Wednesday 6 March 2019

Attending KNOW SHOW Fall/Winter 2019-2020

Working Guess' Shearling-Lined Denim Jacket at KnowShow Fall Winter 2019/2020

Have you ever wondered how shops acquire merchandise that they sell? Shops and Boutiques attend Trade Shows where brands showcase their latest products for shop buyers to order for the next season. Unfortunately, such trade shows are closed to the public and can only be attended by retailers. So getting the opportunity to attend KnowShow, Canada's largest tradeshow, was an absolute delight!

A couple weeks back, Know Show had their bi-annual tradeshow at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This was the Fall-Winter 2019/2020 trade show. We might be nearing the end of our chilly season, but the buying for next Fall-Winter takes place a year in advance, so the Spring-Summer tradeshow for 2020 is going to be coming up in a couple of months this summer 2019! 


This Trade Show was serious business because everywhere I looked, I saw retail buyers furiously examining products, taking notes and placing their orders. Unfortunately, it also meant that I could purchase any of the items because everything out on the floor was displayed only. So no deeply discounted wholesale pricing for me! However, on the plus side, I could really take my time and browse all the stalls at my leisure because I was at Know Show for fun. 

I was definitely the anomaly at this Trade Show as it is exclusively to buyers only. Every time I would go to a booth, I would be asked "where I am from". I kept responding with Vancouver because I literally thought buyers came from across North America. Turns out, they were asking what STORE I was purchasing for! Someone jokingly said I was from Wal-Mart which ended up being a running joke for the remainder of my time there. I practically convinced 3/4 of the brands that I was from Wal-Mart; however, I did come clean immediately after their initial reaction. 

Some of the brands were very secretive and had a strict no photograph policy. Such as Reebok which did not joke around and very much inforced their no photography rule. I understand since the "sneaker world" is extremely competitive and they do not want to reveal next year's collection to the public. 

Since this was a Trade Show on the West Coast in Canada, snowboard/ski gear, chunky knits and hipster clothing was very much expected. After visiting all of the booths, here is a recap of the big trends for Fall/Winter 2019-20!

MUSTARD
Everywhere I looked, the deep mustard yellow was shining in all its glory. It had a strong representation throughout the convention. I saw it being used for shows, accessories like toques and of course, in clothing. 

DENIM
The closet staple is once again reunited with its love shearling. Invest in a quality shearling-lined denim jacket. I recommend checking out Guess and Levis for all your denim needs!

HELLO KITTY
Sanrio's iconic loveable kitty is partnering up with several brands including Levis and Herschel. It is time to dig out your Hello Kitty accessories because she is going to be everywhere next winter. 

PRINTED SOCKS
It is time you ditched the boring white gym sock and upgraded to socks with bold prints. Socks are not just for keeping your toes warm but are a way to make a fashion statement.

Aside from getting a sneak peek at next years trends, I also fell in love with a few products that I am just dying to get my hands on! The main one being the leopard-print classic roller blades by Impala Roller Skates! These roller blades are too cool for words and I would kill to have a pair of them for summer! Another unexpected find was a pair of pink high-tops that featured an itty bitty embroidered rainbow which are by STRAYE Footwear and will hopefully be available for the summer. The last item that I really want to pick up for myself is the adorable little Levi's x Hello Kitty fannypack. The Hello Kitty Milk collection is the only Hello Kitty theme that I have ever liked. Again, it will be made available in the future, so until then, I will impatiently wait. 


BYES




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