Scoop London is not your usual trade show. That much is clear from the moment you step into the door where visitors are greeted by the sight of mannequins in expertly styled, brightly coloured outfits perched on fairground horses.
All of this is set against a backdrop of surreal artwork featuring whimsical creatures, one of which is the dog of show founder Karen Radley. The presence of her dog is a symbol of how personal this show – which this season has been dubbed “The Magical Edition”– is to Radley.
While Scoop is owned by exhibitions giant Hyve (which also owns Source Fashion, Spring Fair, Pure and Moda), Radley is still given full creative control of the show. She retains a firm hand on the curation choosing designers who fit her vision. Radley leans towards designers that offer quality, individuality and that certain something you can’t put your finger on. Everything on display warrants a closer look as there are always surprising details.
This being a summer edition there was plenty of resort wear on offer, along with ready to wear, accessories, footwear, jewellery and plenty of add-on buys for boutiques and department stores in the form of beauty and lifestyle products from candles to umbrellas. More than 200 premium, contemporary designer collections were on display and, over the three days of the show, buyers flocked from big name independents and department stores from across the UK, Ireland and Europe (and some from even further afield.
Buyers came from across the UK, Ireland and Europe (and some from further afield)
Representatives from Cordelia James, Chattertons, Cavells, The Dressing Room, Bob & Ted, Sister, Anya, Doyle’s, Sass & Edge, Browns and The Mercantile along with El Corte Inglés, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Anthropologie, Le Bon Marche, Fenwick, John Lewis, Frasers, Voisins, Morley Stores and Macbees were all present and writing orders.
Beloved independent retailer Pamela Shiffer commented, “The layout is gorgeous as it is calm and spacious so you can see clearly what’s on offer and easily get to the designer stands. There has been a really good edit of collections, put together in a way that is easy to work with and lots of price points which is great. I have placed orders with new designers as well as some top ups with quite a few existing collections. The food was amazing too, kept us fuelled up!”
The hospitality and staging of Scoop sets it apart from other trade shows
Whether it was the food (Scoop always does the best food), the uplifting fashion or the nice weather, there was certainly a sense of positivity in the air, which was refreshing. Radley said: “There’s been a real sense of discovery and optimism, and it’s been wonderful to see so many new connections made, and relationships strengthened. One of the most rewarding parts is discovering new collections and giving emerging and international designers a platform, helping to support them as they grow and enter the UK market. This season, we’ve welcomed buyers from all over the UK, Europe and Far East which has added to the vibrant, international buzz of the event. The Magical Edition has been one of our most vibrant yet, and I’m already excited for what’s to come next season.”
TheIndustry.fashion walked the floor to speak to some of the interesting exhibitors that caught our eye.
Benjamin Sumner, Co-founder, Future Fwd Agency, representing Blunt Umbrellas
Future Fwd (representing Blunt Umbrellas and Sleepers flip flops) was one of the first stands visitors came across upon entering Scoop, but its presence was felt even before you walked through the door. Scoop team members who had been strategically placed outside the train station and the venue to ensure visitors found their way in, were all carrying Blunt umbrellas to provide shade from the sun or protection from the odd rain shower.
The brand hails from New Zealand offering high quality, durable umbrellas with specific design details to prevent them from blowing inside out and breaking in the wind. Their sophisticated colours and design elevate them from the ordinary. The brand also fits in with Future Fwd’s ethos of representing B Corp or sustainable businesses.
Co-founder of the agency Benjamin Sumner had an “amazing” show. “We wanted to see a lot of independent businesses and we have. As an agent, you are quite often out and about and on the road quite a lot, so it’s good to be in one place where everyone comes at once and also they’re in the mindset of buying.
“For us as a new agency – we’ve only been going for just under two years now – getting people to come into our showroom space is not always easy. For buyers, we always know that their schedule is super hectic. They have to travel across London from tube station to tube station. The showrooms are so spread out, so I think it’s great to have all the brands under one pyramid, under one umbrella.
“For us, we have been getting in front of new people. Also we have seen a lot of our connections that we know anyway, just from our wholesale background. The show’s been great from our side, and we’ve done well on the press and PR as well – it’s great brand awareness.
“I also think there are definitely a lot of conscious buyers. The people that bought from the stand have been really focused on B Corp and sustainability and that’s what we really believe in as a brand.”
Estelle Bauer, Stephane Kélian
Estelle Bauer was at Scoop for the first time showing premium French footwear brand Stephane Kélian, best known for its intricately woven leather designs.
The brand is in its second year of revival under footwear veteran Bauer, who approached its former owner Groupe Royet to ask of she could take it on. Royet had bought the brand from the designer in 2007 but in recent years it had more or less fizzled out.
Having had the go-ahead from Royet, Bauer consulted with Kélian himself on how to manufacture the distinctive designs (they are produced by expert footwear makers in India). She has reintroduced them at a more accessible price point than previously and also offers retailers a good mark-up. Unsurprisingly, she had been having a great show as a result.
“We’ve a lot of interest and I think that British people are so positive! I have had such good feedback on the product, but also people are so positive about the future.
“I’m French and it’s good for French people to hear this as we always hear other French people complaining about everything! The [British buyers] love the product and the price.
“The shoes are roughly €250 and that was the only point I was not agreeing with Stephane Kélian about, because under Stephane it was more like €600. I told him ‘the 90s are over’.
“We cannot come with prices like that. I’m not Dior, I can’t do it. At Hermès, if you want a nice boot, it’s less than €2,000, so we couldn’t come out with prices like that. And I want to see the shoes on people’s feet.
“People are thinking I’m crazy. but I’m giving three as a margin between the wholesale price and the retail price. Because I think that everybody needs to do well. I want that everyone can just be happy to sell the shoes.”
Andrey Merezhko, PaperKiss Showroom, respresenting Ather Concept
PaperKiss Showroom brought Greek resort wear brand Ather Concept to Scoop for the second year. The brand was established around six years ago and has been present in the UK for around three years.
Its resort wear and dresses are divided between plain, printed and embroidered cotton and linen pieces. There are separates, kaftan style cover ups and summer dresses across the range. The embroidered pieces are the stand-outs, in particular a stunning scarab design, which has been the “hit” for the buyers and is in its second season. There are also some delightful pieces featuring traditional Greek embroidery patterns, typically rendered in gold thread on white fabric.
“This is the second year we’ve brought the brand to Scoop and it’s done incredibly well, as it did last year. I think this year it’s going from strength to strength and more stores, both independent and department stores, are interested in the brand. We’re hoping now to take it to a different level,” said Andrey Merezhko of PaperKiss Showroom.
“We’ve been really happy with the quality of customers we have seen over the past few days. It’s a great show for the mid-range brands and people have expressed a lot of interest and there was a steady flow of clients throughout the show.”
Pierre Curtet & Bhavna Fatania of Leap N Link, representing Ma Petite Capsule
Agents Leap N Link brought French ready to wear brand Ma Petite Capsule to Scoop for the first time. The brand is owned by the French group House of Fuego and was established in Marseille in 2022.
It stood out on the show floor due to its sorbet coloured knits and knitted jerseys (though there are more toned down colours for those that want them). The brand is particularly known for its mink knits, providing a more affordable alternative to cashmere with the added benefit of less pilling. Minks are brushed (and the brand is keen to point out they are not harmed) to retrieve the soft hairs which are woven into the yarn to give a cashmere soft feel.
The agents brought the brand to Scoop, having shown at other trade shows, to find a more contemporary and fashion-forward customer.
“The company behind the brand has been established more than 50 years so even though it’s a new brand yeah you have the know-how behind it and you have the capacity to produce so there are never any cancellations or anything like that/ They also offer a size range from 8 to 20, so they have a full product range even though it’s early days.” explains Coutet.
“The handwriting behind it is new fibres and and really a modern way of dressing. There is always a little bit of detail and it’s very comfortable. Everything is washable so easy to look after.
“This is the first time for the brand at Scoop and what what are you hoping to achieve is to be seen by a different profile of customer to our normal one somebody who is maybe a little bit more high fashion a little bit more up to the minute.”
One of the stand out pieces the buyers have gone for was a long knitted jersey summer dress in a plain colour with a crochet neckline, Coutet said: “Tt’s like a flamed cotton so it gives you the three dimensional textural effect and this is the newest thing that we produce that very much caught the attention of the market this time together with [a cotton button-down shirt] with a little bit of embroidery in many colours and that comes out at €42 [wholesale] which is an absolutely phenomenal price for something of this quality
“I’m trying to be at the best possible price for the best possible quality.
“We we were hoping to see a different set of eyes on the brand and that’s been the case, but we would have wished of course for a little bit more [footfall] on the final day. But yesterday there were all new customers and that’s a really good sign.”
Fatima Karagussova of Self Service, representing Spell
Agency Self Service brought a number of brands to Scoop (including La Maise, Moses, Bohemian Traders and Amazing Folklore) but a standout was Australian resort wear brand Spell. The brand has a bohemian and relaxed feel, which lends itself as well to a muddy music festival as a sandy beach holiday.
With more than one million followers on social media, Spell is popular with celebrities and influencers alike and was spotted on several attendees of the recent Glastonbury festival. It could also be seen on some of the staff around the Scoop show floor.
“It’s also a very responsible brand in the sense that it’s fully sustainable in its operations and it’s almost fully sustainable in production as well,” explains Karagussova.
“The brand resonates well with the accounts who come through Scoop, we have had a good response to the really lovely pieces presented here.
“This is the second Scoop that we have done for Spell. The brand is relatively new to the UK market, but we got a really nice response. The kinds of pieces buyers are going for are flowy dresses, kimonos and a cropped top and cuffed trousers combo. It’s perfect for summer.
“We’re regulars at Scoop with different brands, This Scoop has been quite busy for us; we’ve had some nice accounts coming in; some existing and some new ones.”