With two thousand and fifty exhibitors from the six major activity sectors supplying materials and services to the fashion industry – yarns, fabrics, leather, designs, accessories and manufacturing –, more than fifty countries represented and almost fifty years of experience, Première Vision offers a wide range of talks, exhibitors, conferences, masterclasses and workshops, awards, or even VR activities. Sounds exciting? Welcome to one of the most important fairs in the world, celebrated at Paris Nord Villepinte.

“The fashion industry is in a period of profound upheaval”, says Gilles Lasbordes, Managing Director of Première Vision. Indeed, the world seems to be changing at an increasingly fast pace. Thus, the fashion industry, whose DNA is embedded in constant renovation and innovation, needs to step up and keep up-to-date with the present and the future. “New consumer habits are emerging, digital and ecological factors are influencing the sector, and designers must constantly find fresh ways to reinvent themselves to meet their customers’ increasingly exacting expectations. This paradigm shift is impacting all the players involved in the creative fashion world, including Première Vision exhibitors”, he continues.

So what are exactly these new challenges and how is the fair facing them? As Lasbordes tells us, there are mainly four: sustainability, digitalization, integrating new technology into clothing, and the acceleration of the fashion industry’s pace. And for each of them, different solutions: from a programme focused on green alternatives to a digital b2b platform working all-year-round. “The programming of this edition demonstrates our desire to help the industry meet the challenges it faces”, says Lasbordes convinced that Première Vision can and will provide everything that the agents in the fashion industry need.

For a more eco-conscious world and industry, Première Vision presents several proposals. To start with, the Smart Creation Area (formerly the Smart Square), a 360º platform for communications originally founded in 2015 whose primary goal is “to promote the responsible approaches of the show’s exhibitors and shed light on a new generation of values combining creativity, innovation and sustainability”. Now, due to the increasing demand of sustainable materials, processes and final products, Première Vision gives it a central position and expands it to fifty exhibitors from around the world, including Japan, France, Portugal, Brazil or the United States.

This Smart Creation Area will revolve around five specific zones: Smart Materials, which highlights new concepts, manufacturing processes and innovative fabrics, leathers, or yarns; Smart Services, with companies advising on solutions to be more sustainable; Smart Library, with a selection of samples from the exhibitors’ collections “that integrate a global eco-design approach”; Smart Wardrobe, a gallery exhibiting finished products produced according to responsible sourcing and manufacturing processes; and the Smart Talks, a series of conferences, presentations and round tables. In addition to that, since May, Première Vision Paris has also been working on a series of podcasts titled Entreprendre dans la mode “exploring the potential of sustainable fashion” – some of the people who’ve already participated include Ricardo Silva from Tintex and Matteo Mantellassi from Manteco.

But because our planet and its care are of extreme importance – remember, there is no planet B –, the fair’s organizers are running the extra mile. More specifically, they are putting emphasis on leather and tackling some of the issues that this specific industry faces – rethinking tanning processes to reduce pollution, improving the traceability of skins, taking care of the animal welfare, etc. For that, Première Vision Paris offers a wide range of options, like ‘fashion speed dating’, guided tours, conferences and workshops, or a special space designed in collaboration with Les Compagnons du Devoir. To top it all, on September 16 (a day before the fair opens), Première Vision partners with the first Sustainable Leather Forum, organized by the Conseil National du Cuir, whose purpose is “to showcase best practices in the leather industry in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility from a social, environmental and economic perspective.”

However, the natural environment is not the only concern. Technology is also another strong pillar in this year’s edition, and it comes in many forms and shapes. To start with, digitalization. In a time where e-commerce keeps expanding steadily, social media and its players grow in importance and the need to be connected 24/7 is more pressuring than ever, Première Vision founded Marketplace one year ago, a digital platform where exhibitors can present and sell their collections, products, and interact, exchange and talk business whenever and wherever they are after the fair is over – thus helping those who produce several collections a year and need samples or products at any time. This September edition, they’re expanding it. In addition to the exhibitors of fabrics, leathers and denim, the exhibitors from Première Vision Accessories – there are more than three hundred companies – will join the digital platform to showcase their products.

Technology though transcends the digital realm to step into the tangible world. With more and more innovative fabrics and materials related to performance wear, Première Vision organized the first edition of Première Vision Sport, a trade show dedicated to sportswear and athletic wear, in Portland (United States) in August. Now, in Paris, the organization has launched a specific area for it: Sports & Tech. With a special focus on protection and innovation, the eighty exhibiting weavers will showcase their new technical materials. Also, there will be a fashion forum emphasizing four themes: Tech Tailoring, Ski Touring, Soft Outdoor and Snow Fun. But there will be an element of playfulness as well thanks to Hypersuit, a virtual reality flight simulator, and also a programme of talks and conferences. And on February’s edition, the fair will launch Wearable Lab, another area to showcase the latest technologic developments in fashion.

With all these innovations and proposals, Première Vision maintains its position as a leading fair in the fashion industry worldwide. Thanks to its well-curated selection of exhibitors and the organization’s good eye in noticing the current and future issues that the industry is facing, it is able to showcase and bring together those actors playing a decisive role in the future of fashion. As Lasbordes says, you’re invited “to discover the best that is being done today to build the fashion industry of tomorrow”.