PARIS — Trade show organizers WSN and ANDAM are bringing a new partnership across their finish line to support new and up coming designers during Paris Fashion Week.
The two will pair on Run, a new model for newer brands which will be both a wholesale showroom and partially a runway fashion show space, under the control 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 which is the brains of the annual fashion awards and mentorship program, is giving its expertise in brand management. The organization will bring on board 15 young labels. These include ATXV, Benmoyal, Pressiat, and Hugo Kriet.
WSN will organize the full-service showroom including a commercial support team to help the brands improve sales
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 be taking up production for runway shows on their calendar. First said is Benmoyal, who will show on March 7 at 1 p.m. Organizers plan on adding up to three additional runway shows during the event, which will be open from March 7 to 10.
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.
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The new project aims to build on WSN’s buyer expertise while also increasing its scope into show production. Maus said that newer brands have been hit hard by all aspects of the business, with the more conservative buying behavior on one side and escalating costs on the other, causing them trouble in the early stages.