PARIS — Trade show organizer WSN and ANDAM are taking a new partnership across the finish line to support emerging designers during Paris Fashion Week.
The two will pair on Run, a new hybrid model for young brands which will be part wholesale showroom and part runway fashion show space, under the production of WSN. Taking over the cavernous two-story former Habitat store on Place de la République, the Run space will also host a retail pop-up that will be open to the public.
“This project has been put on the table because what we have seen since many years now is that it is so, so difficult for young brands and highly creative brands to emerge,” said WSN chief executive officer Frédéric Maus. “The fashion industry is struggling for the moment…It’s so hard for them to be seen by the buyers. The buyers don’t take lots of risk. So we need to help them to gain this visibility and show their creativity to the world.”
ANDAM, the organization behind the annual fashion awards and mentorship program, is lending its expertise in brand curation. The organization will bring on board 15 young labels including ATXV, Benmoyal, Pressiat and Hugo Kriet.
WSN will organize the full-service showroom including a commercial support team to help the brands with sales leads, scheduling appointments, business support and on-site reception.
The retail space will be organized by FShop, where brands can sell existing stock, as well as take pre-orders for upcoming collections.
WSN will also provide production for runway shows on the official calendar. First confirmed is Benmoyal, who will show on March 7 at 1 p.m. Organizers anticipate adding up to three additional runway shows during the event, which will be open from March 7 to 10.
“The Run project perfectly addresses the need for accessible runway and showroom spaces for a generation of designers who converge in Paris, contributing to its global reputation as the fashion capital,” said ANDAM founder and president Nathalie Dufour.
“Identifying, supporting, and showcasing talent alongside WSN and its teams is a natural extension of ANDAM’s mission: to empower designers by providing them with access to the best professionals of Paris Fashion Week, as well as prestigious buyers and journalists, creating a true springboard for their careers,” she added.
Inside Premiere Classe, September 2024.
KIM WEBR
WSN organizes trade shows Premiere Classe and Matter & Shape, which coincide with Paris Fashion Week, as well as Who’s Next, Bijorhca, Curve Paris and Interfilière Paris later in the year. Maus said that WSN will tap its extensive database of buyers from around the world to promote Run and try to gain “maximum visibility” for the brands involved.
The new project aims to capitalize on WSN’s buyer expertise while also expanding its scope into show production. Maus said that young brands have been hit hard by both ends of the business, with the more conservative buying behavior on one side and rising costs on the other, causing them to struggle in the early stages.
With WSN’s support, he hopes young creatives can focus on their craft, while organizers focus on logistics. Such support in the early stages can help stabilize these brands, Maus said.
“If we accelerate them at this time, they can really grow. We just want them to expand and to give exposure [to buyers], so they are aware of the brands and see the product,” he said. Bringing the public in should help pique interest in new names as well.
Maus has previously served on the ANDAM jury and as a mentor to winners. WSN’s Premiere Classe is an official patron of the awards.
Last year the two organizations hosted a cocktail party to celebrate their mutual 35 years of operation, and this year decided to take it one step beyond the birthday event. Run trialed the hybrid concept during men’s fashion week last June, but this is the first time the two have partnered on a project.
“We’re really trying to put something on the table that is a mix,” Maus said. “And to be honest, I want it to be a hot spot during the next fashion weeks in Paris.”
