Preview Men is the official starting signal for the Dutch trade fair season. With the new date at the very beginning of January, the fair now even takes place in front of Pitti Uomo. “This is the new Modefabriek for men’s fashion,” is what several visitors and exhibitors say. After just under five years, the fair has firmly anchored its place in the trade fair landscape, especially now that so much is changing in that landscape.
The Preview fairs of organizer Cast are known for the friendly atmosphere and the focus on products. This men’s fashion edition is no different. It is feedback that can be heard from many of the exhibitors. The fair now has more than 170 brands showing (part of) their collection. Several new trends have been added that also attract retailers who normally only shop in Paris. The addition of the additional brands means that the exhibition floor has been expanded to the aisles between the showrooms on the first floor. The visitor immediately encounters ten brands after coming down the escalator.
The route guides the visitor past more mainstream brands such as Cast Iron, Lyle & Scott and Chasin’, after which on the first level they first pass the more sustainable brands. Anyone who has not looked at the map may have missed this fact because no signing such as ‘sustainable area’ or green colors have been used. The map simply shows a green leaf that indicates the more sustainable nature of the brand. The fair lets the brands speak for themselves, but places them fairly at the front of the route so that the visitor simply cannot ignore them. In conversation with FashionUnited, Marijn Verschure shared at the end of 2024 that the fair wanted to bring sustainable brands more into the spotlight and this subtle way seems to have succeeded.
Preview The exciting trade fair season is kicking off
One of the agencies that works with brands in this area is Sole Agency. Xenia Oppier from the agency will represent brands such as Kapten & Son, Rotholz, Faguo and Klitmøller that day. “I can talk about sustainability all afternoon,” she laughs. She indicates that the brands in this area on Preview Men all tell their own story about sustainability and that this is up to the representative to do. No green leaves at the stand or other indications. “Every retailer and buyer sees sustainability differently. I have buyers who purchase completely vegan and therefore do not use wool or leather in the range. There are buyers who only want brands with production in the Netherlands or Europe. The criteria are different for everyone.” Each brand will therefore appeal to a buyer in a different way. This is of course about the degree of sustainability, but also about the design of the product and the price – after all, that is also what most consumers look at.
Also in this area is the Roosenstein Wolke family business with its wool sweaters. Fifth generation Hessel van der Laan can be found there at the stand. It is the first time that the brand is at the fair. “We are now mainly in sports and sailing stores, which is mainly due to the heritage of our brand with the fisherman’s sweater. We still see many opportunities in the fashion sector, so that is why we are here today.” Van der Laan has been positively surprised and has already been able to make many new agreements with potential customers and repeat customers.
Anyone who follows the indicated route on the ground will automatically walk past some niche brands to streetwear and will find more classic brands such as State of Art, Zuitable, A Fish Named Fred, Zilton and Barbour on the second level.
Preview People do not yet feel any competition from newcomer Shift
At State of Art we ask, among other things, about the type of customers who visit the fair. They are mainly Dutch, something that is also reflected in the sounds on the exhibition floor, but also quite a few Belgians. The brand hasn’t really seen any Germans yet, although Preview Men is promoting the event in German.
The fact that more Belgians can be seen at the fair can be heard at several stands. It ‘helps’ that Belgium no longer has a fashion fair itself, so buyers almost have to go abroad. There are also buyers from E5, the well-known chain for men and women. They are there to spot new brands that complement the range. “We already have various brands for women that attract people to the store, and we are also looking for those types of brands for men’s fashion. Preview is a good fair to orientate what is happening in the market. It’s not too big, but there’s plenty to explore.” The buyers will also go to Pitti Uomo later in January.
The fair agenda ultimately also brings discussions to newcomer Shift, which will take place at the end of January simultaneously with Modefabriek. Awareness of the fair is not yet too widespread, because not everyone who is asked is aware of the newcomer. Many brand representatives also indicate that they are taking the long view and will not be showing the collection at Shift this edition. They do indicate that they will visit Shift with colleagues to see whether the fair is an option for them. Because the fair is so new, not everyone knows yet what to expect. “It will be Modefabriek 2.0, right?” is one answer, while the other says: “They came to see Preview, so they must have copied something.”
The timing of Shift is also a topic of discussion. By the end of January, retailers have often spent most of their budgets, as Oppier from Sole Agency also reports. “This also applies to the Danish fair CIFF. That is actually more of an orientation for the following season.” The earlier the fair in the season, the more convenient. This is also the case at Forét, where there is a positive response to Preview Men’s decision to move forward. “On the one hand, it is just after Christmas, which can be difficult, but this early in the season people can first orientate themselves on the local market.”
Preview Men reveals some difficulties in the men’s fashion sector
While the atmosphere at Preview Men always seems friendly, there is also a different sentiment beneath the surface. Men’s fashion has gone through a more difficult period. “The weather last year was of course nothing at all. Winter lasted until May, then suddenly it was summer and it lasted until September. While you have already received the winter collection for several months in September,” says The Good People. The brand from Rotterdam has had a good year itself, but has noticed that there is a split among retailers. The stores that really know how to appeal to their own target group also know how to retain them.
The fact that more and more stores are becoming specialists in a niche – so not only streetwear, but also clothing with Japanese influences or very Scandinavian with a sustainable approach – is a frequently heard comment at the fair. The middle group seems to be missing out.
There is also the delayed corona effect. For example, retailers must repay corona support, but many lease contracts signed during the corona years are also expiring. These are often signed for five years, which means that retailers have stuck to this term in order to keep the store open. “I have already had several retailers who have indicated that they will close the store now that the contract is expiring. That is a real relief for them,” says Oppier.
The difference between women and men is also noted. “There could be a war going on and women are still buying clothes. They walk into a store, see if they like something and only look at the cash register at the price and what brand it is, to put it bluntly. Men are brand loyal and only buy when they need something.” This difference is reinforced by the fact that consumer sentiment is deteriorating, as E5 buyers also note. “When you watch the news, you don’t suddenly think: Gee, let’s go buy some nice clothes.”
In short: A lot is happening within the (Dutch) men’s fashion sector. It promises to be an interesting season. How this will go is still unclear, but let’s hope that it will be a lot sunnier than the stormy outside world on the day of the fair.
Source: fashionunited.nl
