Margin London + 2002 to 2013

Margin London 2002 2013

Since 2002, Margin has been a labour of love that ran alongside my consultancy work. More freelance and personal projects have taken over my time and energy, so I will not be opening applications for Margin exhibitions in 2014. It was not an easy decision to make but I have to take the exciting opportunity to concentrate on these more demanding and engrossing projects.

Margin is the longest-running independent fashion trade exhibition in London. It has always been an affordable event that punched well above its weight and I’m pleased with the impact the shows have had on the industry over 11 years.

Margin has spotlighted the importance of new and emerging brands; collaborated with respected artists, magazines, and record labels; promoted independents via video and iPhone App; inspired the redesign of a UK fashion trade magazine; and, most importantly, helped launch new brands such as Lazy Oaf, Long, Ayamé, Emily & Fin, Worn Free, New Love Club, Seventyseven, Worn By, Dephect, Loreak Mendian, King Apparel, Your Eyes Lie, Supremebeing, The Illustrated Mind, Conquer, Ashley Marc Hovelle, Out of Print, Dudes Factory, Sugarhill, and Ruby Rocks, to name a very few.

I’ve met some great people during the 11 years of Margin, from brands, stores, and press, and will miss our regular biannual catch-ups. I wish them continued success and trust that buyers & press will continue to support new brands.

Have a great season and many great seasons to come!
All the best,
Odysseas

TheCool Fashion + Margin Tradeshow Event Review

Thanks to TheCool Fashion:

MARGIN TRADESHOW – EVENT REVIEW 18 AUG Words by Sandra Falase Being greeted with cheery smiles and amicable regards was definitely a much-needed warm welcome to a day that had shown the true colours of our beloved British dull weather, with the charming new location of the Hilton London Olympia Hotel, even the weather couldn’t rain on our parade (Sorry I couldn’t resist a pun). As we made our way through to where the event was, I was immediately hit by the essence of an excitable buzz, the room was alive and it was immediately apparent that there was an eclectic mix of different talent showcasing their trade. We started off with Dream Nation, a young brand that consists of a designer duo based in Poland. The brand creates lines for Women, Children and Men, with their main aesthetic focuses being the utilisation of digital prints on a spectrum of different fabrics such as Bamboo and Cotton. The Brand was unanimously one of our favourites for the day, due to the contrast of simplistic silhouettes with the offset of the bespoke prints. Similarly taking the idea of bespoke elements but turning the concept on its head was CHEEKLDN. The London based brand created by Charlotte Yamada is a ladies street wear brand that references elements of classic bourgeois style and reworks this in order to appeal to the trend aware and modern female mass, think Chanel’s Tweed Suit meets Missy Elliot circa 2004 (Specifically her Under Construction album), Yes I know – have a look for yourselves. OS BURGUESES is a Portuguese brand that was birthed by the partnership of creative directors, Eleutério and Mia. Their most recent collection encompasses the use of fruits and demure patterns to form the premise of the collection. The collection particularly reminded me of a hybrid between Andy Warhol’s Artwork and Josephine Baker’s trademark image of the Banana Skirt. STARs & TART founded by two friends, both with a graphic design background is a brand that creates specialists scarves that have been screen printed on silk before being individually finished by hand. Their most recent collection was inspired intergalactic mysteries and zodiac signs. Lastly my favourite Brand of the day was CLON8, with the Designers themselves describing the collection as ‘Black Euphoria’ – my own personal (and totally non-biased) irrevocable love for Black on Prozac, and then some, may have had a part in making it my number one for the day. The founder Chilikova describes the spirit of the brand as Modern with an aim to blur the line between gender and the conceptions of the norm, this rang true to form as most of the items were unisex and didn’t have a specific silhouette that adhered to one particular gender. Amongst the five brands mentioned above, there were other brands that ranged from Swimwear and Jewellery to Footwear and Quirky Backpacks, that all contributed to a very heterogeneous showcase.

Mappliqué & The Illustrated Mind

August 2013 Artists

Mappliqué

Mappliqué Fabric Map Wall Art at Margin LondonMappliqué, a portmanteau of map and appliqué, have combined their love of maps and textiles to create fabric wall art. Handcrafted in the UK, Mappliqué are indeed living in a material world with their first artwork of the British Isles rendered in textiles appropriate to each region; tartan for Scotland, pinstripe for England, knitted wool for Wales, and linen for Ireland.

Using relevant fabrics to represent each country, an idea that surprisingly hasn’t been done before, Mappliqué plan to add further countries and regions to their material world including France, China, Japan, Australia, Iberia, and the USA.

Alongside Mappliqué Fabric Map Wall Art at Margin London the handcrafted fabric map wall art, which are made to order, Mappliqué offer affordable giclée prints that fit off-the-shelf picture frames from stores such as Ikea, John Lewis, and Habitat.

Mappliqué are open to taking commissions and can create unique bespoke wall art using fabrics of the brands carried in a store or showroom.

Find the Mappliqué website online here at Mapplique.com, the Facebook page here, and Mappliqué on Twitter here.

The Illustrated Mind

The Illustrated Mind at Margin LondonThe Illustrated Mind brings together the work of artists from diverse backgrounds to create a range of tees for men and women. Created by Boy Parker, the independent store in Brighton, the brand has also created art prints featuring the artistic output of the brand.

Their quirky prints and unique illustrations add a well-received surrealism to their range and distinguishes The Illustrated Mind from many other brands. The Illustrated Mind started in 2011 and has steadily built their range, their group of collaborating artists, and their stockists ever since.

The Illustrated Mind at Margin LondonThe Illustrated Mind has worked with American artists to create a capsule collection entitled “America Yeah!”. The mini-range includes prints by Rhode Island’s Gordon Holden, whose work features in the Saatchi Gallery, Californian artist Jordan Clark, and Ryan De La Hoz from San Francisco, who has had solo exhibitions at galleries including the RVCA VASF Gallery.

Find the Boy Parker website online here, the Facebook page here, and Boy Parker on Twitter here.

HideYourArms.com + HYA goes to Margin’s August 2013 Edition

Thanks to HideYourArms for the thorough and in-depth round-up:

HYA goes to Margin’s August 2013 Edition — Hide Your Arms

Sportswear International + Margin London Show Report SS14

Thanks to Sportswear International:

MARGIN  After several years at the Music Rooms in London's Mayfair, Margin (4-5 Aug) made the strategic move to Hilton Olympia, a stone's throw from Pure’s longstanding hub at the local exhibition centre. Margin’s new space occupied one floor and stretched across 4600 square feet, which is increase n increase of about 30% compared with the size of its former home. 65 brands took part, most of which were of the start-up or independent variety  In-house designed prints created a point of difference – OS Burgueses banana and fruit salad versions stood out from afar, while tee label Bundy & Webster's artist collaborations resulted in renderings such as clothed wild animals. Shropshire based streetwear label Thfkdlf’s strongest print depicted a mass of flowers that covered entire sections of a garment sometimes fading into nothing.  Japanese label Violette Room presented a covetable range of breezy cotton separates including frill boleros, relaxed cotton muslin trousers and bat sleeve day dresses. The name already has a following in Japan and opted to show at Margin in order to attract UK buyers, a quest that should be highly attainable. Portuguese sneaker brand Sanjo had a similar agenda. The heritage brand founded in 1934 is relatively unknown in the UK but intends to change that status with the help of its new organic and chemical-free footwear that is available in sizes ranging from toddler to fully grown man, and anything in between. On the accessories front, newbie Cut Out Girls impressed with a collection of distinctive bags and purses crafted from hand-knitted rope in soft but cheerful colours.

Thanks to all visiting stores & press who came to support new & emerging designers.

A huge thanks to buyers & press who visited the August 2013 edition. We loved our new, and larger, air-conditioned venue at the Hilton Olympia, and so did visitors who gave great feedback about the convenient location.

A huge thanks to buyers & press who visited the August 2013 edition. We loved our new, and larger, air-conditioned venue at the Hilton Olympia, and so did visitors who gave great feedback about the convenient location.

Visitors came from across the UK and Europe to support and discover new designers, and the proximity to Pure at the Olympia Exhibition Centre was welcomed for it’s convenience. A strong presence of Belgian stores, including Kusje, Mieke, Paleis, and Pop, joined European buyers from Karl Smart, Kluns, Goodvibes, Der 7 Himmel, Bouman Mode, Rocco, Prime Time, Yasmine G, Movimento, and Karltex, to name a few. Stores from further afield, such as Fitzroy in Toronto and Rose Bud in Tokyo, joined UK visitors, including buyers from Ark, ASOS, Beasleys, The Boudoir, Bunka, Cave’s, Dowse, Eden, Esse, Eternal Envy, Flax, Fonda, Freefall, Heels, Joy, Juju, Lilac Rose, Mayhem, McQueen, Modiste, Rhoda, Spark, Swish, Thread, Thunderegg, Trikki, Vacant, Way, Zegerman & Lusky, Qetty Bang Bang, and Original Native, to discover new brands.

Thanks to all visiting stores & press who came to support new & emerging designers.

CHEEK LDN at MARGIN LONDONKARMICA IMAGE MARGIN LONDONDREAM NATION IMAGE MARGIN LONDON

“Thank you for putting together an amazing show that allows for young, independent designers to gain more exposure! It was an exciting time and a great first-time tradeshow experience. Your promotional posts on upcoming brands went above and beyond what any other organizer may do. For Cheek LDN, it was an excellent opportunity for press and getting orders!” CHEEK LDN

“Great contacts at the Margin London trade show over the weekend.” Karmica

“Thanks to Margin I made good connections in the UK and took part at IFF in Tokyo. Show was good, learnt a lot and have great contacts now.” Dream Nation

“Margin is a great space to interact with all aspects of the fashion industry! It also provided us with an opportunity to put our foot in through the door. We had a great experience at Margin. ”
T-Republic

“Thank you very much for having me at Margin. I had a very good experience.” Bijouxellery Tokyo

“Margin for us was a great experience for our first time at a trade show. The help and advice provided was extremely useful and we feel it is a great platform for upcoming brands to showcase their collection.” THFKDLF

T-REPUBLIC IMAGE MARGIN LONDONBIJOUXELLERY IMAGE MARGIN LONDONTHFKDLF IMAGE MARGIN LONDON

Final Day to Discover Fresh Brands + Open til 6pm

Open from 10am til 6pm, today’s the final day of the August 2013 edition to discover the exciting new & emerging designers that are making their global debut at Margin London.

Showcasing fresh design talent and exciting new labels that offer stores (and shoppers) a real point of difference from cookie-cutter brand lists, take a look at just some of the great exhibitors in our Exhibition Preview.

Just 4 minutes walk from the Olympia Exhibition Centre, find us in the spacious Westminster Suite at the Hilton Olympia. Once through the main doors of the hotel, head to the left of the reception desk, past the lift, then take the first left to Margin.

If you’re heading into Kensington Olympia Train & Tube Station, don’t forget there are many fast overground train connections depending on what part of the country you’re coming from. For example, if you normally get a train to Victoria Station that stops at Clapham Junction, change there for the 10 minute direct train from Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia.

Buyers and press can bring their invitation to the front desk or if an invitation hasn’t been received, buyers, press, multi-label agents and distributors can register at the front desk with a business card and a form of I.D.

Margin Olympia Map

Margin Opens Today +

Margin London August 2013 Fashion Tradeshow Exhibition

The 24th edition of Margin London opens today and tomorrow at our new venue in Olympia. Showcasing fresh design talent and exciting new labels that offer stores (and shoppers) a real point of difference from cookie-cutter brand lists, Margin has been launching new brands since 2002.

Just 4 minutes walk from the Olympia Exhibition Centre, find us in the spacious Westminster Suite at the Hilton Olympia from 10am til 6pm on both Sunday 4th & Monday 5th. Once through the main doors of the hotel, head to the left of the reception desk, past the lift, then take the first left to Margin.

If you’re heading into Kensington Olympia Train & Tube Station, don’t forget there are many fast overground train connections depending on what part of the country you’re coming from. For example, if you normally get a train to Victoria Station that stops at Clapham Junction, change there for the 10 minute direct train from Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia.

Buyers and press can bring their invitation to the front desk or if an invitation hasn’t been received, buyers, press, multi-label agents and distributors can register at the front desk with a business card and a form of I.D.

Margin Olympia Map

FashionUnited + New Venue, New Season, New Brands at Margin London

Thanks to FashionUnited:

New Venue, New Season, New Brands at Margin London Monday, 29 July 2013    Margin is the longest-running, and only, independent fashion trade show in London, which has been providing an affordable platform for new, young and emerging brands since starting in 2002. The 24th edition of Margin opens on the 4th & 5th of August at their new location in Olympia.  Without a clear dateline for August, as all events were scattered throughout the calendar, and following a survey of buyers and press, who expressed an overwhelming preference that Margin should take place at the same time as Pure, Margin is moving to the Westminster Suite in the Hilton London Olympia, to which visitors will be able to make the 5 minute walk from the Olympia Exhibition Centre without having to take taxis or public transport to visit the show.  The move has been unanimously praised by stores including Eden in Edinburgh who said "Great news about Margin! The venue move will allow me to fit more buying into my London visit in August" and indie womenswear boutique Eternal Envy in Heaton Moor who added "we're delighted with the move Margin are making to Olympia. As stalwart supporters of such a great trade show, we're looking forward to the increased space too, to fit in even more fab designers."  Margin London is an edited trade show which handpicks the best new brands launching for the season so buyers don't have to waste time browsing large exhibition halls to hunt out exciting new brands to offer their shoppers something fresh. Margin curates the show to present the edit of the season from new, young and emerging UK and international brands, offering menswear, womenswear, accessories, designerwear, or streetwear.  Debuts for August 2013 include UK and international brands with men's, women's and children's clothing, swimwear, footwear, headwear, bags, watches, and jewellery.  Brand new international labels will be making their debut at the show including Wrong Weather, Schmatta, Dream Nation, Romy Rory, Os Burgueses, Bijouxellery, and T-Republic, alongside many UK debuts such as Cheek LDN, Thfkdlf, Holly & Ruby, Jeanne & Jane, Afonteyne, and Seven Lives.  Alongside the new launches that Margin is well known for, many previous exhibitors are returning to showcase their latest ranges at the show in August 2013, including Get Cutie, The Illustrated Mind, Out of Print, Violette Room, PalmerCash, Fanpac, D4Discus, C Grand London, Fairytales & Hidden Notes, and Karim Maher (who has recently renamed his menswear brand which previously launched at Margin under the brand name Beik).  Since the first edition in 2002, Margin has introduced many new brands to stores looking for a point of difference from the High Street, and can lay claim to launching Sugarhill Boutique, Lazy Oaf, Ruby Rocks, My Yard, Long, Ashley Marc Hovelle, Rum Knuckles, King, Supremebeing, and Emily & Fin, to name a very few.  Margin has also consistently been the jumping-off point for international brands looking to introduce their ranges to the UK and European market, such as Upper Playground, Gentle Fawn, Ayame Socks, Loreak Mendian, Camo, Diamond Supply Co, and Stereo Sound Agency, who all made their UK tradeshow debuts at Margin London.  The 24th edition of Margin London takes place on the 4th & 5th August 2013 at the new venue of the Hilton Olympia, next to Kensington Olympia Tube and train staion.  Margin is a trade event for industry only. For information about visiting, contact Margin at www.margin.tv/contact or subscribe to the mailing list at www.margin.tv/subscribe.

Exhibitor Preview + AUG 2013 + Seven Lives

previews AUG 2013 seven lives at Margin London

Making their global debut at Margin in August, Seven Lives is an exciting new brand of affordable and unique clothing for women.

With wholesale prices ranging from £9 to £18, the debut collection from Seven Lives offers dresses, tops, skirts, shorts, and jackets.

Based on a bird-watching theme, discover the debut collection exclusively at Margin in August 2013.

Read more about Seven Lives here.

Seven Lives at Margin London Seven Lives at Margin London Seven Lives at Margin London Seven Lives at Margin London Seven Lives at Margin London Seven Lives at Margin London Seven Lives at Margin London