Attire Accessories - Jan/Feb 2020 (Issue 80)

18 NEW NEIGHBOURHOODS LAUNCHED AT MODA Moda has launched new Neighbourhoods to build on the show’s strong sense of community. For the February 2020 show, Moda’s AW20 floorplan replaces sectors with neighbourhoods, providing a space for each facet of the industry, and hosting a line-up of micro-communities for the most exciting footwear, accessories and womenswear labels alongside footwear suppliers and manufacturers from around the world. Adam Gough, Event Director of Moda say, “When it came to brainstorming our 2020 theme and direction, the first thing that sprung to mind was community. With a new decade approaching, we wanted to bring our focus back to the faces behind the brands, collections, stores and build on their stories. The new Neighbourhoods will reflect that community and our Moda manifesto, which positions fashion as an outlet of self-expression and a sense of belonging – a community of individuals collaborating, innovating and inspiring one another.” The Moda Woman Neighbourhood – Moda Woman has become a key platform in the buying calendar, providing a hub for womenswear buyers and brands to meet, network and discover. The Moda Woman neighbourhood will host everything from occasion-wear to everyday diffusion lines. The Moda Accessories Neighbourhood – An outfit isn’t complete without the right accessories, and a community isn’t complete without a few neighbourhoods. Sitting alongside Moda Woman, Moda Accessories brings everything together with UK and international brands offering an option for every buyer. The Moda Footwear Neighbourhood AKA, the National Footwear Show. Hosting the largest line-up of men’s, women’s and children’s footwear collections in the UK, Moda Footwear is the place to meet some of the biggest names in the sector. Specialist footwear buyers and brands from the UK and around the world unite the industry at a must-attend meeting place, facilitating business and forging lasting relationships. Within the neighbourhood, there will be the dedicated Little Soles space for kid’s footwear, and a Men’s Boutique highlighting the premium offerings in men’s footwear. The Moda Footwear Sourcing Neighbourhood – celebrating its official launch in 2020, Moda Footwear Sourcing brings the entire footwear supply chain under one roof. MARKET LEADING SEMINAR CONTENT TO BENEFIT JEWELLERY & WATCH VISITORS AT 2020 EDITION Visitors to Jewellery & Watch will have access to three theatre and workshop spaces in 2020, including the Inspiring Retail Stage, The Retail Skills Theatre and the new Design and Source Stage at NEC, Birmingham. Drawing on the broad expertise of Spring Fair’s diverse community, the 2020 Seminar Programme will benefit all kinds of businesses, including independent jewellery retailers, jewellery suppliers, emerging brand owners and established manufacturers. Sustainability is a core theme of the 2020 Seminar Programme, with a wide range of speakers lined-up to tackle this growing area. On the Inspiring Retail Stage, located in Hall 6, a discussion on The Role of Retail in Building a Sustainable Future (11.30am-12pm) will be followed by Jeremy Corner, chairman of The Giftware Association, posing the question How Can You Be a Sustainable Retailer? (1.30pm-2pm) on Sunday, February 2, amongst other talks. Meanwhile the Inspiring Retail Stage will feature daily talks by Spring Fair trends partner, Colour Hive. Sam Donnachie, executive creative director, will share an overview of Colour Hive’s Colour, Material & Finish Forecast for SS21, starting from 10.30am. Independent business owners are spoilt for choice when it comes to practical, business boosting advice across all three stages. Embedding Your Business in the Community, on Monday, February 3, will provide insights from four businesses owners on the Inspiring Retail Stage, closely followed by Filling the Gaps: Independents and Hope for the High Street (2.45pm.3.15pm) delivered by Michael Weedon, policy representative for West Midlands Federation for Small Businesses. Spring Fair and Jewellery & Watch have prioritised market leading content in recent months to offer visitors, buyers and exhibitors access to free knowledge they can use to grow and enhance their businesses. Other topics to be discussed across all three theatres and stages include visual merchandising, social media best practice, buying techniques, business negotiation, search engine optimisation, Google analytics, monetising social media and Google advertising. Visit springfair.com/seminarprogramme MODA LAUNCHES LITTLE SOLES TO FOCUS ON KID’S FOOTWEAR Moda has announced the launch of a new Little Soles section for the February 2020 show to place the spotlight on kid’s footwear and in response to unprecedented interest in Moda Footwear from children’s footwear brands. From the 23 rd to 25 th February at the NEC Birmingham, buyers can expect to see a host of dedicated children’s footwear brands within the Little Soles zone, as well as brands offering kids shoes alongside their women’s and men’s footwear offering across the hall. Brands confirmed within Little Soles include Froddo, Old Soles, Primigi, Superfit, Ricosta, Shoesme, Young Soles, Salamander and Petasil. Throughout the rest of the Footwear Hall, brands and distributers offering kids footwear as part of their full offer include XTi, Ipanema, Skechers kids, CROCS kids, Rider, Zaxy, Grendha, Roamers, GOOR, Route 21, DEK, US Brass, and Boulevard. Lisa Govier, footwear director at Moda says, “We are delighted to launch the Little Soles sector and offer kid’s footwear brands a dedicated space to shine a light on their collections. We’re confident that buyers will love the new zone and the playfulness and energy we will create with the café and play area. With 26 kid’s footwear brands already showcasing at MODA Footwear, and over 130 footwear brands in total, this is an area of real focus for us and we couldn’t be happier with how much interest we have had so far.” Visit moda-uk.com