A power of the INDX Lady promoting occasion is its predictability. Critical impartial consumers flip up, put down wise orders and go away the clothes, footwear and accent exhibitors feeling largely glad.
This week’s three-day gathering (Sunday-Tuesday, 21-23 July) adopted the same old sample, with round 600 consumers registered to view the spring-summer 25 collections of simply over 100 exhibitors. To nobody’s shock, given buying and selling circumstances, footfall was barely down on latest editions however any feedback about this from exhibitors tended to be merely observations quite than complaints.
Regardless of the laughably dangerous spring-summer climate this yr, consumers gave the impression to be adopting a Scarlett O’Hara-style optimism (“Tomorrow is one other day”), viewing the primary half of 2025 as a contemporary alternative to entice shoppers to half with their money.
The group from Austins of Newton Abbott: Julie King, Paul Lewis, Sarah Spiceley and David Austin.
“Rain, extra rain and chilly climate has made the present season fairly demanding, however our total enterprise has been kind of as normal,” reported David Austin, managing director of Austins of Newton Abbot, Devon, the impartial division retailer that celebrated its centenary in March. “I’d say it’s been a ‘espresso and lipstick’ season as transactions in our espresso store and cosmetics have been nicely up, quite than in trend. However we‘ve nonetheless been promoting loads of Chesca clothes at £300, so folks nonetheless do have cash.
“Large manufacturers like White Stuff and Seasalt have additionally bought very nicely with us. As we didn’t over-buy for this spring our shares are proper down. We are going to proceed to have a look at extra in-season manufacturers for spring 2025 quite than ahead ordering.”
John McElhinney of McElhinneys of Ballybofey, County Donegal with womenswear consumers Elizabeth Burnett and Sarah Scott.
Additionally having fun with good buying and selling is the McElhinneys division retailer in Ballybofey, County Donegal within the Irish Republic. Proprietor John McElhinney was again at INDX Lady for the primary time since earlier than COVID, accompanied by two of his womenswear consumers, Elizabeth Burnett and Sarah Scott. The trio spent Sunday and Monday on the occasion.
“The climate has not been preferrred however we’re a vacation spot retailer and other people journey a protracted technique to store with us,” he stated. “We attend a number of reveals as a result of we’re all the time on the lookout for one thing new, one thing that can give our clients a cause to purchase. We now have discovered a few new suppliers right here however we all know INDX Lady isn’t probably the most fashion-forward present, so there’s not rather a lot we received’t see at different UK reveals or in showrooms in Dublin.”
Johanna Petty of Peony & Mint is having fun with having a store as an alternative of promoting on-line.
Additionally on the hunt for brand spanking new suppliers was Johanna Petty, who opened her store Peony and Mint in Swinfen, Lichfield, Staffordshire in October final yr after working a web based enterprise for 9 years. She shares commercially-successful Scandinavian manufacturers like B Younger, Fransa, Solely and Pulz.
“I’m discovering having a store is so a lot better than being on-line. That was fantastic till the COVID lockdown, when everybody went on-line and it grew to become so onerous to realize gross sales,” she remarked. “The climate made spring-summer commerce not what I needed however I’ve stored promoting all through and I haven’t gone into Sale but.”
Amongst exhibitors, there was the same old reward for the set-up at INDX Lady, which is organised the AIS shopping for group and is held at its Cranmore Park exhibition centre in Solihull. There are about 100 members within the group, sometimes regional impartial shops, however the occasion is open to any bona-fide non-AIS retailers.
Vernon Etridge-Beech, displaying Italian assortment Avolto, stated This present offers you bang to your buck.
Agent Vernon Etridge-Beech was displaying Avolto, an Italian linen-based assortment with printed clothes retailing at £45-£85, for the primary time. A veteran of the INDX reveals with different collections, he needs to take care of AIS members on a concession foundation and was happy by the alternatives offered.
“This present is about getting bang to your buck. The shops I need to take care of are right here,” he asserted. “I’m turning away smaller independents who need to purchase wholesale as a result of I work on a concession mannequin. AIS shops sometimes have a tremendous plethora of manufacturers as a result of they’ve a singular supply of their places. There’s no approach I’m going to get a concession for a brand new model in John Lewis, however I can with AIS shops.”
He added that consumers he’d spoken with had been in an excellent temper and optimistic about subsequent spring though, like many exhibitors, he famous footfall was comparatively gradual on Sunday and Monday.
This season’s date conflict between INDX Lady and the House & Reward Consumers Pageant present in Harrogate was talked about by a number of exhibitors as having impacted attendance. One firm managing to indicate at each was Surrey-based Signare, which specialises in tapestry baggage that includes licensed characters like Paddington and Peter Rabbit.
Mia Reeve of first-time exhibitor Signare was happy to fulfill new clients.
Two senior administrators had been in Harrogate whereas enterprise improvement supervisor Mia Reeve and a colleague had been within the Midlands. “The conflict isn’t preferrred however it’s a must to work spherical it. That is our first time right here. We had been a last-minute reserving but it surely’s been worthwhile. By Monday lunchtime we’d opened 5 accounts with folks we didn’t know, which is what we’re right here for,” Reeve stated.
On the Jessica Graaf stand, agent Irene Douglas and MD Raman Shorey.
Again for the primary time in a few years was Dublin-based Jessica Graaf, a reasonable womenswear model aimed on the extra mature womenswear shopper, a class nicely sorted by many AIS members. Managing director Raman Shorey praised the occasion: “That is so completely different from the outdated days when solely AIS members had been allowed in. It’s a pleasant, relaxed present, very customer-friendly, which it makes it simple to promote.”
His 35 sq m stand was one of many largest on the occasion however it’s small in comparison with the 50-60 sq m the corporate takes on the Harrogate Trend Week and Moda on the NEC, two of INDX Lady’s direct rivals in what’s a crowded womenswear truthful schedule.
Agent Ward Mann was displaying Dutch accent model Bart’s.
One other first-time exhibitor was Bart’s Amsterdam, which was displaying a mixture of woven hats and baggage and beachwear clothes. New UK agent Ward Mann could be very acquainted with INDX Man, the menswear occasion that runs at Cranmore Park one week earlier. Final week he attended with the Mix, Informal Friday and FG1924 menswear ranges, all a part of the DK Firm steady.
“We’ve had an excellent response to Bart’s, particularly to something with color in it,” he stated. “”NDX Lady is an effective platform as a result of the AIS-type shops are all native heroes with a constructive status, however I’d say INDX Man has a greater profile as a result of for menswear there actually is simply it and the IMC shopping for group occasion for the sector. The womenswear manufacturers have extra choices and might be seen at extra reveals, so possibly don’t pay as a lot time to presentation right here.”
Lesley Southgate and Tiina Korpela on the stand of first-time exhibitor, Aïno of Finland.
Lesley Southgate of the Joanna Edwards Company, which was on the occasion for the primary time with a Spanish assortment referred to as Argiddo and one referred to as Aïno from Finland, famous INDX Lady attracts consumers not seen on the London gala’s. “What’s good is that I’m seeing clients that I don’t already know,” she stated, ” and likewise they’re severe consumers. You don’t get the onlookers right here.”
Simon Lomond of Brighton-based Fairly Vacant: “Consumers are stoical concerning the buying and selling circumstances.”
Additionally happy with the response to the brand new assortment was Brighton-based Fairly Vacant, a vintage-inspired sustainable vary, which was on the present for the third time. “Footfall has been slower than normal, however that was to be anticipated after a tough season,” stated Simon Lomond, “however consumers come right here to purchase. I’d say most are stoical concerning the buying and selling circumstances.”
The season’s occasion introduced collectively 64 clothes exhibitors, 25 displaying equipment and 19 footwear specialists. Among the many attendees had been Elphicks of Farnham, Facy of Henley, Jarrold of Norwich and Ulster Shops from the AIS membership, plus vital independents like The Dressing Room in St. Albans and Black Diamond Boutique in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
In 2025, INDX Lady might be held on Sunday and Monday, 29-30 January and Sunday-Tuesday 20-22 July.
