Who’s Next Revamps Lineup, Adds Shoppe Object Paris to Attract Multibrand Retailers

WSN wants shopping to start the year with less friction. The next edition of the Parisian fashion trade fair Who’s Next will take place from January 17th to 19th at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles with a “reinvented” format that concentrates five fairs in the same pavilion: Who’s Next, Bijorhca, Shoppe Object Paris, Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris, under the concept Room 0126, installed in Hall 7.

The initiative seeks to organize the multi-brand map in a context in which the assortment is no longer constructed solely by watertight categories. The trade show group thus appeals to complete silhouettes, combining “impact” pieces with volume products. At Who’s Next, this reading translates into a clearer separation between ready-to-wear and accessories, designed to shorten times and make the offer more readable for the professional buyer.

Behind this organization is the group’s own turnaround. WSN stresses that, in ten years, it has gone from organizing two events a year to twelve, with Who’s Next at its core. “We offer much more than a trade show,“ says CEO Frédéric Maus, who defines the show as a space for exchange, learning and inspiration for independent retail.

The readjustment will also be seen in the exhibitor mix. Among those consolidating their presence are DK Company, with brands such as Ichi and B Young, and brands such as La Fée Maraboutée. In denim, Shaft will expand its premium proposal, while Save The Duck will use the event to present its women’s line, reinforcing the weight of womenswear within a fair historically very marked by the transversal offer.

WSN will hold its winter edition from January 17th to 19th in Paris

WSN also incorporates concepts born in the direct channel that are looking for a wholesale route. The presence of new entrants such as I Am Active Studios points to this consumer transition to multi-brand. In parallel, the Brut Icon space will act as a showcase for more marked identities, with proposals such as Outré, focused on a closet for customers seeking distinctive universes.

In accessories, the show reinforces its role as a platform for footwear, leather goods and accessories, with brands such as Woden, Naked Wolfe or G.H. Bass, along with returns such as Anita Bilardi and new additions such as Biasa or Multitudes. In jewelry, the showcase is completed with names like Cath’s, An-Née or Irene d’Arloz.

The scenography will be part of the message. Under a highly cared aesthetic, Hall 7 will be reorganized as an “imaginary hotel”, articulated by thematic floors. A lobby will serve as the entrance and, from there, spaces dedicated to materials, jewelry, design and accessories, with a final touch in a rooftop area linked to fashion and beauty. The aim of the trade fair institution is to guide the buyer through more defined worlds and make an increasingly broad offer navigable.

Along this path, Impact and Neonyt Paris will once again occupy their own place as a platform for responsible initiatives, with a professional space format that will bring together designers, researchers, associations, upcycling experts and material innovation studios. The Fashion Green Hub space will present support tools, while the La Seconde Vintage podcast will record conversations around the second hand.

The next fair will feature five formats and will focus on the ‘total look’

The program will also include projects linked to new materials and their impact, such as Biofluff and the Quatre Pattes association, together with Studio Griffé, which focuses on how to activate archives and integrate them into the product strategy.

Bijorhca, owned by the Boci federation and operated by WSN, will dedicate this edition to a theme centered on love, which will mark the scenography and editorial line of the show. The program will feature diverse profiles, from independent designers to manufacturers, established houses and stone suppliers, with the intention of offering a seasonal overview of the jewelry market.

The strategic novelty, on the other hand, will come from the lifestyle side. Shoppe Object Paris will join as a newcomer and confirms how fashion retailing is stretching towards a universe proposal, beyond the garment. The selection includes categories such as decoration, ceramics, stationery, textiles, fragrances and objects, designed for concept stores that expand their assortment to reinforce identity and purchase recurrence.

In its first edition in Paris, the fair will bring together an international selection of brands and studios from countries such as the United States, England, France and Japan. Among the names mentioned are Serax, Mud Australia, Papier Tigre, Zequenz or Kerzon, as well as proposals linked to textiles and objects such as Lavie or Cushendale Woollen Mills.

Finally, the tandem Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris will strengthen their connection in this edition. Interfilière will continue to function as a meeting point for materials, with lace, embroidery, technical fabrics, innovative fibers and textile solutions, while the expanded sourcing itinerary will accompany product projects in different categories, from ready-to-wear to accessories.