Premiere Vision, the world’s largest bi-annual fashion trade show, returned to Paris-Nord Villepinte on September 19-21, 2018. For three-days nearly 60,000 fashion professionals (approximately 18,000 each day), an increase from just over 50,000 at the last event, got to meet exclusively with brands while searching for next seasons fabrics, designs and inspirations. This included buyers, designers, manufactures and business owners, all of which got to communicate directly with the International Fur Federation (IFF), whose 30-square meter stall was positioned in the Leather Hall promoted and represented the fur trade industry supply chain.
IFF CEO Mark Oaten held interviews on the stand on the opening day of the exhibition with 4 key media; the Fashion Network, Journal du Textile, Vogue France and WWD discussing advancements in the industry’s certification and traceability under the FURMARK program and provided other current updates from the latest campaign and news around fur and fur fashion.
As well as showcasing the natural furs of three of IFF’s auction houses; Kopenhagen Fur; NAFA Fur and SAGA Fur on three mannequins and two clothing rails; IFF’s earthy and modern white and wooden stall communicated their message: fur is sustainable, responsible, and modern material, clearly. IFF’s FUR NOW 2018 campaign also attracted visitors to their stall who were keen to engage with the campaigns slogan: ‘WHY NATURAL FUR? Young Create Talents Explain.” This poster, as well as demonstrations of the industry’s latest techniques from fur designer and manufacturer Rebecca Bradley, on Allbook Hasfield speciale fin machine – one of Louis Vuitton’s original sewing machines used to create fur garments in the 1960s, attracted many young design students from all around the world, including Australia, Korea, the UK, France and The Netherlands. Hearing from young students themselves how keen they were to experiment and work with fur This was IFF’s most exciting and promising result from Premiere Vision. The IFF were equally as keen to point them in the direction of Fur Futures their annual REMIX competition, both of which are there to support and nurture fashion designers of the future.
IFF’s stall, fur garments and demonstrations were supported by large TV screens playing IFF’s 8 Fur Now films, their ‘Natural versus Plastics’ and Vogue campaign. Additionally, IFF’s six-page editorial in the September issue of American Vogue and their sixteen-page editorial in the Autumn/Winter issue of POP Magazine were open used by IFF’s team to engage in educational debates about how fur is still a popular material with high-fashion designers and magazines. IFF’s team gave out over 1000 Natural Fur and 150 Furmark brochures to visitors which were used to highlight furs natural and sustainable qualities, whilst IFF’s team also illuminated the harmful effects plastic fur and fast-fashion has on the environment. A focus on microfibers and re-educating visitors on the reality of the fur farming industry attracted a lot of attention over the three days.
The event wrapped at around 4pm on Friday September 21, 2018, with IFF successful supporting all sustainable angles of fur highlighting how fur is still embraced by millennials and generation Z.
Blog post by IFF