FIMI: a new boost for children´s fashion

The 64th FIMI, the International Fair of Children´s and Young People´s Fashion, came to a close recently in Valencia (concurrently with Zero to Four, the childcare fair), registering a total of 12,350 trade visitors representing practically the whole spectrum of retailing in this sector. There was also a 5% increase in the number of buyers coming from outside Spain. At this FIMI, trade visitors played a major role, with a number of actions organised specifically to make them "feel that FIMI is their fair," in the words of Pepa Ortiz, director of the fair. Both Denmark with its own fashion show and a model crèche, and Portugal, coupling children´s fashion and art, organising tie-in events at the fair.

Portugal, Italy and France continue being the main countries of origin, although with a significant growth in the number of buyers from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Also remarkable was the presence of commercial missions from Russia, a major importer of Spanish Children´s Fashion products.

Once again, Pasarela FIMI was one of the main attractions of the fair, with the participation of brands like AKR Kids, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Bóboli, Giesswein, Lourdes, Mini a Ture, Pan con Chocolate, Pif by Aymeric, Rubio Kids by Hortensia Maeso, Tuc Tuc and Tutto Piccolo. They all put on the catwalk the clothes that children will be wearing next winter. In this edition, fashion was full of the magic and fantasy of the world´s greatest show, the circus, with three different trends: Black Clown, Magic World and Acrobat (Saltimbanqui).

Another of the activities involved the participation of designer Manu Fernández who presented the new solidarity children´s fashion line Global Collection, in collaboration with the NGO Global Humanitaria. The goal was to create a line of children´s and young people´s clothes to raise funds for development projects implemented by this NGO.

IMI Awards

A new feature at this edition was the IMI Awards. Promoted by FIMI, the goal of the new awards is to reward innovation, recognising already existing innovating projects and encouraging this practice in companies not yet won over. The project responds to the conviction that innovation is an absolute precondition for differentiation. The awards are part of a plan aimed at providing a new boost to fashion and accessories, managed by the IMPIVA, the Valencian institute for small and medium enterprises.
The awards are divided into three categories, each one with a cash prize of 3000 Euros. The first category goes to best product innovation; the second will distinguish management techniques, tools and methodologies innovating productive processes in this sector; finally, the third category rewards innovative initiatives in marketing and commercialisation. The awards are open to all Spanish children´s fashion companies. The awards were announced in this 64th FIMI and the name of the winners will be made public in the upcoming FIMI event, to be held from 6th to 8th July 2007.