A quarter-century of STYL and KABO fashion fairs

Premieres of collections ready for the next-season, trends presented by fashion experts, B2B meetings and exclusive shows. The STYL and KABO trade fairs have been serving the fashion industry twice a year for the last 25 years. In February, fashion for the autumn-winter season 2018/2019 will play the key role, and for the first time, fashion bloggers will be actively taking part.

The history of the STYL and KABO fairs began exactly a quarter century ago. At the beautiful functionalist exhibition centre in Brno, the first annual fair devoted exclusively to textiles, footwear, leather haberdashery and jewellery was being prepared. This was a novelty on the Czech market that met the rising demand for contract meetings held twice a year in the rhythm of changing fashion seasons. The idea has been successful, it has been operating for 25 years, and collections of 780 brands have been presented at the last jubilee 50^th edition, which was attended by approximately five thousand professional visitors.

The 51^st STYL and KABO fairs will be held from 17 to 19 February. Merchants will see new collections for the upcoming autumn and winter, and besides traditional participants, they will also be enticed by a number of newcomers. At the STYL trade fair, these will include for example luxury German homewear, swimwear, beach and leisure fashion Plantier, there will also be exhibitions by two German designers with their own brands for the first time. Two Greek brands of clothes, swimwear and homewear will be introduced: Pink Label and Pen.ky. The Italian company Emme Evolution will bring the Pregiò Couture collection to Brno, representing elegant and functional women's outerwear - parkas and jackets. Conto Bene Jeans denim fashion are coming from Serbia, and women's fashion Dunka or men's Folstop collection from Poland. The offer will also be extended by several textile and clothing suppliers from India and Pakistan.

For the first time, some smaller Czech manufacturers will also be exhibiting. There is teenage clothing of comfortable cuts hiding under the Carri BOOm brand - t-shirts, dresses, sweatshirts and skirts made of cotton with elastane. DivaModa will present a collection of extravagant women's fashion named Mexton. Kratochvil Styl is a brand of ladies' clothing of original design, while Angra CZ brings headwear to Brno. Suppliers of end manufacturers will also be present. CNM Textile Company will be offering inkjet printing on natural cotton and linen materials and another premiere will be held by Stick, one of the largest embroidery companies in Slovakia with its own programming studio.

KABO will also expand the traditional offer with new brands. We can look forward to S.Pietro shoes from Greece and also to three companies with leather haberdashery, belts and gloves from Pakistan. The Czech company Medico prevent will be exhibiting for the first time; they focus on comfortable and healthy footwear of foreign brands: BF are leather sneakers for the whole family with special technology for softer step, Szamos is a traditional Hungarian brand of high quality children's shoes, Medico is a children's health footwear brand, the Trek brand represents Russian all-leather outdoor boots for difficult natural conditions, and Klartex shoes are designed for everyday wear. In the segment of handbags, bags and backpacks, the collections by playful Sammao or Lilió using floral motifs will capture attention.

Do not overlook the two novelties in the supporting programme - a two-part special showcase called The Bloggers & Designers Show. The first section will introduce trends for the next season through the eyes of fashion bloggers who will pick trendy pieces directly from exhibitors' collections. In the following section we can look forward to individual collections by Czech and foreign designers. The special show will take place on Sunday 18 February from 6 pm, the public is also invited.

In addition, there are, of course, regular contract fashion shows featuring both ladies' and men's clothing and underwear. Another innovation, the STYL Consultancy Centre, will be located in Hall P next to the ATOK and SOTEX stands, ie. directly on the "Main Street". On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors and exhibitors can make use of the experts' presence and discuss their questions free of charge on the following topics: Correct labelling of material composition according to Regulation 1007 (bamboo, Lycra, Coolmax), all about maintenance symbols, size range of garments and their marking according to the new EN, claims from the manufacturer / dealer / court expert (including legislation and practical issues) and consumer protection issues.

Which businessman would not want to know what colours will be ‘in’ and what will be the next season’s sales hit? The key to trends in ladies' lingerie will be included in a lecture and a fashion show called "Lingerie: What people wear and what they should...", which will take place on 17 February immediately following the LINGERIE Show. Martin Kárych from ALTRA will introduce the current cut solutions and confront them with practical demonstrations. Trends in women's and men's fashion will be presented during the traditional workshop of Dutch designer Ellen Haeser, also linked with a fashion show. It will be held on the same day from 2 pm directly on the catwalk in Hall P and again it will be the only trend seminar in the Czech Republic organized in cooperation with this renowned foreign lecturer.