Fur & Fashion Frankfurt 2006 - final report

12th March 2006

58th Fur & Fashion Frankfurt: More visitors, business expectations exceeded, optimistic mood

From 9th to 12th March Fur & Fashion Frankfurt presented everything that had to do with fur fashion under the Frankfurt fair tower. Highlights were the up-to-date product ranges of the skin merchants as well as the manufacturers' collections for the autumn-winter of 2006-07. In addition there were the dressers and dyers' innovations, the interesting offers of accessories, fur covers, machinery, tools, and trade journals.

The number of trade visitors increased by 8.5 per cent to 8,442 compared with last year. 47 per cent of the buyers came from abroad with a considerable representation from Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia, the Benelux countries, Spain, and Turkey.

A first survey among exhibitors showed an overall satisfaction with regard to fair business. The skin merchants registered lively interest in all fur types and colours preferred by fashion. Natural and plucked mink skins sold particularly well (a renaissance of full mink is to be seen), Persian lamb, weasel and dyed silver foxes.

The great majority of fur manufacturers had good order activities and their expectations were generally exceeded. Obviously, the considerable price increases had little effect on the willingness to buy. Due to the long winter the retail stock is run down to a great extent so that the fashion trade and the furriers had to place orders now.

Fashion was clearly at the centre of the fair's interest. It is for some seasons now that the fur trade has taken advantage of the fact that fashion - designers and manufacturers of garments and accessories - favours fur.

Fashion highlights were to be seen at the trend show 'Top Design in Fur & Fashion', where the most attractive models of the exhibiting garment manufacturers and the furriers' went along the catwalk in the event area.

Fashion was also the dominant topic of the seminars and workshops offered by the fair organisers. They met with vivid approval.

The 59th Fur & Fashion Frankfurt will be held from 22nd to 25th March 2007.