on a journey with us,” he said.
Holt also shares snapshots of her travel and trade fair experiences on social media, helping communicate about the store’s unusual, international array of products and brands. Asked if the prospect of Trump administration tariffs on Europe was any concern to her global sourcing approach, she said it was not top of mind at this stage.
“I don’t really like to think about that stuff when I’m here. I just try to do what I’m passionate about,” Holt said. Maus, too, remained optimistic about the uncertainty of tariffs. “Paris will still be the heart of the fashion world,” he said. “It’s always better — even if it’s aggressive — to have a commercial war, rather than a real war.”
Here, some standout exhibitors at the fairs.
10 Days
Category: Ready-to-wear.
This independent, Amsterdam-based brand run and founded by Barbara Hilbrink and Myon Veenendaal offers mostly seasonless, comfortably chic, sustainable and natural clothing, made in Portugal. The brand has mastered a signature balance between casual-chic sports and urbanwear. It also boasts a full lifestyle vibe, illustrated in candles and fragrances displayed in its gallery-like design booth, which was a clear salon standout. The label’s many lighter fabrics can be layered so that nearly every piece can be matched and worn together. Shades appeared in basic and nude tones, with an occasional light-yellow fluorescent pop. For Who’s Next, the brand debuted a fully dedicated outerwear collection. It included elegant, form-meets-function, water resistant and waterproof jackets, including some made of recycled padding, and contrasting textures. Elements of the rain jackets were also glued together, rather than sewn, so that rain doesn’t seep through.
Average retail price range: between 69.90 euros and 349.90 euros
Average retail price range for the outerwear collection is 329.90 to 449.90 euros.
Irene D’Arloz
Category: Jewelry
This three-month-old, high-fantasy jewelry brand founded by French designer Romane Charleux caught the interest of many visitors for its contemporary twist on signet rings. Inspired by antique jewelry worn by her great-grandmother, after whom the brand is named, Charleux said: “I wanted to revisit this timeless jewelry, and adapt it to our era, by removing past social connotations associated with these rings once worn on the little finger.” She designs the pieces in Paris, with models made for women, in addition to many unisex pieces worn by men. They are then crafted by artisans in Jaipur, using brass-plated with 3 microns of 18-karat gold and set with semiprecious stones. At the salon, Charleux signed orders from 14 new retailers, mostly in France, along with the U.S. and the Middle East. The show has meant “phenomenal growth for my small brand, born only a few months ago,” she enthused.
Average retail price: 180 euros
Bad Habits
Category: Ready-to-wear
This Barcelona-based brand introduced its latest line titled, “The Collector,” inspired by short stories and memories, which a woman can accumulate or collect over her life — rather than waste. They form a patchwork of garments, or collage of memories. Layered looks come together in Italian fabrics and knitwear produced in Portugal. The line is intended as a “24-hour wardrobe,” worn to work, and then out to dinner.
Retail price range: 150 to 400 euros
Olivia Dar
Category: Jewelry
The lush tropical forests of Kerala in southern India were the inspiration for this intricately beaded collection of costume jewelry by the Indian designer Olivia Dar. Tropical flowers embroidered on organza silk were among the star, new items this season. They were also an example of a trend in larger-sized jewelry. Indeed, they are the largest earrings the brand has ever made. Hibiscus, lantern flowers, fruit and birds also made appearances among new designs.
Retail price range: 120 to 240 euros
Hunter
Category: Accessories and apparel
This 1856-established British rain boot company has a history like few others. Many remember the iconic image of Princess Diana wearing Hunter boots while posing with Prince Charles early in their relationship, and Kate Moss sported them in the early 2000s. But following a market dip, the brand began to reboot, if you will, in 2023. To that end, its latest collection aims to widen the brand’s customer base with an expanded apparel offering. The new light, outerwear collection includes rain jackets and 100 percent wax cotton pieces. The footwear category has also expanded with fully breathable and waterproof boots, some of which are made with wetsuit Neoprene material.
Average footwear retail price: 120 to 185 euros
Average outerwear retail price: 100 to 350 euros
Cacharel
Category: Ready-to-wear
This “sleeping beauty” of an iconic brand, per comments at the show, has awakened after a pause from its native French market. Designer Thomas Derrien is behind the comeback look of the French womenswear label founded in 1958. He was inspired by its signature Parisian chic aesthetic, with a swinging London, ’70s touch. Standout pieces include crushed velvet suits in gold and electric purple. Cacharel was the first to introduce the ultra-feminine, Parisian-styled Liberty fabric blouse, according to Derrien, with its delicate details and ruffled accents. To this were added light crepon blouses from the brand’s roots and boxy knit jackets.
Average retail prices: 200 euros, and less than 400 euros for jackets
Nadia Dafri
Category: Accessories
These bags and hats — handmade in Istanbul — are vibrant, veritable works of art thanks to their textured detail, with no two items being the same. Designer Nadia Dafri said color, fabric, texture and craftsmanship are her main inspirations for her line, which she began just two years ago, after evolving from other projects. Bags included pops of metallic weaves, fringe and playful, woven ball accessories.
Wholesale price range: 80 euros to 120 euros
JOD Cosmetics
Category: Beauty/wellness
JOD stands for the names of the founders of the all-natural, waterless cosmetic brand, Jeanne and Olivia. The duo came up with the concept after working in the cosmetic industry, and wanting to help change its wasteful consumption habits. The pandemic reset offered an opportunity and they developed a line of clean, solid skin care products, launched three years ago. Throughout the fair, visitors lined up to learn more about the brand’s brightly packaged, multifunctioning products in travel-friendly stick format. A highlight is the December-launched Glowing Skincare Mask enriched with hyaluronic acid and bioactives, which works as an-all night treatment, a primer or a highlighter. The brand said the mask deeply hydrates skin, and plumps and restores the skin barrier while encouraging a healthy glow, with the help of additional actives including jasmine and mangosteen, plus a plant complex made of myrtle and olive.
Average retail price: 20 to 38 euros for individual sticks
Guess Jeans
Category: Ready-to-wear.
This new, 100 percent sustainable winter collection is made with the brand’s trademarked Guess Airwash technology developed by Jeanologia and spearheaded by chief new business development officer Nicolai Marciano. The technology is an alternative to stone washing and replaces water with air and bubbles, effectively reducing electricity use by 40 percent and water use by 80 percent. Materials are also organic cotton or recycled polyester. Beside the denim, another highlight was a sporty jacket made with Thermore inner padding, made of recycled carpets and plastic bottles.
Average wholesale price: 89 euros to 169 euros.
Kaporal
Category: Ready-to-wear.
The Marseille-founded brand’s signature denim was the centerpiece of its latest collection, as the brand delves deeper into its roots and hopes to capture the imagination of a Gen Z audience. Pieces included careful detail, such as textured patterns on denim, and creative use of button accessories. The label is also experimenting with oversized silhouettes for the first time in a push “to go back to the source” of the southern French city, where streetwear is a mainstay. The brand also presented its new line called KPRL, which is more colorful, street and sportwear-oriented, with matching, oversized sweat suits.
Average retail price: 120 euros.
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