Anyone looking for a radically new and different trend direction might have been disappointed with the latest edition of Scoop this week. But anyone seeking a strong, quality product offer with which they could  just about fill their entire store for SS26 would have come away happy.

The overall story was, as always with this show, about subtly, imperceptibly even, moving the trend forward and brands known for a unique style that stays relatively constant.

It’s also a testament to the enduring appeal of the loose-cut printed dress and it’s sometimes interesting to see how many interpretations of that can be found and can genuinely stand out from the crowd.

The event remained at London’s Olympia this time (although in a different hall — Olympia National — that was easier to find than last season) and with its ‘Magical Edition’ theme, the venue’s embellishment, the ethereal mannequins as you entered, even the xylophone player at the entrance all added an entertaining edge to a show that’s very much a ‘let’s get down to business’ one.

And business is key. Forget the runways and seminar programmes at other shows. Here it’s all about the stands and the collections. And those stands are increasingly mixed between the women’s clothing that makes up the bulk of the offer, the accessories and ever more jewellery and beauty exhibitors.

So to get down to detail, there were over 200 premium, contemporary designer collections and visitors came from some distance away (Japan and the Caribbean probably being the furthest). European buyers were out in force, with the negative psychological impact of Brexit perhaps less of an issue? There was a strong Irish contingent of buyers too (maybe due to the same reason), as well as plenty from Northern England, Scotland and Wales, in addition to the heavy presence of those from the Southern England for whom London is a much easier trip.

Visitors included independents such as Matthew Williamson, Cordelia James, Chattertons, Cavells, The Dressing Room, Bob & Ted, Sister, Anya, Doyle’s, Sass & Edge, Browns, and The Mercantile. And major department stores including El Corte Inglés, Galeries LaFayette, Printemps, Anthropologie, Le Bon Marche, Fenwick, John Lewis, Frasers, Voisins, Morley Stores, and Macbees were there.

Brand focus

The mix of brands showing was cosmopolitan too with plenty from the UK, of course, but 35 from France, 25 from Spain, 10 from Greece, and 20 each from Italy and Denmark.

On the show floor, Nordic contemporary brand Noen embraced the print and embroidery focus of the show but did it with an individual twist. Particularly striking was its Art Nouveau-influenced line-drawn print, found on dresses and separates and appealing enough to work for co-ords that might have been overpowering if more colours had been used. The overall colour palette was built around white with blues, greys, lilacs, creams and a hint of lemon. 

The team told us that buyers wanted “newness, freshness, natural fibres, something quirky, not ‘flat’ and nice embroidery”. And buyers were very aware that “consumers don’t want a one-day wonder, they want to build up wardrobes”.

At the joint Bl-nk (pronounced Blank) and Conditions Apply stand, it was an interesting situation of the former (and older) brand being new to the show and the latter having shown there for 10 years. Also interesting was that while print was a major story for Bl-nk in the dominant colours of mid-green and pink, “we haven’t done quite so much, we’ve incorporated more block colours, so more plains, in order to enable our clients to be able to have a little bit more breadth in terms of how they can style. We think it’s slightly bewildering to have something that’s very, very print heavy, but then to have a plane to break it up makes it slightly more palatable”. That said, the label has been more ambitious for the season with items like a dress with head to toe lines of frills.

For Conditions Apply, the story was built more around the fabrics and details, along with the prints — but it was another celebration of maximalism, although one that in this case made the most of traditional Indian textile techniques. 

Australian label Palm Noosa also embraced print but in a much bolder form. The watchword here was perhaps ‘fun’ and the story was all about conversational prints that were pure summer.

Represented by agency Claret Showroom, dresses were cut loose and fluid and were primarily longer-length, although this time there were minis too — think slightly flared tunic shapes and fringed minis — suggesting a targeting of a wide age range as well as ensuring there’s something for the existing, slightly older customer.

French brand Les Filles D’Ailleurs is a regular at the show and one that can always be relied upon to offer an alternative to the maximalist, print-heavy focus that many of the labels embrace. This time its palette of an almost-lemon cream, white, pale pink, blue and grey was a subtle backdrop for surface effects and textural finishes. A simple full skirt was transformed with an ultra-light taffeta that can work as well when crinkled as when smooth. And a perennially popular shirt dress reinvented given an edge with an allover bubble texture.

Spanish labels were out in force, as were jewellery brands, underlining the increasing importance of this category to fashion boutiques as well as specialist jewellers. Combining both, UNOde50 (showing for only the second time)
summed up the strong trend for sometimes-abstract organic forms in gold or silver, largely devoid of gemstones. 

Founded in the 1990s and with prices ranging from around £35 up to £150, it hits the sweet spot for many womenswear boutiques, although its designs are as much about “statement artworks” as fashion pieces so it’s no surprise to hear that it sells to art galleries as well as fashion stores. It saw particularly strong interest in its Manta Ray collection at Scoop.

Another Spanish brand and Scoop first-timer, PDPaola, has been intensifying its efforts in the UK market in recent periods (as well as the US) with store openings and it’s clear from its presence at the show that wholesale is crucial too. Featuring sterling silver, 18-carat gold- and rhodium-plating, it has an in-built advantage with its 1.6 million Instagram followers and actress Kelly Rutherford as a  brand ambassador.

Despite having 45 stores globally, it’s also strong in wholesale and in the UK already sells to Selfridges, Liberty, John Lewis and a number of major independents. At the event it was showing its letter necklaces, charms, and sculptural pieces (again, a major trend at the show and a strong interpretation of it by a co-founder who was originally an architect), which it said were well-received by independent retailers. The brand is considering returning to the show based on the sales on day one alone.

And once again from Spain, footwear brand Naguisa was doing strong business based on its reimagining of Spanish classics. Think espadrilles with a twist and more. That could have simply been a new type of braiding for an espadrille effect around the edge of a pair of sandals. But it was also taken further with crochet and intricately woven leather uppers (both of which we’re told were proving popular).

The view from the show floor

It was hard to find anyone showing at Scoop with a bad word to say about it. And while a few seasons back, some had bemoaned the move from the Saatchi gallery to Olympia, everyone seemed happy this time with the space at Olympia National.

And despite Sunday afternoon (day one) being quiet, perhaps due to the men’s Wimbledon final, exhibitors seemed happy with overall attendance by day three.

Alex Radford of agency Palladio Associates said it had been “super busy” with the Vilagallo, Dream Catcher and Orfeo Paris brands it was showing all strong. It saw “a lot of good buyers” including French department stores. “The layout this season is better, the wider aisles make it easier for the buyers and shows the collections better and make it easier to do business”.

Sam Hunt and Tara Marie Roche of London and New York-based bags brand écotorie said they’d “written orders, seen old friends and new customers, so we couldn’t be happier. It’s been the right type of retailers too, more premium, from lovely areas like Richmond, Chiswick, Norwich, Ireland, Scotland and overseas as well”.

New to the event was Stephane Kelian and the label’s president Estelle Bauer called it “wonderful… Launching a French collection that is quite expensive can be difficult but here it has received incredible feedback. I do a lot of fairs including Germany and Tokyo, Scoop really stands out, the atmosphere is warm, and the entire show is beautiful. I would definitely like to return in February”.

Maria Alvares Rilla of Spain’s Sophie and Lucie called it “the most beautiful show you can go to in Europe, it is boutique and so well curated. What [organiser] Karen Radley does at Scoop is to act as a host, so you feel you are part of something special and very personal. The show has its own rhythm, you can work steadily here without feeling overcrowded but meeting all the right boutiques and stores. For Sophie and Lucie it is an important show, and the UK is becoming one of our most important markets”.