With local and high speed trains delayed and out of service for several hours Wednesday, highways blocked by ice and snow in various European countries and airports in New York closed, there appeared to be a collusion of technological and meteorological forces last week. And yet, in spite of this accumulation of handicaps, what emerges above all from the February 2010 edition is the excellent visitor results, both in quality and quantity. One can only imagine what they would have been without the travel disruptions!
To compensate for the delayed arrival of buyers Wednesday, the shows extended their opening hours that day.

The six Première Vision Pluriel shows (Expofil, Première Vision, Indigo, Le Cuir à Paris, ModAmont, Zoom by Fatex) all registered increases. Together, they showed a rise in the number of visits by 6.3% over the comparable year-ago session (February 2009). Highly motivated international buyers voiced surprise and enthusiasm for the bold propositions of the some 1,500 exhibitors gathered from 9 - 12 February 2010 at the Parc d'Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte.

With buyers clearly manifesting a renewed desire to stand out, the shows comprising Première Vision Pluriel accelerated the dynamic begun last September and provided a new demonstration of the leadership position of this unique gathering of shows. A performance that is a good omen for the economic evolution of businesses in the fashion world.

LE CUIR A PARIS February 2010: International business platform
International buyers that have responded present, visitors who came to discover the novelties and spot the trends, exhibitors satisfied with order taking… the 18th edition of LE CUIR A PARIS closes on a positive note.

From 9 to 12 February 2010, LE CUIR A PARIS welcomed 224 exhibitors out of which 17 new companies. The main exhibiting countries were Italy (48%), France (24%) and Spain (9%). The breakdown by sector of activity were as follows: 60% finished leathers, 10% textile-synthetics for accessories, 10% exotic leathers, 8% components, 6% furs, 4% services and 2% raw hides/skins and chemicals.

M. Riba from Curtidos Riba Guixà (Spain) participates at LE CUIR A PARIS from its very first edition back in 2001 and affirms to be satisfied with the evolution of the show « Being within the Première Vision Pluriel group is a real advantage that attracts quality visitors. We have met all our existing clients in this edition, a majority of French and Italians, but we have made some interesting new contacts from India, for example».

Mr. Orlando BECONCINI from FB International (Italy), a new exhibitor, gives a positive feedback: « We have made very good contacts and have a quality sampling demand to be developed. We have met potential clients in Paris that we do not get to see elsewhere. About 90% of visitors that we welcomed are new prospects coming from the clothing sector but also from shoes and bags. We’ll definitely come back in September».

The same enthusiasm is shared by Mr. Luca Ciampalini from Conceria Gaia (Italy), who exhibited for the first time at LE CUIR A PARIS: « A great edition. Our objective of penetrating the French market has been successful. We will not miss September out, the winter edition being even more important for the sector», he precises.

The growing presence of leather in apparel fashion obviously helps the sector. Mr Laurent Bové from Cuirs du Futur (France) is pleased with the strong demand for high quality stretch leather and states: « We have taken orders from French and Italian manufacturers but also from the far East. Paris really is the meeting point for fashion. The dates and place are perfect»

Mr. Claudemir Lorenzi from Berlonzi Confeccões (Brazil) affirms to have experienced his best edition. « It’s our 8th participation at LE CUIR A PARIS and our strategy of participating in both annual editions, in order to keep a regular presence, is paying off. Some potential prospects that we have met here in previous editions have come to place orders. We have almost reached out production limit and we make it an honor to deliver the products on time».

In total 10226 visitors (out of which 60% from abroad) registered over the 4 day event. This represents an increase of about 2% compared to February 2009. The attended visitors were from the following countries: France (+ 9 %), Germany (+19%), Belgium (+12 %), USA (+6 %) and Italy (+ 19 %).

LE CUIR A PARIS is a rich material offer, perfect dates and place, specific fashion trends and information. The interviewed visitors confirm it: «LE CUIR A PARIS, early in the season, is the starting point for our designs and collections. The show enables us to dig out the tanners’ novelties» said Pauline Wattiez (Design Direction’s Assistant) for Michel Vivien.

«LE CUIR A PARIS enables us to confirm the current and future seasons. The fashion information and the color range are really discerning. It’s the place of exchanges with our suppliers» said Caroline Eschaich, Collection Director for Camille Fournet.

“The show gave us a good starting point to the collections ahead, especially when it is showing alongside the “Apparel” part of the fashion industry. The earlier show dates help a lot when we are also working on Pre collections in comparison to other show dates” said Rebecca Wilkinson, Design Department at Jimmy Choo.

The next edition will take place from Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 September 2010. Béatrice ROUSSEAU, Show Manager, outlines that this change from 4 to 3 days responds to the expectations of professionals who wish to reduce the length of their presence on trade shows. This is possible thanks to the clearness and visibility of products exposed as well as the released information.

The upcoming appointment of Le Cuir A Paris is for 14-16 September 2010, hall 4, Paris Nord Villepinte.