ANTOINETTE

ARMS

BAGSLAG “Had an awesome time at Margin, lots of new stockists to come!” Bagslag +

BANTUM
“Thanks for the show, really happy with how it went and loved the venue. We took orders at the show, some big boys showed some interest, and international style sites took some snaps. I feel its our time now and Margin gave us an awesome window for this.” + Bantum +

BIBICO

BRAT & SUZIE
“We have just had a great show at Margin. Thanks to everyone who came along to see us” + Brat & Suzie +

BREAD N BUTTER

CAMILLA CONSTANCE LINGERIE

CONQUER

DANDY J

DENZ & SON

DEPARTMENT OF WORKS

GEELAMUAY

GERMAIN MINETTE

GIRL FROM BLUE CITY
“We had such a great time at Margin and I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. I took written orders from shops in Tokyo, Spain, Ireland, Scotland and England. I never in my wildest dreams expected Girl From Blue City to be available in Japan by the end of the year, it is totally a dream come true! There were so many people I would never have met had I not attended Margin! Thank you for a great Margin, already discussing the next one and I can’t wait!” + Girl From Blue City +

HOX BOUTIQUE

ISIS CASHMERE

ITSUS ECO SYSTEM GREEN

JETT26

JOJO & MAC
“Margin was perfect to showcase our first collection. We got a brilliant response and it was great to meet Buyers from all of the UK’s major cities and Europe. With Magazines from Brazil, Greece and Switzerland, it gave the show a real international feel too. Odysseas and his crew looked after us and made sure everything ran smoothly. The show has introduced us to new businesses and exposure which is fantastic for launching our brand.” + Jojo & Mac +

JOLITA JEWELLERY

LAZY OAF
“It was great to catch up with our buyers and meet new ones, they always love to have a real feel of the collection so it was good to be able give them that at Margin.” + Lazy Oaf +

LIP WATCHES

MISFIT
“Thanks to the Margin family. We had the best time, with the coolest people, great location, super well organised, best atmosphere and great business. Thank you so much for having us at your show. See you next year!!! You guys rock!” Misfit +

MR WINGATE

NEW LOVE CLUB

OAK JEANS


PERFECTLY FLAWED

RED HOT RUBY

SAINT VACANT

SAVANNAH CHIC

SYKE

TREE HUGGER
“Great show, great vibe, great staff, and I look forward to next season” + Tree Hugger +

TROUSERS LONDON

ULTRARAMA

UN=BALANCE

URBAN ORIGINALS

VANILLA PINK

VAVAWATCH

VESTAL WATCHES

WE WALK

ZEN & FUKA 

“Mucho Gracias for the debut show, couldn’t have gone much better.” + Brandnativa with Cyclus + www.bagzontherun.com

Trends from the fashion tradeshow

We recently checked out Margin London, the leading alternative streetwear tradeshow in the UK. Here’s a quick rundown of the major trends from the show:

Nu Rave: Nu Rave has been bubbling under for a couple of seasons now and if Margin is any indication, it won’t be a flash in the pan trend. In fact, the smiley face looks set to take over from where the skull and crossbones left off. The iconic image, created in 1971, has been developed by the trademark owners into a full collection of tees and sweats, available in a rainbow of day-glo shades, for men and women. PVC, oiled polyester and onionskin nylon in florescent shades were popular at White Trash for Cash and Miss Milne. Accessories from Fiona and Luke and Stylex were also channeling the early 90s club scene style.

Fair Trade? No Sweat!: The backlash to sweatshop labor has influenced even more new brands to operate with an ethical outlook. Traditional European craftsmanship and limited edition hand printed garments replaced cookie cutter factory goods. Revived 70s shoe brand Monbianco was a hit; available in original retro styles, the history and social consciousness of the handmade Italian footwear appealed to retailers and press. Los Cojones del Perro’s line is produced by language-restricted South African tribal workers unable to find work elsewhere. Leather accessories designer Gretchen and UK knitwear brand Vacant only use specialist factories in Europe and the UK.

New Brands To Watch: Now in its second season, the 101 area of the show continues to provide a launch pad for new designers making their debut. Particularly noteworthy was 2-in-1 shoe brand Nat-2, whose sneaker unzips to reveal a slide. Four Holes, Stunt Double and Agharta made a strong impression on streetwear retailers. Womenswear brand Emily and Fin’s collection of blouses, skirts and dresses was also very well received.

“We wrote super-orders and the visitors were stunned about our Nat-2 Project. Thanks to the Margin crew for all the good service, support and platform for our growing success in the fashion scene!” + Nat-2

Drapers Report

“Good product, very very good footwear.” + Shellys

MPDclick Website

As you enter the industrial white brick basement in the heart of the trendy Carnaby shopping district, you are immediately greeted with the freshest talent at Margin. The first room is dedicated to up and coming labels who are attending Margin for the first time, while the second room holds regular contributors to the show who stand out for having unique twists to their collections. As one of the smaller London trade fairs, the intimate setting gave the show a relaxed and friendly atmosphere with press from directional magazines and buyers looking for the next big thing mingling with the enthusiastic labels.

Margin London is a trade fair which provides a platform for the latest designers and brands on the upscale streetwear scene to showcase their collections to the press and potential buyers, with many attending their first show. With designers from around the world participating, Margin demonstrated global talent at its quirkiest and most inventive. There was everything from kitsch laser cut jewellery to bags masquerading as speakers for your I pod, to two-in-one embellished sneakers which morph from a hi-top baseball shoe to a sandal: ideal for the frugal traveller.

A strong focus at the show was the use of clothing as canvases for graphics and illustrations, with many creators coming from backgrounds in graphic design rather than fashion. Some labels revived iconic and nostalgic images to adorn their wares while others sourced artwork from the newest and most original image makers on the scene. Influences came from a wide range of popular culture elements such as music, graffiti, character design, Japanese street fashion and comic books to name a few. Screen printed T-shirts with clever designs sat alongside retro prints and silhouettes interpreted for the contemporary market. Many labels originated from foreign waters and had developed traditional cultural aesthetics into modern streetwear, with a sense of national pride and global appreciation coming into play.
LINKS:
http://www.mpdclick.com/

Nat-2

More than two years in development, the patented 2in1 sneaker by new brand Nat-2 will be launched for Spring Summer 2008 at GILD in Margin London. Ideal for travelling, the hybrid shoe looks to be a conventional sneaker but with a clever zip in the sole there is a summer slide hidden away to be unleashed when the sun decides to surprise us (as is becoming all too common in European “summers”!).

Launching at GILD in Margin London, Nat-2 will be showcasing their new range of unique patented kicks in exclusive materials.

Ideal for travelling, the hybrid shoe looks to be a conventional sneaker but with a clever zip in the sole there is a summer slide hidden away to be unleashed when the sun decides to surprise us (as is becoming all too common in European “summers”!).

Monbianco

In 1976, The Ramones released their first album, George Lucas was filming a couple of robots in the Tunisian Desert, and a new Italian shoe company was launched in Italy called Monbianco.

Thirty years later, the classic shapes have been recreated in Naples by a French designer with an authentic vintage eye staying true to the brands heritage. Using the original shoe moulds from 1976, the first releases of Monbianco footwear have been limited to 500 pairs worldwide to be sold in select stores.

Monbianco will be exhibiting exclusively in GILD, the new Accessories showcase at Margin London.