PV Shenzhen AW 23-24 | Break Through the Storm and Regain the Light of Hope

The 4th Première Vision Shenzhen Exhibition (AW 23-24) took place in the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (Baoan) from November 21st to 23rd, 2022, for 3 days, and was completed successfully.

We experienced a situation where the spring exhibition was postponed and canceled. We also encountered uncertainty about the date of the event to be held in the fall. Furthermore, visitors were also required to follow strict procedures imposed by the authorities before entering the exhibition hall. There was a whitelist, visitors needed to take a daily PCR test for three consecutive days and were required to show their 24-hour PCR test report with a negative result upon entry. However, the Première Vision team and PV Shenzhen exhibitors resisted the pressure despite the difficulties and successfully completed the three-day event at the same period with the 25th Fashion Source Shenzhen International Exhibition For Clothing Supply Chain and the 10th Shenzhen Original Design Fashion Week. Given the unique context of 2022, the goal of three concurrent exhibitions is to present a complete and reliable supply chain for the fashion industry, from raw materials to ready-to-wear, from luxury to mass market, from retail to e-commerce, and from current standards to environmentally responsible innovations. We open up to one another, encourage one another’s confidence, and move forward as one at these magnificent events.

Industry confidence has returned and businesses are running as usual

This year, PV Shenzhen gathered nearly 50 leading material companies from Europe and Asia, covering 6 categories of yarn, fabric, leather, accessories, design and fashion manufacturing, of which 23.8% were overseas exhibitors.Every exhibitor needed to pass the PV vetting without exception. The vetting ensures they can deliver top-tier goods in terms of quality, craftsmanship, R&D capabilities and enables them to deliver cutting-edge products. Additionally, they need to be recognized for their service capabilities and financial health.

Given the challenging environment, the event’s organizers and exhibitors had mentally prepared themselves in advance to perceive reality objectively. Nevertheless, we are glad to receive positive feedback and encouragement from many exhibitors after the event. “Overall, the exhibition had a fairly positive vibe. It’s a difficult feat to accomplish during this special period. As far as we are concerned, this exhibit has met our expectations.”

The representative of an Italian textile supplier, Omniapiega, claimed that a lot of customers were drawn when he showcased his company’s unique design and pleated textiles during the event.

Their products had become the “darling” of the Trend Area. A representative from IDOLE Trading, a company that has walked side-by-side with PV Shenzhen since its founding, spoke about this year’s exhibition. “More than 70% of the customers we communicated with are new clients. That alone exceeds our expectations.”

When we spoke with the vendors, the most frequent feedback we heard is about not having enough visitors. The representative from Taiwan’s Keen Ching Company (KCC), a zipper manufacturer, was similarly open to the fact that the epidemic prevention measures taken had decreased the number of visitors at the event.

However, precision is the key. He said, “Initially, we didn’t have high expectations for this exhibition. We thought the precautionary measures in the local and exhibition halls would definitely limit the number of visitors. The reality was much better than we had anticipated.

Thanks to the organizer’s mechanism, the average quality of visitors were substantially higher than it would be for similar events. PV had chosen their target customers quite accurately.” The reputation of RECYCTEX CO., LTD. has “soared” internationally, but this was the first time for the company to participate in a domestic textile exhibition.

Steven Zheng, the company’s founder, provided his feedback, saying, “We met various types of visitors during the show, including those from commercial brands, designer brands, garment manufacturers, the media, and others.” RECYCTEX was a company that focused on the research, development, and production of sustainable fabrics made from worn clothing, fishing nets, textile waste, and plastic bottles. Fashion buyers, as well as the media, particularly praised its latest breakthroughs and applications in sustainable fabrics.

Half of the country’s high-end market player is here

We welcomed a total of 2,058 exclusively invited buyers this season. They came from commercial brands, independent designer brands, importers and agencies, e-commerce brands, ready-to-wear manufacturers (ODM or OEM), designer studios, business associations, the media, private customization/luxury/haute couture, etc. Commercial labels made up 35.31% of them, while independent designer brands composed 13.7%. Furthermore, the high-end market accounted for more than 52.36% of the brand’s primary products, of which luxury and haute couture comprised 15.07%.

This data was consistent with the initial goals when PVSZ was established in China. When it came to the organizer’s differentiating positioning, which targeted the “R&D-oriented high-end market,” its positioning had become increasingly obvious. To carry on this positioning means we would no longer have the convenience of short-term scale and rapid growth. However, it was clear to us that China didn’t require yet another “giant and comprehensive” clothing materials exhibition.

Première Vision’s core value to the Chinese fashion industry is to utilize the PV vetting mechanism to identify the leading material suppliers with excellent craftsmanship and offer the market an international perspective on trends and sourcing guidelines in order to help fashion brands develop products with social ethics and competitive advantages.

PV intended to shape the maturing high-end consumer market in China over the next three years, which will lead to the promotion of the ecological transformation of the whole fashion industry.

227 direct decision-makers from high-end brand management, including sourcing directors, design directors, and R&D directors, were present among the buyers. More than 80% of the customers came from Guangdong Province. Because of the epidemic prevention measures, travel restrictions made it impossible for customers from other provinces to attend the event. Still, we are very pleased that 18.09% of buyers from other provinces like Jiangsu and Shanghai still came to the event, nevertheless.

“This is the first textile exhibition of 2022. We are very much looking forward to it. We pay special attention to suppliers who focus on manufacturing and research,” stated the Purchasing Director of K-Boxing, a menswear clothing company. He noted that on the first day of the event, in less than two hours, he had discovered R&D materials in three booths that matched the path of development for his company. The person in charge of procurement in BMF also explained that the primary goal of this visit was to locate fabrics that stand out from mass-market offerings. Vendors that matched their company’s requirements were discovered at the event.

In our on-site discussions with buyers, we also discovered that the demand from fashion brands for practical materials was rising steadily. According to Pollyanna Keong’s founder, “Sporty trends are quite popular at the moment. In the future, I expect to see more high-tech and imported fabric manufacturers at this event.”

The interplay between the fashion and sports industries has created new growth opportunities for several fabric providers who prioritize technological advancements.

One of the exhibition services that PVSZ placed a high value on was precise business matchmaking events. Due to the epidemic, we launched an online business matchmaking event in April to replace the spring exhibition. It was a huge success. 90.9% of the exhibitors had been paired up with at least one target brand’s core procurement decision maker. We continued our successful spring exhibition practice in the fall exhibition. We held online business matchmaking meetings prior to the event and assisted vendors in filling out their objectives and accurate key information. We also compiled a list of the main factors that affect buyers’ decisions regarding their selections. We also arranged offline exhibitions for targeted and effective communication and buyer selection. “All in all, my experience with business matchmaking meetings has been positive. We had successfully matched with the right suppliers. We support this method of business matching,” said the Supply Chain Director of the ODBO. The person in charge of purchasing for CHLOSIO also stated that the business matchmaking service provided by the event allowed them to quickly interact with more vendors to discuss collaboration on business development.

The PVSZ customer support team also offered exclusive tours and guides at the site for brand buyers who traveled a long way and overcame many difficulties here. The event combined the unique PV trend system and excellent product selection and it inspired designers from concept to material for the creation of their new collections. It was a worthwhile trip for visitors.

The Source of Inspiration for Fashion Trend

In the PV Shenzhen Trend Area, AW23/24 fashion trends prepared by the PV fashion team together with international textile professionals were presented. The PV AW23/24 Color Range was flown from Paris to the Shenzhen to precisely showcase the exclusive colors on site. Giant LED screens and voice controls were used to present the PV trend film, immersing the visitors in experiencing the PV trend theme. PV Paris 3D Trend Area was introduced for the first time. Using Matterport virtual tour technology, visitors were able to travel straight to the Leather Forum’s trend area in PV Paris and were also able to interact with vendors directly through the Première Vision Marketplace and place orders online. They were also welcomed to interpret the innovative samples and classic series from PV Shenzhen exhibitors on the spot.

This time, there were 27 exhibitors selected for the Trend Area with a total of 149 exhibits, so designers could find outstanding products immediately from the source. This validated their inspiration and allowed them to examine the vibrant collision between international trends and local applications by exploring the original integration of design and craftsmanship. “When the new fashion trends were revealed, we got quite emotional. The design of our brand can be derived and expanded from here. We had identified some items that were sufficient to convince ourselves here,” the person in charge of K-Boxing, a menswear brand, indicated.

Follow through the eco-friendly fashion trend

In this season, the PV Shenzhen Sustainable Focus Area was officially included in the Première Vision Shenzhen. This is the world’s first sustainability-themed exhibition area by PV in the destination market following PV Paris.The PV Paris fashion team collaborated with SCENOGRAPHY DESIGN to create a private and lavish cocoon-shaped space. PV Shenzhen united with Sorona, Lenzing, KCC ZIPPER,SHAOXING GLOBAL CHEMICAL FIBER,DongGuan Xinfeilin Textile,RIOPELE,RECYCTEX ,Wuxi Eco-Fur Fabric,Matetex,JIANGSU ROMROL GROUP OUTDOOR MATERIAL,TEIJIN FRONTIER,HANGZHOU XINSHENG PRINTING & DYEING,Winsun Textile,Wujiang Liufu TEXTILE,FOSHAN CITY SHUNDE GOLDTEX GROUP and SHANGHAI SKYTEX 16 material suppliers with 65 samples to respond to the 4 major issues, showing their excellent and visionary sustainable products, fulfilling social responsibility and environmental commitment in raw materials, know-how, industrial processes, and certifications.

In addition, the PV Shenzhen Sustainable Focus Area will also explore important information from the UN’s Sustainable Goals and China’s 3060 plan that pertain to the textile and fashion industries, thereby offering guidance and new possibilities for sustainable fashion.

PV Shenzhen hosted the first Sustainable Fashion Seminar in China, with the theme “Greener Fashion, Greener Future”, delving into sustainability topics in four areas: #design trend, innovative material, market communication, and Web 3# with with 19 leaders in the textile, fashion, digital, and creative industries, including GL Events, Deloitte, GDC Technology, Sorona, Lenzing, ELLASSAY, Eastman, SAKO, 0086Studios, WEN DAO MI, R.I.S.E., SelfFab., RECYCTEX. The Seminar featured 5 fantastic sessions, 15 keynote speeches, 3 panel discussions, and nearly 6,000 online viewers over the course of three days.

However, the number of people who joined the trend was far from sufficient to form a full industrial chain of sustainable fashion. The consumer market’s feedback and awareness are crucial for the development of a sustainable fashion business. PVSZ initiated a cross-border collaboration, focusing on the narrowing the gap between new materials and the consumer market in terms of sustainable fashion.

The project’s vision was centered on “ultimate creativity” and “sustainability”. A designer brand, a fashion trend platform, and a material specialist combined forces to create a co-branded uniform STAFFONLY x PREMIERE VISION SHENZHEN x IDOLE under the theme of #allinlove|Inspiration.

Together, they explored sustainability from three perspectives: inspiration in organizations, tailoring philosophy, and environmentally friendly materials. One of the sources of joy at the PVSZ was the passionate volunteers who worked there in this uniform.

In addition, a multipurpose foldable eco-friendly tote bag was designed through a collaboration between PVSZ and RECYCTEX, a seasoned recycled material specialist. This bag also became the center of attention for buyers. Each folding bag was fashioned from roughly four used plastic bottles. It was both convenient and durable.

During his speech at this fashion seminar, Steven Zheng, the founder of RECYCTEX, mentioned that “one could not be convinced of the awareness of sustainability, one could only perceive it on their own.” The material manufacturers have complete control over the entire process, from fabric to design, they can provide a comprehensive and professional long-term solution for brands.

One of PV’s core priorities is to encourage sustainable fashion and urge business owners to follow through the worldwide trend of sustainable development. PV will continue to bring together more industry forces at the professional and creative levels in this regard.

Diversified Matrix with In-depth Content

The most notable feature of this season was the extensive exchange and communication in collaboration with local media. The media collaboration covered fashion business news, trend magazines, fashion, and textiles. With the support of numerous media organizations and their coverage, the total traceable exposure surpassed 1,367,570. In addition, over the course of three days, 11,824 people tuned in to watch the PVSZ event and seminars live online.

Together with Sako, renowned Bilibili fashion content creator, Xiaosa Wang founder of TheDoors, and fashion journalist, Wen Daomi, we were thrilled to be able to learn how to interpret PVSZ from different perspectives and spark new insight this season. The PVSZ co-branded uniform was reported by CanU, The Boom, Nowher, Hypebeast, Fashion Without Borders, and other media. Furthermore, it was enlisted in WWD’s 2nd Sustainable 100 list of sustainable fashion ideas. Additionally, Première Vision Magazine also played the role of an international publication. It fulfilled a key role as a bridge by bringing the latest news from the PV China market to fashionistas abroad. We provided them with local market insights and exposed the world to China’s high-end fashion labels.

In the future, PVSZ will bring together more local media to create creative content, fully tap into the brand connotation, spread and reach fashion players of various levels both domestically and internationally through a diversified media matrix, gather on-site to discuss international fashion news and industry hotspots with one another face-to-face, and explore business opportunities.

The team has renewed themselves and gathered its strength in preparation to set sail again.

2022 is a very special year for the PV Shenzhen. It was evident for PVSZ that this season is more unique than previous seasons, whether in terms of the overall visual, the space layout, content presentation, or brand communication. Première Vision Shenzhen has formally established an independent project team as of November 2021. PV fuels the team’s ability to monitor and influence fashion trends.

Through a professional vetting system, in-depth market communication, quality trade services, and the creation of creative content, the team closely collaborates with PV headquarters to connect with leading Eurasian textile suppliers and R&D-driven fashion brands. The team’s objectives include professionally aiding in the emergence of Chinese fashion brands revered for their humanistic and design values, accelerating the sustainable development of China’s fashion industry from the ground up, and expanding business in the country’s rapidly expanding and increasingly sophisticated high-end fashion consumer market.

Première Vision Shenzhen Spring Exhibition (SS24) is open for applications now. We will see you from April 26 to April 28, 2023, at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. What kind of change in the nation’s industrial landscape can we expect when the country slowly reopens its market? Are there any new opportunities in the market? We look forward to working together with the supply chain, brands, media, and creative teams to push the bounds of imagination.

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