Perino by Woolyarns had a successful trip to Europe this month to exhibit their collection of luxurious brushtail possum blended yarn. First the team went to Florence in Italy to exhibit at the exclusive Pitti Filati 79 show, an international trade event from Pitti Immagine that focuses on research, quality and innovation in yarns for translation into knitwear. Then Perino by Woolyarns headed to Paris for SpinExpo‘s first yarn exhibition in the French capital. Both shows were a huge success, with knitting mills, textile buyers and designers visiting the Perino by Woolyarns booths to be the first to see the light. Woolyarns marketing manager, Jimad Khan said “we made a lot of new contacts and met with some existing buyers too, figures revealed an increase in numbers at Pitti Filati and we definitely felt that on the stand.”
Pitti Filati celebrated its 79th year of showcasing the world’s most exciting and innovative apparel yarns and fabrics in the research and design laboratory style show. This key international event held at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence brings together the fashion industries elite to be inspired by world class designer yarns, innovative trend predictions and the beautiful city of Florence. With designers including Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, Phillip Lim, The Row and Todd Snyder attending the event, yarn manufacturers including New Zealand’s Woolyarns have an incredible opportunity to meet potential customers. Major trends this year included light and airy themes, softness and volume without weight making Perino by Woolyarns the perfect match for designers.
It was the second year at Pitti Filati for Perino by Woolyarns exhibiting to new customers as well as welcoming those introduced to the luxurious blends last year. With numbers at the show up 4% overall, the Perino by Woolyarns booth was kept very busy. Visitors were able to feel the premium blends for themselves and take away knitted swatches, media kits and colour fanbooks to inspire their design teams. This year’s booth design was fresh and enticing, complete with a glass framed window display, lightboxes and hanging swatches of fabric, just waiting to inspire. New Zealand wines from Pegasus Bay and Amisfield vineyards, were a refreshing addition to the booth allowing visitors to relax into the afternoon. Sean Kelly‘s designs for Perino by Woolyarns were beautiful, showcasing the possibility to transform the yarns to the whims of any imagination.
SpinExpo’s Paris show, the first in French capital, was also a huge success, drawing fashion designers, buyers and textile producers together to be wowed by premium yarn displays. The Spinexpo events in New York, Shanghai and now Paris are highly regarded by knitwear professionals and international designers for a source of inspiration and innovation. Among visitors to the show were major fashion brands including Chloè, Isabel Marant, Hugo Boss, Kenzo, Prada and Tommy Hilfiger. It was an exciting opportunity for Perino by Woolyarns to exhibit to these and other international fashion houses and knitting manfacturers. The show was much more intimate compared to Pitti Filati 79 and allowed brands to spend a little more time at each booth. This was a great opportunity for Perino by Woolyarns to increase their brand awareness and share the unique story of brushtail possum fibre and the yarns they contribute to.
Exhibiting at prestigious events such as Pitti Filati and SpinExpo challenges and inspires the Perino by Woolyarns team. It is wonderful to see the designers and manufacturers react to their first touch of Perino, sparking imaginations and allowing the Perino team to learn about the specific needs of each buyer. Now back at the Woolyarns headquarters in Wellington, New Zealand, preparations for their next international textiles event have already begun. SpinExpo Shanghai is from the 30th of August until 1st of September this year and the Woolyarns booth will welcome anyone wanting to feel the world of firsts that is Perino.