At Paris Men’s Trade Events, the Buoyant Mood Was Making Buyers and Brands Nervous
PARIS — The climate was upbeat at the recent Man / Woman trade show and showroom Welcome Edition. With the global economic outlook uncertain and swathes of brands and retailers having gone under in the past couple of years, some went as far as to call the buoyant atmosphere disconcerting.
At Welcome Edition, cofounder Paul Batista commented, “People have been saying they’ve been writing so many orders it’s making them nervous. With all the doom and gloom, it doesn’t seem to tally.”
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Man / Woman cofounder and director Antoine Floch said, “The global context remains complicated, with the political situation in the U.S. and a lot of store closures in the U.K., but on the show floor, brands have been signing firm orders, both with existing accounts and new customers.”
Both brands and retailers were seeking operational resilience from potential partners, and the presence of smaller, start-up brands was less tangible than in recent seasons. This was perhaps amplified by the absence of Tranoï on the men’s schedule, with its offer of younger labels with more of a high-fashion focus.
Several retailers quizzed said that while business was brisk, they were not necessarily looking to bring on new labels. “I’m here for specific brands I already work with,” said Massimo Mentasti, a buyer for Herringbone&Co. in Milan.
Milan Ramanandi, commercial director of London-based agency Palladio, which supplies around 500 retailers in the U.K. and Ireland, said he was scouting for “premium fabrications, clean looks without a lot of branding and something with a nice story, as well as backing operationally so they can deliver,” a sentiment shared by many. “The time for niche is past, we’re looking for something more established,” he said.
Brands were also exercising caution. “People are realizing that they can’t pick up stock without putting pressure on cashflow,” said one major brand representative at Welcome Edition. “We are very paranoid about our distribution.”
Despite their prudence, several retailers said were coming into fall buying with stronger than expected results for the latter part of 2024, evoking optimism. “For fall 2025 it’s a lot more positive, it feels like we’re turning a corner,” said Ramanandi.
“Business is looking up for everybody that has made it through the tough times of the past few years; it seems like there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Austin McMahon, founder of 10-year-old Canadian jewelry brand Maple, which specializes in chunky sterling silver pieces. The former DJ has seen a lot of success through artist collaborations recently, he said, with his pieces being worn by the likes of Billie Eilish.
Among repeat exhibitors, Erevan, based in Saint-Tropez, was working to cultivate relationships with retailers by combining a core of timeless pieces with exclusive products for each retailer, and has recently launched with South Korean retailer Handsome. “We want to help support the retailers that back us,” said Erevan founder Evan Morello.
“Because we have performed well with previous collections, customers have come back and placed new orders; the repeat is definitely there,” said Sushant Abrol, founder and designer of Indian label Countrymade, which offers an upscale contemporary wardrobe with distinctive embellishments using Indian crafts.
Teresa Tanler, cofounder of Andwell Store in Innsbruck, Austria, was shopping for classic styles and heritage workwear. “We are looking for new brands, we want to change our offer a little bit,” she said. Tanler said increased prices are having an impact on sales. “A lot of things are getting really expensive. We’ll have to see if people will spend money on fashion; it needs to be special,” she said. “But if we can manage 2025, 2026 will be better,” she believes.
Ian VanDam, founder of Field Theory in St. Louis, Missouri, said, “I’m looking for really great emerging brands with interesting fabrics that aren’t already distributed in the U.S.” He said the offer at Man / Woman was strong this season. “We had a good 2024 and we’re cautiously optimistic for 2025,” he said.
Orlando Reindorf, co-owner of The Standard Store in Melbourne and Sydney, was coming off a strong December but said that people were getting more cautious about spending as the cost-of-living crisis had come later to Australia. “I’m considering everything a lot more,” he said. “I’d rather try to sell through all of my product than overbuy.”
Buyers praised a stronger categorization of the offer among brands, with better segmentation between workwear and outdoor styles that are the bread-and-butter of the commercial offer at both events. “There’s a stratification happening between technical and heritage, that’s good from a commercial perspective,” VanDam observed. Colin Campbell, founder of Sunray Sportswear, showing at Welcome Edition, commented, “There’s a change in direction in menswear. Everything has become a bit generic, so people are looking for something new.”
Buyers said that in terms of trends, fits were getting skinnier again. Makoto Namiwa, a buyer for Union in Japan, cited flared pants and fur among the trends seen in Paris.
“I’m seeing a lot more leather apparel, lots of shearling trim and the workwear is strong,” said VanDam. John Webb of Great HWY Showroom, representing Handvaerk, commented, “Denim seems to be making a strong comeback. Wider fits are still popular but people are starting to look for slim fits again.” He was seeing strong business from repeat customers, he said. “We’re a replenishment brand, we have a reliable repro program.” He said business Stateside was stronger but at the same time buyers from the U.S. were looking for “safer” options, while European buyers were “cautious but at the same time willing to experiment with new things.”
Highlights From Man / Woman and Welcome Edition
Tabi
Category: Footwear
Showing at: Man / Woman
Story: Serial footwear entrepreneur Eik Braun-Ottosen was behind the popular all-weather boot brand Rubber Duck, which he subsequently sold. After retraining as a life coach, he spent some time in Japan, discovering the country’s traditional footwear, and an idea was born. While the split-toe concept has previously been developed in high-fashion by Margiela and in sports by Nike, no one had explored a combination of the two, Braun-Ottosen explained, and the health benefits of the concept for the feet. With a combination of Tencel socks crafted in Japan and molded corn-based PVA soles, he launched the brand three years ago. Counting Merci in Paris among stockists, it was Tabi’s first trade show as the brand seeks to expand distribution through a handful of selective doors worldwide.
Pricing: $150 to $180 retail
Res Ipsa
Category: Ready-to-wear
Showing at: Man / Woman and Welcome Edition
Story: Inspired by the Latin term “res ipsa loquitur,” meaning, “the thing speaks for itself,” this U.S.-based brand was founded by two former lawyers, Joshua Moore and Odini Gogo, who draw on their love of travel for their designs. Fabrics are handwoven or crocheted in Marrakech or upcycled, for example, from vintage kilim rugs, and turned into reversible coats, patchwork hoodies and double-breasted coats. Founded in 2013, the label has four stores, with three outposts in the U.S. and one in Paris, but is only now opening up to wholesale.
Retail pricing: $275 to $595
Sabah
Category: Footwear
Showing at: Man / Woman
Story: Texas native Mickey Ashmore was living in Istanbul when he fell in love with Turkey’s traditional slippers. He tracked down the original manufacturer and brought the concept back to New York, adapting the hand-stitched leather design for modern wear with features like rubber soles, combined with top quality leathers, and initially running his business out of his home through word of mouth. Launched in 2013, the brand was at first focused entirely on direct-to-consumer, and is now opening up for wholesale. As well as its mules and outdoor-friendly slippers handmade in Turkey, the brand has opened a workshop in El Paso, Texas, to work with artisan shoemakers there, and is introducing a range of ankle boots this spring.
Retail pricing: $190 to $385
The Mountain Studio
Category: Outerwear
Showing at: Man / Woman
Story: With decades of experience in high-end performance wear, Peter Blom, Stefan Engström and Marcel Hirscher are behind Swiss brand The Mountain Studio, a first-time exhibitor with its fourth collection. The lineup included a new selection of everyday pieces in addition to a broad range of outerwear, from reversible Gore-Tex jackets with 750 fillpower down to lightweight versions. With clean designs and subtle branding, the products are designed to go from the slopes to the city. The new apparel collection featured Cordura denim pieces, merino jacquard knits and flannel shirts.
Retail pricing: 180 to 250 euros for daywear, 200 to 900 euros for outerwear.
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