WeAr Select fashion show lands in London

Available in 8 languages across 50 countries, WeAr Magazine positions itself as THE trade publication for the fashion industry. Over the weekend, London’s iconic Old Billingsgate Market played host to a trade-only show that brought together designers from across the globe. Africa Fashion was on hand to find out more about WeAr as an organisation and what it can do for fashion in Africa.

We love WeAr‘s overall concept and the publication’s targeting. Instead of running a magazine for the end user, hoping to influence sales one at a time, WeAr aims to hit the key buyers at major outlets and chains around the world – getting the freshest designers in front of the people that can place large scale orders.

According to WeAr itself, “Buyers profit from the chance to visit a well curated show, where brands only exhibit a maximum selection of key 35 pieces, which enables buyers to see and understand a brand at a glance. They also can follow-up the show from the comfort of their desk with the help of the digital and printed WeAr special edition of the publication, prepared for them by the trusted global WeAr editorial team. That way brands get a high chance to be recognized by new buyers on a global scale and for buyers it is super easy to find innovative new stories. Put simply, WeAr Select is a new, revolutionary way to bridge brands and retailers on a global level at a very affordable cost-structure”.

Once you understand that part of the equation, the ghostly appearance of the WeAr Select event makes sense. When each visitor can place a huge order, you don’t need that many people to attend. You need the right people to attend.

We would like to have seen more African designers at the event, but the influence of Africa could still be felt on various stands.

For instance, African fractal patterns (dating back hundreds of years) were a major source of fascination for Kinetic Art influencers like Alexander Calder. No10 Showroom was at WeAr Select with a new range called KART (short for Kinetic Art) on its stand, and their unusual leather goods immediately caught our eye – and this shot of one of their gorgeous bags illustrates why (Insert: African Fractal pattern).

African Fashion is now in contact with WeAr to find out more about ways in which this interesting and influential publication (available in print, DVD and online) can help develop African brands and trends on a global scale.

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