Friday, August 05, 2011
PAi Inc. at BREAD AND BUTTER, Berlin
PAi INC. attended Berlin's BREAD & BUTTER trade show last month. This show was held on July 6-8th at the Tempelhof Airport in Berlin.
BREAD & BUTTER PRESS REPORTS...
Review of THE BREAD & BUTTER SUPERSHOW
"The 25th BREAD & BUTTER – tradeshow for selected brands, which took place from 6-8 July, 2011 for the fifth time on the historic grounds of the Berlin-Tempelhof Airport, is reporting outstanding results. The tradeshow, which started out in 2001 as an off-show for selected brands in Cologne, celebrated its ten-year anniversary under the motto 'THE BREAD & BUTTER SUPERSHOW'.
BREAD & BUTTER presented another balanced and strong exhibitor portfolio, distinguished once again by an increase in quality. Around 580 exhibitors, the leading, market-relevant brands, labels and designers of the Street and Urbanwear market, attended the leading international tradeshow, where they presented their new collections for the Spring/Summer 2012 season to the professional audience." -breadandbutter.com
Joshua Sanders, Senior Product Designer at PAi, sat down with us to share his take on the show. Read about it below.
What is your role at and how long have you been at PAi INC.?
Joshua:I've been working at PAi since 1999... Some of my earliest responsibilities included designing logos and branding for various headwear applications. After that, I spent a few years learning the technical aspects of screen-printing, where I spent most of my time creating designs and then digitally separating them so that they could be printed on garments. Currently, I'm a Senior Product Designer and I design and develop licensed soft accessories (headwear, scarves & gloves) for several of our premium fashion labels. I work directly with the design leaders of these brands at each of their respective offices (including New York City, Los Angeles, London and Montreal) and I spend much time visiting our manufacturers throughout Asia to develop the finished product.
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Why does PAi attend Bread and Butter? Which labels do we represent?
Joshua: We attend B&B Berlin to support the labels with which we currently maintain licensure, to see first-hand how our customers respond to the new product collections, to investigate opportunities for new category additions, and to study how the exhibitors and attendees express themselves through fashion. Our brands that attended the show are True Religion Brand Jeans, Robert Graham, Ben Sherman, Pajar and Original Penguin.
Is this your first time attending? If not, how many times have you attended previously?
Joshua: This was my first time to attend.
How was Bread and Butter the same or different from US trade shows such as Project, etc.
Joshua: This show wasn't as large as some of the shows in the US, but the quality of labels represented was extremely impressive. B&B seemed very well organized, specific booths were very easy to find and the people-watching at this show surpassed anything I've attended in Las Vegas or New York.
What new trends did you notice?
Joshua: One of the most unique trends that I noticed was in the prevalence of accessories... Straw hats and Newsboy's Caps were abundant. Lightweight scarves, suspenders and unique bags (for Men and Women) were also very visible. Proven, classic American brands (such as Levi's, Wolverine, Red Wing Boots, Lee, Wrangler, etc.) are enjoying a HUGE following there.
What is the overall style of the public in Berlin, general wear and accessories? Do you think these fashions will migrate to the US?
Joshua: The expression of fashion by people in the neighborhoods I visited was absolutely amazing. The unique thing about style there is the emphasis on "individual fashion". Everyone experiments with different looks and attempts to create something unique... their desire is not to simply look like everyone else. I think some of these trends may migrate here, especially to areas that already follow fashion trends. European cities are generally at least a season or two ahead of the US market, though.
What inspiration did you get from Bread and Butter and/or shopping/observing in Berlin?
Joshua: Shopping and spending time analyzing how people dress in Berlin was so refreshing. Everyone seems to think outside the box when determining how they want to express themselves. That's what makes it fun... I couldn't wait to get home and start designing :)
Any extra thoughts or things to share?
Joshua: I have a new favorite store... it's called 14 oz. and it's AMAZING.
