I was supposed to be in Paris last night, but there were issues with Eurostar so instead I hit the motherland only this morning, wide eyed and bushy tailed, ready to tackle the Fashion beast. Oh boy, the beast was BIG. Huge in fact. Who’s Next is a Fashion trade show taking place twice a year in Paris Porte de Versailles and showcasing mid-range high-street brands from around the world. It is a pretty big event for buyers and an interesting one for me (and I hope you as well).
Today was my very first time at Who’s Next and my first thought as I entered Hall 1 was “Woah, this is humongous – how on Earth am I going to cover that?”. I found my way to the press lounge, grabbed a quick bite to eat and a few glasses of water while studying the various maps of the place. A lot of my favourite brands are showing there but I am hoping to make some interesting discoveries that I’ll share with you over the next few days.
— since this post is rather image heavy, please click below to read more… and find out about my xbox giveaway!! —
After spending a few hours there today, I already found a few bits and pieces I liked and also stumbled upon a Danish brand I didn’t know even though it is so… erm “me”. Edith & Ella – named after its creator Line Markvaden’s grandmothers – was launched in 2004. Markvaden graduated in 1999 from Leeds College of Art & Design and worked as a designer and pattern cutter in Manchester before going back to Denmark to start Edith & Ella. The Spring-Summer collection is a complete delight, with mustard tones mixing with more classic nautical themes, polka dots and lady like accessories. Everything has a slightly vintage feel without ever veering too far into the dreaded retro territory (one of my sartorial pet peeves is most definitely faux vintage).
Visit the Edith & Ella online shop here
Of course, the day wasn’t all about discoveries and I must admit I spent most of it trying to locate the exhibits that were on my “must see” list. One of these was the Trends Forum for SS12 put together by NellyRodi, a Paris based design & marketing consultancy. Structured around the colours blue, pinks, oranges and greens, the trends forum is a carefully curated selection of pieces that best represent next season’s major trends.
Another exhibit on my list was the Intel Lounge where a selection of computer cases were displayed hanging from trees in the centre of the Private Hall. There were laptop bags there designed by Miniseri (a personal fave), Un Jour Un Sac, X Creation Paris and many more. Geek just got even more chic.
And I leave you with some random shots I snapped throughout the day… Hopefully you enjoyed this first day as much as I did! Don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win an xbox+kinect+game! Simply find the answer to the question at the end of this post and keep checking the blog every day till Tuesday for more questions. Once you have all the answers, email them to me and I will draw a winner next week!
QUESTION:
Who designed the Intel Companion Laptop bag with a star on it?
(don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for hints!)