WSN expands its events concepts around Who’s Next and Premiere Classe

Who’s Next and Premiere Classe remain a priority for WSN. The Paris-based event organiser is currently focusing on its back-to-school editions, especially as Who’s Next will be celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. However following the attention DRP received for its concept based around the worlds of streetwear and boardsports, as well as the launch of Matter and Shape at the start of the year with a focus on design, the company is developing in new directions.

For its autumn edition, Who’s Next will be testing a three-day format starting on Sunday September 8 and running until Tuesday 10. “At the end of our last edition, we had no visibility on the dates and we had to wait a month to be set and find the best date,” notes Frédéric Maus, WSN’s general manager. “Keeping Sunday was important for the retailers, and starting on the 8th meant we could avoid complications for exhibitors in relation to the Olympic Games. After that, there was some initial concern about house prices in Paris in the context of the Olympic Games, but in the end prices have largely come down.”

Some 900 brands have already confirmed their attendance at the Paris show, even if the gloomy economic and social climate and the unknown factors surrounding the hosting of the Paralympic Games are fuelling a degree of restraint. The organisers report that visitor pre-registrations are stable compared to the same date last year.

The show will be held in Hall 7 of the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre. The different worlds of Who’s Next will once again be represented, but with a revamped organisation. On level 7.2, all the sourcing offers from Elements, Bijorhca for pearls and stones, Interfilière for lingerie raw materials, and FROM, which offers solutions from Indian manufacturers and fabricators, will be brought together alongside the accessory offers, with jewellery, leather goods, shoes and textile accessories. “We’re working with the structure of the hall. And it’s interesting to see the porosities between the different worlds,” says Frédéric Maus. On the same level, the Impact and Neonyt zone will feature an area dedicated to responsible brands and solutions, as well as workshops on these themes.

On the other hand, Impact’s offer will be scattered throughout the different areas of the show. On the 7.3 floor, the ready-to-wear sector will be represented by the Trendy, Fame and Private areas, as well as by Fashion China, which is returning with some twenty major players in the Chinese ready-to-wear sector, and the Ankorstore platform, which will have a space of almost 400 square metres. The online B2B player has a strong partnership with Cosmexposium and WSN, and aims to offer its solutions to brands at the show to help them develop their offer.

The lingerie offer will also be highlighted with Exposed’s specific approach, exploring the frontiers of fashion with bodywear. Curve Paris is once again presenting a seaside and resortwear offering alongside the ready-to-wear selection at Fame. At the same time, the Loud space, developed with the Fédération du prêt-à-porter féminin, will offer a cultural and business perspective with conferences and workshops.

A few weeks later, the Première Classe show will also be exploring a new approach. With the Tuileries Gardens unavailable due to the Paralympic Games, the show, which will be held from September 28 to 30 during Paris Fashion Week, will exceptionally be moving to the Carrousel du Louvre. A change, but one that should not inconvenience visitors or exhibitors. However, the show’s total surface area has been reduced from 8,000 to 6,500 square metres. Last season, the show was able to build on the new Matter and Shape concept, dedicated to design. The organisers have noted that there is a great deal of interest and expectation in this format, and are planning to repeat it.

“When I took over the management of WSN six years ago, my plan was that we would no longer be seen as a seller of square metres. Since then, we’ve come up with more ideas and formats, with around ten events. This strategy of diversification has paid off. For example, Matter and Shape was present at Design Week in Milan, 3days of design in Copenhagen and the Design Parade in Toulon. And we’re discussing projects with players in the retail sector. Today, people come to us for our expertise.”

With this in mind, WSN launched its RUN solution at the last Men’s Fashion Week: the company offers brands a space in the capital’s 11th arrondissement and the production resources to stage catwalk shows, events and showrooms: “Our business is changing, and we’re breaking out of the shackles of organising trade fairs by drawing on our expertise in events. During the men’s week, we already have a strong trade show offering with Man and Welcome Edition. On the other hand, we are in contact with young brands and designers and we could provide something different. By providing them with a flexible solution, we give them the opportunity to invest their time and money in their core business.”

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For its first edition, the concept scored points with the fashion show by the Prototypes brand, which featured Kanye West and his partner Bianca Censori in the front row.

Will the RUN operation be duplicated? Certainly, but perhaps not as soon as the next Women’s Fashion Week. The WSN team is currently looking for a venue that could meet its needs.

Finally, management is pleased to see some of its concepts being replicated internationally. In 2022, WSN launched a street culture festival called DRP. DRP combines board sports, basketball, gaming, a passion for sneakers and urban ready-to-wear brands. For the first time, DRP will have an international version.

Organisers Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival (J3F) have approached the French organiser to duplicate the concept in Indonesia. From July 26 to August 4, the event will feature skate and basketball demonstrations, concerts, street art and fashion. The Parisian pop-up store PTSF will be showcasing four French brands. WSN sees an opportunity to express itself far beyond Paris, with urban cultures and codes shared by virtually every major city on the planet.