MODA REVIEW Strong launch for A/W 17 at Moda Footwear
A/W 17 is officially underway following a strong edition of Moda Footwear in February. The UK’s biggest footwear show confirmed its position as the live event for the shoe trade, with a bolstered offer of industry staples and inspiring new design.
B
uyers across the board praised the brand mix at the show, which confirmed its
position as the most complete destination for footwear across the men’s, women’s and children’s sectors.
“Moda has become the major showcase for
international shoe brands in Northern Europe,” says Robin Elt, owner of Robin Elt shoes, an independent footwear chain with ten stores nationwide. “The brand mix is an eclectic mix of premium and value brands which should satisfy most retailers, and we were able to visit both our core suppliers and source exciting new product to provide us with that ever-necessary point of different. In brief – a good result.”
The new brands on offer inspired buyers to
embrace the new season with steely optimism despite ongoing tough trading conditions.
“We placed a lot of orders this time around,
including a few new accounts,” says Fiona Breen, owner of footwear independent Walk Shoes, Cork, Ireland. “Overall, it was a very successful buying trip and – once again – we also enjoyed the seminars on offer.”
New brands in particular were in high demand as buyers sought inspiring new ideas to
24 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • MARCH/APRIL 2017
reinvigorate their autumn offer. With a host of new arrivals including Candice Cooper, Hotter, Joe Browns, NeroGiardini, Jose Saenz and Oak & Hyde, Moda Footwear didn’t disappoint when it came to branching out into new territory.
Moda Footwear played host to the launch of
Oak & Hyde, a new British footwear label created by two of the industry’s long-established agents Martin Davey and Graham Baister.
“We chose to launch to the trade at Moda
Footwear because of the number of good quality retailers in attendance at the show,” says Martin Davey. “From first thing Sunday when we were approached by a retailer at the top of our wish-list, the show exceeded our expectations, and confirmed that the footwear industry can still thrive if retailers get the right product in store.”
Fellow new arrival Jose Saenz enjoyed a
similarly buoyant show, fuelled by its distinctive Spanish styling and fresh approach to design which piqued the interest of UK buyers. “The brand has been so well-received that we are already looking at coming back with a bigger presence next season,” says UK agent Declan McChesney, who has the inside knowledge of what
sells from his own footwear store Cahill Brothers in Newry, Northern Ireland. “I know myself that the brand sells in store, and I have also had the chance to buy into some new labels of my own including the first autumn offer from Holster.”
Holster expanded beyond summer flip flops
and sandals for the first time this season, unveiling an autumn offer characterised by cool metallics, shimmering nudes and on-trend sports luxe silhouettes.
“The orders on the first day surpassed our
expectations,” says Jo Goodwin, UK distributor for the label. “Autumn is a new direction for us but this show has actually been stronger than the autumn edition, so it’s absolutely confirmed that this was the right move for us.”
At the more trend-led end of the footwear
spectrum, high street favourite Joe Browns made a successful foray into wholesale with its debut at Moda Footwear. “This has been such a successful show for us,” says Claire Ireland, divisional sales manager. “We have really benefitted from having the full cross-section of retailers here because Joe Browns is a full lifestyle label, and we can see a lot of potential for building upon our wholesale operation in seasons to come.”
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