The opening day of the inaugural Pure LONDON X JATC show at Olympia on Sunday February 11 welcomed hundreds of retailers from across the UK and internationally including ASOS, Lark London, Jarrolds, Plumo, Slate Clothing, Marisa Helene, Armed and Gorgeous, Domino Style, Leonies, Dragonfly Boutique, The Snotty Fox, Dolls House, and many more.
Visiting the three-day landmark event, billed as ‘the London festival of fashion’, buyers commented on the vibrant atmosphere, new retail categories, and the diverse array of brands – and exhibitors were excited by the crowds of high calibre visitors.
Anna Lisle, buyer at Terracotta in Rugby, said: “It’s been brilliant. There’s a good offering of all our usual brands as well as some nice new ones. The show’s been put together very nicely, and edited in a helpful way. I love the way the shows are all together: three shows in one venue!”
Meg Andrews-Brown from The Nest Pamphill in Wimborne, said: “It’s been great. We’ve found quite a few new brands that we like the look of, including one that’s just down the road from us that we hadn’t discovered before and we’ve forward ordered with them. Pure London x JATC is definitely where we come to look for new brands.”
Gill Tennant, owner of Main Womenswear in Ilkley, said: “I come to Pure London x JATC to pick up new brands. I clock things and it’s always good to see the fashion shows – and I like to watch and listen to the guest speakers.”
Exhibitors were equally positive. Nikki Collins, founder of Conscious Yoga Collective, said: “We’ve had every multiple here, and almost everyone who stopped has ordered straight away. We’ve had the most incredible buy for all of their stores, we can’t wait to see what the rest of the show brings!”
Carole Alexender, sales director of Revolution Now, said: “We’ve had a great reaction for our first day. Our knitwear has been popular; buyers are loving the matching little dog knits that come in five sizes. Interestingly, a lot of women’s stores have come by looking to set up some of our menswear accessories in-store for Christmas – our scarves have been really popular for this.”
Lisa and Tina from Chalk said: “This is our first show back since 2020, and it’s been great, with new customers – some international and some of our existing customers. For day one, we’re really pleasantly surprised.”
James McGrath, founder of Big Metal, said: “The show has been really interesting with the new format, and half of our customers today have been brand new!”
JATC creative director Juls Dawson commented: “Buyers were thrilled with the news that Pure LONDON X JATC were coming together under one roof, and it’s been great to see so many coming to the event. The response from brands and retailers has been really positive and it’s been a joy to walk the floor!”
Pure LONDON X JATC takes place until February 13, presenting a curated selection of more than 300 brands. Visitors can look forward to catwalks, trend presentations, seminars from inspirational speakers, and sustainability workshops. Scoop International also takes place until February 13 at Olympia West.
