Interview with Mr Philippe Pasquet

35 years ago, 15 Lyons weavers dared to launch a completely unheard of promotional and marketing venture. Their approach was confirmed and expanded by a succession of ever bolder improvements. Première Vision has never rested on its achievements, choosing instead to call itself continually into question in order to mark even greater progress.

It all began in November 1973, with a joint promotion undertaken by the 15 Lyons weavers, who step out ahead of the market by presenting their fabric collections at the International Centre in Paris. Then, the Lyons weavers were joined by other sectors of the French weaving industry and later by European weavers, while reaffirming their basic principle of exhibitor selectivity.

1997 witnesses the birth of the Première Vision International Observatory, a socio-cultural surveillance unit, instituted on a global scale, whose aim is to identify the emerging trends likely to influence the textile and fashion industries.

In September 2002, an important step was taken. Faithful to its desire to propose the best apparel textile offer to its buyers, Première Vision for the first time welcomes weavers from countries outside Europe.

At the same time, Première Vision, in addition to attracting in Paris visitors from more than 100 countries from all over the world, decided to help its exhibitors to develop or set up their business on the most important markets of the world, be they mature or developing.

It resulted in the successful launching of Première Vision Preview New York. This event provides an opening to the season. It addresses the needs of American decision makers who, in general, wish to see the new collections earlier than their European counterparts.

March 2004, saw the first edition of Première Vision Shanghai, an original exhibition conceived as a highly selective « club » addressed to mid- and top-level Chinese buyers. From 2009, the show will be held in turn in Shanghai and in Beijing.

In October 2006, Première Vision turned to Eastern Europe with the creation of Première Vision Moscow. This exhibition is aimed at an emerging fashion market, one avid for information and quality fabrics, inexistent locally.

Since 2000, Première Vision also participates in Jitac European Textile Fair, a textile-agents’ trade fair held in Tokyo, that participates to the promotion of the Paris event in Japan.

Another significant initiative was the creation of the Première Vision Pluriel brand in May 2005 : it brought together, Expofil, Première Vision, Le Cuir à Paris, Indigo and ModAmont that are all leaders in their sectors (fibres, yarns, fabrics, leathers, textile design, trimmings) and that are held concurrently at the Parc d’Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte / France. A sixth event, Zoom by Fatex, dedicated to contract fashion manufacturing in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North African countries, Madagascar and Mauritius will join Première Vision Pluriel in September 2008.

Through this strong and coherent group of complementary shows, the rendez-vous at Villepinte is further asserted as an event of unparalleled richness and efficacy in the fashion world.

In December 2007, always anxious to answer the market’s requirements, Première Vision launched Denim by Première Vision. This new and original event, entirely dedicated to the denim universe, takes place in Paris / Saint Denis at the Docks.

Today the Première Vision SA group manages directly Première Vision, Expofil, Indigo and ModAmont in partnership with Tarsus. Altogether, 18 events throughout the world, around 3100 exhibitors and more than 120 000 professional visitors!

Most latest: Première Vision has just bought Direction, the textile design event leader on the North American market.

Due to the specificity of the products they present, fashion trade events have a different calendar from other sectors. What really sets it apart is the question of dates that turns up regularly according to various factors. Textile and fashion shows have to adapt to the seasonal rhythm of their exhibitors and visitors and they need to be precisely timed to answer their specific needs. And these needs are changing! Today we can note that the rhythm of fashion collections is rapidly changing. From two traditional collections per year, i.e one per season, we passed to several collections. And now, we are witnessing the “fast fashion” phenomenon, i.e the permanent updating of the fashion offer. This move has reached the whole fashion chain and all the operators had to adapt themselves to this new approach.