The Interview: Gloria Sandrucci, Event Director, Pure London

London’s much-loved fashion buying event Pure London returns to Olympia this weekend and looks set to offer visitors a superbly curated edit of established brands and up and coming designers from the UK and around the world, as well as a jam-packed schedule of insightful talks, trend presentations, and catwalk shows created to bring to life the forthcoming season and highlight some of the most important issues in the industry.

We caught up with Fashion trade show Pure London's event Director, Gloria Sandrucci to discover more.

What makes this season and you stand out from other tradeshows?

It’s been the most extraordinary two years and Pure London has been sorely missed by so many. There is a palpable appetite for its return and a genuine excitement to get back to Olympia for one of the UK’s most inspiring and forward-thinking fashion trade shows.

In addition to the curated edit of womenswear, accessories, jewellery and footwear you would expect, we are renowned for offering the best trend presentations, insightful and inspirational speakers, trend-led catwalk shows, and guidance on sustainability and other key issues facing our industry.

A truly global show, our 30+ agents around the world have brought on board some stunning designers and brands, as well as country and region pavilions including France, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Italy.

The Catwalk stage is one of the biggest highlights at the show and Pure London’s official trend agency partner Promostyl will deliver three trend presentations on The Catwalk this season.

Danié

Who are the speakers and why have you asked them to speak?

We have just announced model and activist Arizona Muse and Dana Thomas, author of Fashionopolis, as keynote speakers headlining our Power of One® sustainability content. Kicking off the Power of One® sessions, Dana will open the content programme on Sunday at 11am discussing it is important and imperative to be eco-responsible in fashion, from field to form.

On Monday 2pm, she will then be in conversation with Arizona sharing their passion for raising awareness around the climate emergency, biodynamic farming, and some of the positive solutions for businesses keen to support a regenerative and sustainable future.

TV’s Mark Heyes and stylist Lynne McKenna are running a styling session aimed at providing tips and advice for the core indie customer with a special focus on how to style 45+ women. Take a look at the full programme here.

  Mark Heyes & Lynne McKenna

How did the Power of One campaign develop?

The campaign launched in 2018 at Pure London, raising the conversation around sustainability in the fashion retail industry.

Power of One has now been rolled out across the UK portfolio of shows at Hyve and is part of Hyve’s broader Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. The campaign has accelerated and continues championing the brands, suppliers, and retailers we work with along the way. Now a registered trademark, Power of One energises retailers and consumers to take small steps to change the future from championing and raising awareness of eco-friendly materials to making sure workers are treated fairly.

This season, we have created three simple but impactful pledges as part of our Empowering Change theme to encourage circular economy practices, combat overproduction, and prioritise wellness. To get involved more info is at www.purelondon.com/power-of-one

Why have you decided to start showing jewellery and what impact do you think having this category will have at the show?

With our knowledge and heritage in the fashion and jewellery industry it was the natural progression for the show to have a stunning curated space showcasing fine and precious jewellery, silver jewellery, and branded jewellery from across the world with a focus on contemporary, ethical, and sustainable designers.

Fashion boutiques have started to sell more luxury jewellery and consumers are buying pieces that are made to last. I am really excited to welcome Rancangelo, beautiful hand-crafted jewellery from my hometown of Vicenza. And don’t miss Georgia Wang, a new jewellery brand called Alina Salabin, Kamena from Poland, and London-based Amertousi creating handmade jewellery as wearable art.

What can visitors to Pure Origin expect this season?

Pure Origin brings the fashion supply chain under one roof Pure and is the gateway for global fabric manufacturers to break into the UK retail market. From Peru to the Nepal, India to the UAE, and Turkey to North Macedonia and back to the UK, Pure Origin will offer diverse international manufacturers, providing an unprecedented choice of fabrics for the UK fashion community to responsibly source and create their next collections and best-selling ranges.

20 new country pavilions including the UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, North Macedonia, Turkey, Peru, UAE, Italy, Madagascar, Jordan, China, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, Japan, India, and Malaysia, will feature a variety of manufacturers and suppliers, many presenting their services and products in the UK for the first time.

How does it feel to bringing Pure London back and in person events?

It is incredibly exciting. I can’t wait to welcome everyone back and experience the buzz of the show floor again. There is no similar or practical alternative to in person events, buyers need to see and feel the collections, talk and network, and see the new season come to life. Pure London delivers that and so much more.

Register for Fashion Trade Show Pure London here. 

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