Pure & Simple. Hearsay.

It was a cracking song. At it's height of popularity I had pajamas & duvet set emblazoned with lyrics & wonderful 'flamey' visuals. Ah.

I went to Pure & Stitch last Sunday til Tuesday. With over 1,100 brands exhibiting across two impressive venues (Earls Court and Olympia) it was a tad overwhelming. Especially considering I felt like a recycling unit the amount of paper launched at me within 2 minutes of entering each venue.

Still, had a jolly, bustling time. Purpose was to have a scout around Stitch; the menswear trade show attempting to get on the international trade calendar. Reasoning being that I'm starting my own style advice site SUPERBAD, so it was a mixture of banter & research. I'd call it a recce for the next event. The various seminars of Ecommerce and the 'future of the internet and marketing' contributed to my snooping. Yet all work and no play made one a boring girl, so I skipped merrily to the WGSN and Drapers seminars;

Trend Presentation with Drapers fashion editor Laura Weir: buying advice to boost profit from the AW11 trends.

Buying and Range Planning

WGSN Trend Edit & Catwalk (x2) using pieces from brands exhibiting at Pure.

Zandra Rhodes and Eric Musgrave: an ode to Rhodes' lifelong love affair with textile (as well as plugging her new book and clothing/accessory range, which is, interesting)

There's an abundance of e-lit around so I shant natter too much. Here's a few visual snaps (comments from left to right correspond with images);

The lovely 1965 buses that shuttled attendees between Olympia and Earls Court. Quaint arrangement for Mina. The look was flirty, young 70s with a burst of florals demanding a picnic on the lawn.

The one, the only Zandra Rhodes presenting her new book (all pre-74 prints) and her new collection

(this was the best of a bad bunch (sorry Z))

Steve Spear interviewing buyers from large companies, to start up boutiques. Absorbing.

Zandra's bag collection, courtesy of the London Insider

At the WGSN Trend Edit presentation, Lorna Hall noted those emerging for AW 11/12;

Faux Real - think texture, angular shapes, conspicuous embellishment and deadened metallics with sheen

Your Space - strict etiquette of the 30s, colour blocking with a palette of grey, khaki and toasted reds. (very Marc by Marc)

*

360 Degrees - futuristic technology fused with ancient traditions; vagabond appearance (!) think Westwood, knitted and fur/knitted overlays (below), grecian twists and drapes (below)

Plus a few brand collection pieces that caught my (easily distracted) eye.

OnePiece

Ya Ya

Kif.if

Derhy

Maggie & Me

Numph

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M. Yes, Mark Hayes was there, presenting a 'how to beat the high street' presentation. I felt it was a little under prepared and his choices were slap-dash. I got the jist though. My he's short (and tangoed). Which leads me to my final note on the event; all the speakers were jut that. Short. Small packages & all that.

Oh & a round of applause to Pure for their organisation, precision and success of an event (I couldn't have functioned without the 'What's on?' sheet).

* this model was quite possibly the sourest grape of the entire span. Not even a hint of a smile.