The UK’s largest trade fashion exhibition is to be the new home for the UK’s national lingerie and swimwear show with the launch of Moda Lingerie & Swimwear for February 2010.
Moda Lingerie & Swimwear will take place at the NEC, Birmingham from 21-23 February 2010, answering calls from across the industry for an event catering for the entire lingerie and swimwear sector, in a location convenient for buyers from all corners of the UK and Ireland. Launching in Hall 17 of the NEC, Moda Lingerie & Swimwear will run alongside national trade shows Moda Woman, Moda Accessories, Moda Footwear and Moda Menswear, the hugely successful trade fashion shows which together form the largest and most important trade event for the UK fashion and footwear industries. The Moda shows already attract around 12,000 visitors each season, with the launch of Moda Lingerie & Swimwear now set to see thousands more industry professionals flocking to Europe’s busiest exhibition centre in February next year.
News of the launch has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response from buyers and brands alike, with Moda Lingerie & Swimwear immediately securing the support of some of the industry’s biggest names.
Major UK supplier Eveden took part in Moda Beach in August this year, and is now set to bring its full portfolio of lingerie and swimwear brands to Moda Lingerie & Swimwear. “The feedback from our customers was very positive, and they found the location really accessible,” says sales director Nigel Addison. “It was a nice experience to show within a well-lit, contemporary environment which benefited form a great atmosphere the whole time we were there. Being part of a wider fashion exhibition can only bring positives to the lingerie industry.”
“Moda Lingerie & Swimwear ticks all the boxes for us,” says Peter Cronin, sales director of Panache, one of the first brands to confirm its appearance at the forthcoming show. “We need a national show, and whilst Harrogate has worked for us in the past it’s become a very regional, northern show. As a supplier we’re driven by our customers, and they’re telling us they want a national exhibition in a venue that’s accessible from all areas of the UK and Ireland.”
Buyers have also spoken out in support of the move. Sue Birchmore, owner of lingerie independent D’Braz in Banstead, Surrey, visited Moda Beach last season and now welcomes the launch of Moda Lingerie & Swimwear for February 2010. “The NEC is a fabulous venue with great facilities, and being able to do all of our buying there will cut down massively on the time we spend out of the store,” she says. “Last season we closed the shop at 5.30 and were in Birmingham by 7.30, ready to start first thing the next morning. The look and atmosphere of Moda itself brings something new and exciting to the industry, and being able to view accessories and footwear as well as the new season’s fashion trends is a real plus for us as retailers.”
“The launch of Moda Lingerie & Swimwear has come as a direct response to demand from the industry itself, and the response has been phenomenal,” says the show’s event director Penny Robinson. “The fact that such major industry players have already pledged their support is a testament to the need for a truly national show, and as organisers we’re fully committed to producing a show which not only delivers the right audience but also offers the kind of contemporary, premium environment not currently available to lingerie and swimwear brands within the UK.”
In common with the other Moda shows Moda Lingerie & Swimwear will feature a bespoke stand build and premium retail-quality lighting, with refreshment, networking and feature areas also located within the lingerie and swimwear hall.
“Recent years have seen some of the biggest names in the industry pull out of showing in the UK,” says event director Penny Robinson. “With the launch of Moda Lingerie & Swimwear we’re creating an event which can cater for every type of brand from the major players through to the most exciting new names, all within the context of an event that’s already the number one date on the fashion industry calendar.”
Brands already signed up for Moda Lingerie & Swimwear include After Eden, Aguaclara, Beautifull, Bond-Eye, Boobs & Bloomers, C Collection, Captiva, Christina, Cocöa, Conturelle, Costex, Cover Me, Damella, Diamond Tea, Edgies, Elomi, Fantasie, Fantasizer, Fauve, Felina, Freya, Goddess, Gossard Berlei, Gottex, Love & Lustre, Luna di Seta, Marjolaine, Miraclesuit, Moon River by Costex, Moontide, Naomi & Nicole, Ory, Panache, Parasol, Red or Dead, Saha Swimwear, Seaspray, The Body Wrap, Va Bien, Waxx Underwear, White Mischief.
Notes to editors:
-Moda Lingerie & Swimwear is organised by ITE Moda Ltd, the UK’s largest organiser of trade fashion exhibitions.
-ITE Moda Ltd’s flagship show Moda is the UK’s largest trade fashion exhibition, covering womenswear, menswear, accessories and footwear and taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, in February and August each year. The show currently plays host to over 1,400 brands each season, and covers 31,000 square metres of the NEC.
-The NEC is the UK’s largest and Europe’s busiest exhibition centre. It is located at the hub of the UK motorway network and is directly served by Birmingham International rail station and Birmingham International Airport, both of which can be reached on foot from the exhibition halls.
-Birmingham International is served by direct trains from major cities across the country, including London Euston which is just 1hr 10mins away.
-More than 20 international airlines serve Birmingham International Airport, providing scheduled flights from 34 destinations in the UK and Europe, including frequent flights from the Republic of Ireland.
-ITE Moda Ltd is also organiser of Bubble London, the national trade exhibition for the childrenswear industry taking place at the Business Design Centre, Islington, in January and June each year.
-ITE Moda Ltd’s publishing division RAS Publishing is publisher of leading trade fashion titles WWB (Womenswear Buyer), MWB, (Menswear Buyer), FE (Fashion Extras) and CWB (Childrenswear Buyer).