“PH Value & Pure Shanghai”, which is a new trading flat of high-quality clothing brands, will be held from 20^th to 22^nd of October in Shanghai New International Expo Centre together with INTERTEXTILE SHANGHAI APPAREL FABRICS and share all the visitors together.

    On March 2, 2014, the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPITTEX) and China Knitting Industry (CKIA) signed an agreement of collaborative exhibition with i2i Events Group to create a new fashion exhibition, namely "PH Value & Pure Shanghai (P&P)". The new platform mainly focuses on brand clothing, shoes, handbags, etc.

    According to Mr. Yang Shibin, President of CKIA, this edition will present the changes with a powerful combination as follows:

★  The coming exhibition will be divided into brand area and processing zone. Pure London, as the British partner, orientates womenswear. It asks all the categories to exhibit in the form of brands, so the Chinese brands will be presented along with the British ones in the brand area. This change could help Pure London to understand better of Chinese market, and promote local brands to enhance the sense of design as well as the quality through comparison.

★  President Yang noted that the show will get strengthened in the two aspects, which include the science and technology progress in the products, especially for the technical problems after the color recognition and application, and the development of regional pavilions. And speaking of the regional pavilions, Mr. Yang hopes that local enterprises can form their own characteristics through clustering, and before their success, the exhibition will give a hand to popularize them.

★  In this edition, China Fashion Association newly adds into the team of sponsors. Comparing with the preceding shows sponsored by CCPITTEX, CKIA, and CNGA, the new one demands to add clothing displays of designers. In this way, local designers may get more opportunities and grow rapidly.

★  Because of the arrival of the British team, the actual exhibiting area, for the Chinese exhibitors, actually narrows down. And this year the sponsors will change the screening criteria, namely, improving product technology content, and enhancing sense of design to make the brands more in line with international practice.

    Besides Mr. Yang Shibin’s analyses of the changes, the speaker of CCPITTEX responded to the reporter’s questions about Pure London:

    How about the overall situation of Fashion industry in Europe, and Britain in particular now? From which channels are people able to feel the fashion trends?

    The last five years have without doubt been as challenging for the UK economy as they have for every developed economy around the world. Retailing has faced enormous pressures with consumer spending slowing down as households adjust to tighter budgets. This has been further compounded by the arrival of the digital revolution which has led to the rapid expansion of new shopping channels that incorporate the internet, mobile and social media.

    Therefore competition for consumer spend amongst retailers is tougher than ever and the UK retailing landscape is fast becoming recognised as one of the most exciting and competitive markets anywhere in the world.

    UK retailers have had to learn to adapt quickly to the changing retail landscape and the real winners are those who are constantly looking for new ideas, new innovations and new, inspirational products.

    As the economy is now starting to pick up, there is an even bigger opportunity for UK retailers to become world class by providing customers with the best possible product, much of which is sourced at tradeshows. Retailers wanting to set themselves apart visit tradeshows to seek out the best selection of new brands and view the up and coming trends.

    What kind of role does High street culture play in British fashion industry? How do people regard this culture generally?

    The British high street is probably the most competitive mid-market high street anywhere in the world. British shoppers are spoilt for choice when it comes to high street fashion and consequently shopping is a huge part of British culture.

    How to predict the trends of Chinese fashion industry in the coming year?

    From our research assisted by WGSN China, we have seen a change in the way the Chinese consumer now makes purchases of clothing. Over 40% of purchasing decisions are now driven by trends which has been a relatively new development in the Chinese fashion industry.

    We have also seen a stronger desire for something different and more inspiring than the luxury brands can offer. These brands have been in China for some years and consumers now look for newness, inspiration and something that makes them stand out from the crowd. This is where western designers have real opportunity to satisfy the appetite of the developing tastes of the fashion-conscious Chinese consumer. 

    How does the brick-and-mortar business survive in the wake of E-commerce wave in Britain?

    The best retailers are the ones that manage to combine a successful bricks-and-mortar presence with a thriving e-commerce offering. The key is to allow shoppers to interact with the retailer both online and also in the flesh, blurring the lines between where e-commerce ends and bricks-and-mortar shopping begins. Initiatives such as click-and-collect and buy in store and have delivered to home, all allow this to happen. Additionally, the more innovative retailers have introduced things like QR codes and iPads into their stores, allowing shoppers to continue the digital experience even while they are in the bricks-and-mortar stores.

    What experience can PH VALUE learn from Pure?

    Pure London has been consistently been delivering a commercial, fashion-led buying experience for over 15 years. Its success is driven by the well-edited collections, which means that brands are located due to their style and price-point. This makes the buying experience for the visitors clear and easy to navigate as they know which area will hold the brands best suited to their store, and pick up new designers along the way.

    The catwalk at Pure London is the heart of the show and gives buyers a chance to see collections in the flesh and give them inspiration for their buying decisions for the forthcoming season. It also gives small brands great exposure that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get outside of the show.

    The biggest learning is to not dilute the proposition – P&P will be clear in its concept as a branded fashion event with mid-high end designers and commercial collections.

    Why do you want to unveil Pure shanghai to the Chinese audience as a combined show since Pure shanghai is firstly launched in China? How do you evaluate this integrated platform?

    The integration with PH Value means we can build on the exceptional experience that CCPIT TEX have as an exhibition organizer. They have already started to build a branded fashion event and with the fashion credentials that the Pure brand brings, we will have a unique platform which will inevitably lead to the Chinese retailers becoming more comfortable with a transactional trade show where they can place orders with great fashion brands.

    In what way do you think P&P will perform in guiding Chinese fashion trend industry, and helping European brands exploring Chinese market?

    For European brands, China is an intimidating market and not right for all of them. P&P will give European brands a trusted platform where we will deliver an appropriate brand mix, and relevant audience. Whether they are looking for a distribution partner, or a customer, the show will act as a gateway into China with practical advice given along the way.

    The strategy for P&P is to incorporate both western and domestic brands to give a robust and truly of the Chinese fashion market. There are more multi-brand stores opening, particularly in the southern provinces of China, and more independent stores who are looking to stock more than just their factory designs. P&P will help to supply this development as well as driving the concept of writing orders while at the show – although this may come later, it will be the next natural step in retail.

    Our sister company WGSN will help guide the retailers and brands as they forecast on the next trends for the season ahead, this insight is crucial for retailers and designers to stay ahead of the game and deliver what the consumer wants. WGSN will be providing trend seminars throughout the three days of the show, giving valuable information to visitors.

    What effect do you expect through the joint exhibition this year?

    The strength in the partnership between CCPIT TEX and i2i Events Group means this exhibition will bring a professional, trend-led, inspiring, informative and relevant tradeshow to the Chinese fashion industry. We will remain true to our proposition and our goals to provide brands with a platform that can really help them do business. Now is the perfect time to be bringing this concept to China, and with the extensive fashion and exhibition experience both organizations bring, we are confident that the effect will be THE fashion destination for the Chinese fashion industry for many years to come.

    With the combination between PH VALUE and Pure London, will the show really create the fashion exhibition platform successfully? Let’s wait until October to uncover the mystery together.