Lyon, Mode City: Setting the Trends

LYON, France—Cutting-edge trends. The Lyon, Mode City and Interfiliegrave;re trade shows showcased a visionary perspective for lingerie, beachwear and fabric trends during the event’s Sept. 1–3 run at the Euroexpo convention center. The combined shows, which become more global each year, included a strong international presence with 800 lingerie and swimwear brands and 358 fabric and trimming companies from 90 different countries. Some 17,404 visitors (including 11,461 international visitors) attended the show. According to Geacute;rard Collomb, Lyon’s senator-mayor and president of Grand Lyon and the city delegation, the value of understanding trends is linked directly to success in today’s marketplace. “I think that in the globalized world today, the ones who are going to be successful are the trend setters,” said Collomb.

Organizers of the show illustrated the importance of understanding the manufacturing process from fiber to finished product with a 10-step, 4,200- square-foot “Evolution Gallery,” which linked Interfiliegrave;re to Lyon, Mode City. The gallery unified the show by highlighting key points in fiber innovation, fabric and trimming trends for Autumn/ Winter 2008/2009 and lingerie and beachwear trends for Spring/Summer 2007. In addition, the show was jampacked with daily lingerie and beachwear fashion shows and trend conferences by industry leaders including Promostyl and Concepts Paris’ Jos Berry. Clearly defined trend sectors and market segments helped visitors navigate the show, and this year, new fashion shows and special areas were added to the event. The growing surf and outdoors category inspired a new area called “Surf Village,” and Eurovet, organizers of Lyon, Mode City, overlapped dates with their newly acquired Sport Achat trade fair to provide a larger offering for buyers. The new “French Lingerie Village” put the spotlight on renowned French lingerie brands and included a “Vintage” fashion show, where designers interpreted five decades of style. In addition, a trend fashion show titled “Only Lyon,” held in cooperation with Dow XLA, presented the luxurious jet-set lifestyle inspired by the chic Hotel Martinez in Cannes.

Here is a fashion-forward look at the season’s lingerie and beachwear trends for 2007. —N. Jayne Seward