Paris is the capital of fashion, and we just came back from living it to the fullest. With the only fashion week that can pride itself on lasting what it claims in its name — a week, and a bit more — outside the main runways and fashion shows, the city hosts uncountable events, parties, launches, showrooms, and gatherings. Any place has the potential to become the melting point of creative minds that have worked day and night to arrive at this glorious day of March with their new proposals, ideas, or projects ready to see the light and find those who share their vision. One of these places, a very beautiful one, the Jardin des Tuileries, shares its wonderful scenery with Premiere Classe, the top accessories and fashion trading show, which we had the pleasure to partner with. An unmissable event in the PFW agenda that we had the chance to live not only as protagonists but also as admirers. Here’s how it went.
When deciding to join forces with Premiere Classe, an event that has constructed a name on its own for the past years and that is well recognised as one of the meeting points between creativity and business, our goal was to bring together the best of each world to create an experience that would give the audience an understanding of the fashion industry that can only be learnt by listening to the personal experiences of the ones who are part of it. That’s why for our live interviews and talks program, scheduled for each day of the fair, starting on March 7 and ending on March 11, we chose to feature different sides of the same coin. Often we associate fashion with the more in-your-face disciplines, like design or styling, but the reality is that an infinite number of professions, specialities, and sectors are involved in making this gear run smoothly and nonstop.
Alyssa Denis, founder of the curated vintage store located in Paris, At Dawn, Abraham Ortuño, founder and creative director of the fashion label Abra, Adrián Cuerdo, photographer, and Roxanne Navaï, founder of the boutique public relations and creative consulting agency RX Studio, were the four names that we had the pleasure of sharing not only the stage but also our industry views with. Each one of them gave an insight into their respective worlds and professions that it’s difficult to get in a context different from this. We learnt some valuable lessons and anecdotes that helped us not only understand their life experiences better but also understand why this industry works the way it works, being fuelled by passionate and hard-working professionals like the ones we had the joy of talking to.
Our first talk of the event, with Alyssa of at dawn, Sourcing Identities: Building your personal image with the garments of others worked as a way of acknowledging the phenomenon of vintage stores in the last years, where curated items from the past seem to be the most coveted pieces to construct the images of the present, an interesting dynamic that is defying not only the way we look but also the way we consume and create fashion. Alyssa shares her taste and eye for style with her clients, and while it's true that some are guided by trends and the viral TikTok of the moment, many of them preserve and cherish that magic behind a store that holds pieces with inestimable emotional value.
We concluded both currents can perfectly coexist; the creations that have passed the test of time and the new proposals that are on their way to becoming new standards of our times, like the pieces Abraham creates at Abra, a Spanish label that has become the object of desire of the cool kids and fashion lovers all around the world. In our very entertaining conversation, under the name of Unspoken Narrations: The Stories Behind All That We Wear, we managed to listen to anecdotes from his years working with none other than Jonathan Anderson, Julien Dossena, or Simon Porte Jacquemus and how every experience has given form and shape to his very personal and unique language that he now uses to create stories that, even though they are born from personal experiences and moments close to his heart, manage to resonate with his thousands of clients and followers.
Adrián Cuerdo, a photographer we were eager to know more about not only because of the vast experience on his back but also as a friend of the house, having shot two of our covers from the last issue, METAL 51º, and many more editorials, gave what was almost a masterclass on portraying reality using the accessories as a means of not only telling stories as they are but also exploring their versatility and pushing ideas and concepts as far as we want to. From building full-on narratives to constructing a whole concept with only a word, Adrián shared with the audience how training the eye and the mind to find a creative spark and using fashion and accessories to reach its full potential can result in some of the most interesting imagery we’ve seen.
As the last course, we gave a twist to the business talk that is expected to have with a PR as experienced as Roxanne's by thinking of this omnipresent field in more romantic terms. Curated Connections: The romance behind lasting relationships between brands and agencies gave us the chance to not only give visibility to a vital part of the industry that often gets overlooked but also to talk about it in the way it has always been intended to: as a job that connects humans on opposite sides of the spectrum, that can benefit from each other, and that, just like any other type of relationship, needs trust, connection, honesty, and compromise to make it work further than just a quick fling. This industry is as sentimental as it is cold-minded, and in our conversation, we learnt how a marriage between creativity and strategy is not only possible but a formula that, applied well, will lead to success.
The audience in our conversations was diverse, from assistants that came to watch the speaker of the day to passersby that walking through the different stands that were surrounding the area of the talks got their attention caught by the unique stories being shared on the stage. With this and the questions asked at the end of each interview, we could witness the level of intellect, care for the craft, and the overall culture and knowledge from the assistant to this fair, proving a real interest in the creative disciplines and a desire to discover more. We too had the chance to find some new and very interesting proposals throughout the four days, with every day discovering a new brand and having the chance to talk with the minds behind it and understand the story and concept in their own words. We chose our favourites, and you can find them in this article we prepared with exclusive images.
The multicultural aspect of Premiere Classe is one of the highlights, where under the same roof, minds coming from all around the world reunite and exchange their very own narratives. Walking by the stands, many languages could be heard, and many new worlds could be seen, giving a chance to the audience, and even to themselves, to discover new perspectives and, at the same time, expand their own. There was a space for everyone, from the most experienced creators looking to form new business relationships to the younger proposals that strive to make a name for themselves in the industry by being part of one of the most influential trade shows. In this category we could find some old friends as well, with a special display of some of the pieces from the winners of last year’s Hyères Festival.
The same was the case for Matter and Shape, the fair dedicated to contemporary design that shared space with Premiere Classe. A refined and avant-garde grey space interconnected with the red tent of Premiere that hosted artists, designers, and creators from all disciplines and gave us an insight into what's cooking in the arts. From mobiliary, installations, sculptures, and all sorts of pieces, Matter and Shape is a perfect extension of the potential seen on Premiere Classe and a powerful showcase on its own. Seeing one next to the other, some of the pieces and creations that are defying the current design panorama is an experience everyone, not only industry insiders but also those who like to learn and discover, shouldn't miss.
Overall at Premiere Classe, we had the chance to teach and to learn, to share valuable insight while taking home some valuable insight ourselves. In the midst of fashion week, where every corner of every street breathes creativity, having a space that fully encapsulates the whole realm of the industry and sharing it with other like-minded creators was an experience we loved being part of. This industry can sometimes be puzzling and confusing, but on this type of event, we have the chance to enjoy the simplicity and purity of its core: creating and sharing.