Search:

• 01/18/2009

  FIMI, big fair for tiny trendsetters

  • 

    Tuc Tuc stand at FIMI

• FACT FILE
  Exhibitors: 220
  Spanish exhibitors: 116
  Total net surface area: 19.500 m²
  Location: Feria de Valencia

   

  CONTACT
  Avenida de las Ferias s/n
  Valencia
  fimi@feriavalencia.com

  http://www.feriavalencia.com/fimi

   

  NEXT DATES
  20-22 June 2009

Last Sunday 18 January the 68th International Children’s and Young People’s Fashion Fair (FIMI) was brought to a close in Valencia. This time the fair coincided with Cero a Cuatro, the Baby and Child Care Fair. The two events recorded impressive figures, both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. The city’s exhibition centre again revealed all the latest innovations and trends in children’s fashion, this time for the autumn-winter 2009/10 season.

In an area covering over 19,000m², 220 exhibitors, of which 28.6% came from international markets, again made Valencia the world capital for children’s fashion for three days. It was revealed that Italy and Portugal are the countries that buy the most made in Spain children’s clothing, although Mexico is also starting to climb up the ladder with a strong position in these rankings.

FIMI: from children’s streetwear to timeless designs
If anything categorises the fair it is the enormous variety of designs and styles that come together at each event: from casual and urban childrenswear to the more classical and timeless designs. Amongst the first, AKR Kids stands out; whose enormous stand welcomed us to the fair. This time the brand has concentrated on outfits with a wide variety of colours and silk-screen prints, all with a comfortable and urban cut. Sweatshirts, jeans, anoraks and combat trousers will all be key items this coming winter. A new line is AKR Collection, an exclusive range of outfits with more daring designs that are closer in style to adult fashion.

FIMI also saw the launch of the first childrenswear collection by the emblematic footwear brand Gorila. Seeking a total look, the brand has gone for green and brown tones for next winter, whether in confident sporting style outfits or comfortable suede little boots, one of the star models for the coming winter. Of course, its classic school shoe also took up an important proportion of its designs.

Tuc Tuc filled one of FIMI’s largest spaces with its unmistakeable delicately made urban styles. Its extensive collection was divided up by colour, ranging from neutral beige and black to the most vivid greens and fuchsias. The outfits breathed comfort in the cut, allowing for fresh and simple combinations. Accessories will again be key this coming season: scarves, hats, gloves, Wellington boots, backpacks and umbrellas complete the fun look for the coming winter. And as a new line, the Urban Sport range, a casual look with which the brand seeks to translate sports fashion to daily life.

Lourdes again reinvents its own identifying mark, embroidered coloured doodles on its outfits, for jumpers with diamonds, dresses in check material and even trousers with perfect finishes. The collection, bursting with naïve imagination and style, wins us over through the detail of its clasps, bows and tassels.

The company Barcarola, a regular at the fair, has also surprised us again with its extensive collection of children’s party outfits. Little dresses and two-piece outfits cut in fine materials, such as natural silk used with different textures and finishes, the soft velvet of cotton and the richly embroidered tulles, all play a prominent role. Along with these, a full range of coats - a new initiative launched by the brand at FIMI - classically cut and with an English style, that round off a look for special occasions.

Foque, another standard bearer for classic style, chose a collection that was bolstered by its wide variety of items that can be combined, from coats and anoraks, to little dresses and jumpers. Most of these are cut out of patterned wool, above all in check, or in original cotton treated to look like silk. According to Foque, the main colours for the coming winter are bottle green, burgundy and dark blue, which the brand has introduced to break with the quintessential children’s tones: pink and sky blue.

The brands Larrana and Trasluz also reported having stands that were completely full: the first triumphed thanks to the detail in their outfits: contrasting backstitches, tiny tucks, original buttons and delicate lace edgings made each item a real piece of craftsmanship. Trasluz went for the more updated classic style, both in terms of patterns and colours, in a broad collection that has already won over Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Mexico and, shortly, China.

Children’s footwear, a sector gaining ever more weight in FIMI
The amount of children’s footwear on show at this Valencian trade fair has risen by up to 50% compared to the last fair. A rise that has been possible thanks to the great work of Spanish brands such as Oca Loca, that had an elegant stand at the fair brimming with style and sophistication: stylish ballet pumps finished off with bows, flowers and feathers, velvet bar shoes, Oxford patent leather shoes and even cowboy boots and Wellington boots complete a collection that is chic and impeccably made.

Neither Calzados Eli nor Andanines had wanted to miss the latest FIMI. Both brands presented their respective collections for next winter, which were characterised by the number of designs and outstanding finishes in each one of their models. Pumps with sequins and tacks, high boots, ankle boots with fringes, lace-up shoes, and above all, a lot of fancy adornments, are its main features. Cuquito also won us over with its collection of children’s footwear. It also used the fair to launch its new Disney Baby line, a fun collection of sports shoes inspired by characters from the famous American fiction factory.

For its part, children’s versions of the Xti and Gioseppo adult footwear brands were presented at the fair with their modern and urban style transferred to feet of the tiniest. Gioseppo, also showed off its first collection of Disney shoes, after having obtained the licence to sell these in Spain, Portugal and Andorra.

A new image for Spanish childrenswear
During the fair, ASEPRI (Spanish Manufacturers Association of Children’s Products) presented the new logo that will identify Spanish childrenswear brands. It is a design endorsed by the firm of the prestigious designer Daniel Netob, who was also present during the launch: a simple smiling icon with the word “España” in handwritten form that from now on will be the emblem that guarantees the made in Spain design values for the smallest. The association also took advantage of the event to present its new catalogue of autumn-winter trends that under the title Portraits of Palace, highlights the best designs from Spanish brands in the sector.

FIMI Fashion Show
As usual at the fair, one of the events that attracted most attention was the FIMI catwalk. This one saw 10 brands, both national and international, launching their designs in a mass show. AKR Kids, Barcarola, Elisa Menuts, Gorila and Tuc Tuc were responsible for putting a Spanish stamp on the proceedings with their designs. The original baroque set design, crowned with a spectacular chandelier, clearly highlighted this year’s theme, Rock in Palace, which sought to connect classic styles with the more daring trends.

Pasarela FIMI, autumn-winter 2009/10