TRADE FAIR
PLAYTIME new york
A successful first
“ solo ” edition
This winter , Playtime New York chose to liberate itself from the American trade show calendar and follow the beat of its own drummer . By shifting its dates to mid-February , the organizers felt that they could better address the needs of professionals being pulled in too many directions by trade shows that were either too early or too late in the season . And what better way to show its love for children ’ s fashion than by choosing to open on Valentine ’ s day ?
And that is how 170 children ’ s brands came together February 14 - 16 at the Metropolitan Pavilion to present their Fall / Winter 2016 / 17 collections . Which is 13 % more compared to last season , ranging from ready-to-wear , accessories , decoration items to gifts , to offer a complete and creative presentation of all the universes of children .
In addition to the usual suspects ( akid brand , atsuyo et akiko , bacabuche , beau loves , bobo choses , devon ’ s drawer , everbloom , herschel , jess brown , little creative factory , maá / manuela de juan , misha and puff , nobodinoz , oaks of acorn , oeuf , rose pistol kids , sons + daughters eyewear , tia cibani kids , tinycottons , …), visitors also discovered the 38 % of brands exhibiting for the very fi rst time , at Playtime New York , who were attracted by the selective approach of the show ’ s organizers .
Some came from far away to meet the American market ( 47 % were American
in detail
brands + 53 % came from the rest of the world ). 1,947 professional visitors braved the arctic temperatures to attend the show , meaning an increase of 7 % and a new record attendance .
In detail , the majority of visitors were American ( 84 %), with a strong East Coast showing ( 87 %). The proportion of buyers / press was maintained and refl ected a level of quality that guaranteed rich interactions amongst professionals .
Diving into the theme of ‘ Marvelous !’, the crème de la crème of buyers and specialized press were able to discover the future trends in the show ’ s dedicated trend spaces :
• The ‘ Winter Wonderland ’ theme space , designed by artist Tara Linzalone , presented the lush wardrobes of the little queens and kings of the snow . •‘ Frozen Landscapes ’, designed by artist Alex Hammond , proved to be the ideal setting to highlight subtle mixes of mineral colors and warm and cozy textures .
• Finally , creativity was given free reign in the ‘ Surreal Utopia ’ theme space , designed by Cecilia Elguero , where bright colors and arty patterns were on display . www . taralinzalone . com • www . alexhammondart . com • www . ceciliaelguero . com
In order to inspire buyers , but also act as a brand consultant , Playtime also proposed , in collaboration with its partner Earnshaw ’ s , a conference on the theme of the Mobile Revolution . www . earnshaws . com
And finally , to leave visitors with pleasant memories of these three days , Babiekins and Kid ’ s Wear invited visitors to be photographed in a vintage photo booth , or in front of the poetic panels illustrated by Elsa Dray-Farges . www . kidswear-department . com • www . babiekinsmag . com
268 MAY / JUN 2016