This renowned event played host to established and emerging brands, suppliers, buyers, and industry leaders, offering a dynamic showcase of fabrics, styles, and market trends. It is a rare opportunity for our niche sector of the fashion world to come together and share ideas for product innovation, impactful marketing campaigns and business strategy in a rapidly evolving market. This year, teams across the entire London Contour Experts Group joined new partners, trend forecasting agency Concepts Paris at the expo, spotting dynamic new brands and exciting fabric developments as well as exploring a wave of technological advancements. Join London Contour Experts as we give you an exclusive peek behind the curtain of this year’s Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris 2024 trade show.
In the realm of innovative fabrics, the trade show featured groundbreaking alternatives. One standout was Rolfe by Isabella – a new fabric innovation with sustainable glitter substitute crafted from sand crystals, promising a softer feel and a natural touch. This new textile combats issues surrounding sustainability in terms of reducing plastic usage and increasing material recyclability. Rolfe by Isabella also offers a wide range of vegetable dyed fabrics, further contributing to a more eco-friendly approach.
Interested in using new and dynamic fabrics for your next contour collection? Head to Bodywear Lab’s fabric sourcing services, where the perfect material match is waiting to be discovered!
Collaborations were also at the forefront, with Rethink Studios teaming up with Underprotection. Rethinkit, an athleisure wear line, showcased a smart and versatile design using stretchable, breathable, and moisture-absorbing recycled materials, prioritising functionality for both gym workouts and everyday wear. Underprotection not only showcased their commitment to sustainability but also offered activewear that promises to shield wearers from harmful chemicals and dyes.
HASTKO stood out with its fusion of technical prowess and aesthetic appeal, offering high-impact sportswear designed to protect against injury. Their innovative riding pad designed for equestrian enthusiasts, is seamlessly integrated into knickers for activities like dressage, horse riding, or even cycling, showcasing a marriage of functionality and style.
Moving away from activewear and into underwear, SAXX took men’s undergarments to the next level with a design that allows freedom of movement. The BallPark Pouch, a unique and patented feature, provides natural support and movement, ensuring comfort without restrictions.
French lingerie brand Chantelle and its bolder sister brand, Chantelle X made waves by merging high fashion apparel with lingerie, tapping into the athleisure trend that fuses functionality with style and comfort. The brands also explored the concept of underwear as outerwear and presented their products in captivating luxury campaign shoots, incorporating unconventional elements like fruit to fill their cups and pants. This unusual styling of their lingerie paired with darker lighting and set design creates intrigue, adding a high fashion element that many bodywear brands don’t seem to emulate or emit.
MEY’s campaigns adopted a saltburn-esque style, characterised by extravagance, brightness, and fun. This departure from trends like the ‘clean girl aesthetic’ and ‘quiet luxury’ indicates a shift towards maximalism, exuberance, and hedonism in the market.
Scandale Eco-Lingerie emerged as a holistic brand, strategically combining clever design and marketing. Noteworthy for being one of the most sustainable bodywear businesses after a re-brand in 2022, they were one of the only brands in Paris to showcase their digital product passport technology, showcasing a thoughtful approach to both design and environmental impact. Digital Product Passports (DPP) serve as a mechanism to gather and disseminate product information throughout its entire life cycle, showcasing the sustainability, environmental, and recyclability features of a product. This allows consumers to be better informed about how and where their clothing is produced.
Lisa Charmel opted for a unique marketing strategy that attracted visitors like moths to a flame, projecting graphics of patterns used in their products to highlight the beauty of the pattern and blur the lines between digital and physical. This deceptively simple visual tool allowed expo-goers the opportunity to view the beauty of their product pattern up close and personal.
Nette Rose, with its emphasis on elevated hardware details like metallic flowers and a commitment to community building, also stood out from the crowd at the expo. The small team’s personalised touch, including handwritten notes with every order and transparent team profiles, conveyed a sense of authenticity. Their pride in their South African roots was evident, as they promised to offset emissions by planting a tree in Madagascar for every order. Their marketing and product embroidery embraced natural imagery, creating a distinct brand identity that felt fresh, creative and true to their brand.
London Contour Experts Group Founder and CEO, Nichole de Carle noted that “The Salon de La Lingerie 2024 proved to us that Micromultinational brands, targeting modern consumers, are really thriving in this new World of Bodywear Fashion. They understand the importance of experiential retail and invest in how they show up in the digital world. These fast growing brands innovate authentically, with technology and sustainability at the forefront of their communication.”
The London Contour Experts Group boasted their own analysis on what makes a Brand of The Future. Focusing on five key pillars for future success: Authenticity, Community, Innovation, Technology and Sustainability, Nichole continues that “We made our mark at [Interfilière Paris 2024] by presenting the tools to build and reposition these brands of the future.”
To learn more about what you need to build a brand of the future, head to our consultancy services.
Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris 2024 was more than just a tradeshow; it was a journey into the evolving landscape of bodywear fashion, where sustainability, innovation, and a unique brand narrative took centre stage. It was clear that the smaller brands, the micro multinationals, are the driving force behind creativity in the contour sector, pushing themselves to be able to build powerful product and branding that truly resonates with a modern market.
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Our family has expanded to include a two new companies. Head to HYSCULPT for all your marketing & PR needs and get to know Bodywear Lab for design and production support!
Our family has expanded to include a two new companies. Head to HYSCULPT for all your marketing needs and get to know Bodywear Lab for design and production support!
