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MODA REVIEW
Moda Footwear reports a strong summer show
Moda Footwear closed the doors on a
buzzing spring/summer 2013
edition this week. The organisers
reported a rise in attendance
matched by reports of increased order
volumes across the show. The event, the
most important show on the UK footwear
calendar and part of the UK’s largest
trade fashion exhibition, played host to
new season’s collections from over 400
brands, including a large number showing
at Moda Footwear for the first time.
The show’s growing contemporary zone Select
saw first time appearances from brands including
Denmark’s Jack & Jones Footwear, US label K
Swiss, British brand We Are Saints and iconic
French brand Palladium. “As newcomers to the
show we had a great reaction, particularly from
independents,” says Palladium’s Joel Crane.
“Showing the brand in Select has enabled us to
promote it to a wider audience than we’d
otherwise have been able to do, and we saw a lot
of accounts that we’re now going to be following
up with after the show.”
Stephen McKiernan, UK key account manager
for Jack & Jones Footwear, also reported a
successful show. “We were absolutely inundated
with orders from the moment the show opened on
the Sunday, and had signed up six new accounts
just within the first few hours,” he says. “We had a
lot of interest from the right kind of store, and will
definitely be coming back next season.”
14 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • SEPTEMBER 2012
Moda Footwear’s regular exhibitors praised both
the quality of retailer attending the show and the
number of new accounts opened over the three
days, despite a difficult summer for many stores.
Rod Klau, agent for women’s footwear brands
Fiona McGuinness, Diavolina and Dollybird
reported successful sales across all three brands.
“We had a great reaction to the collections this
season, and opened new accounts with buyers
from the UK and overseas. One of our key aims
this season was to build up our network of
independent stockists, and that’s exactly what
we achieved.” Visitor attendance at Moda
increased by 3 per cent on the previous year,
with the show attracting footwear retailers
including leading London indies Bullfrogs and
Author, Edwards of Manchester, Modish of
Cambridge and Saffron Walden and Bishops of
Coleraine, as well as independent chains
including Charles Clinkard and Pavers.
Department stores visiting the show included
Fenwick, Beales, Bentalls and Arnotts, as well as
on-line retailers including Amazon and ASOS.
Sarah Decent, owner of Modish, visited the
show on the lookout for new brands as well as to
place orders with existing suppliers. “Moda has
always been a good show for me, and having
discovered Mustang there last season I was
pleased to be able to place another order with
them this season,” she says. “I’m also hoping to
be able to follow up with some new labels I saw at
the show such as Rapisardi. I was very impressed
by their spring/summer collection.”
Demian Brewster, managing director of
Bullfrogs, praised the breadth of product on offer
at Moda Footwear. “Moda Footwear is now an
essential date on our calendar due to the sheer
number and diversity of brands, both fashion and
mainstream,” he says. “Our team had another
good show this season, helped by the fact that the
event is very well edited and easy to navigate.”
Andrew Marshall, owner of independent chain
Strolling 4 Shoes in Cumbria, commented: “After
such a tough season we felt it was imperative we
gave ourselves the time to really look closely at
what we’re buying for spring/summer next year,”
he says. “We were very impressed with Josef
Seibel, whose collection was extremely good value
and all at their normal high quality. Tamaris also
looked good, and ART had some great styles at
very competitive prices.”
Moda Footwear event director Sean O’Connor
comments: “This summer has been a tough
season for a lot of footwear retailers in the UK,
but the positive feedback from brands and
exhibitors over the three days of Moda showed
that our industry is still in a good state of health.
It’s also showed just how important it is for
retailers to have a full overview of the new
season’s ranges and be able to seek out new
product, and that’s exactly the platform which
Moda Footwear seeks to provide.”
Moda Footwear will present the
autumn/winter 13 collections from 17-19
February at the NEC Birmingham.