Fifth kleine fabriek: larger and more international

The fifth kleine fabriek took place on 8 and 9 July 2007 . More than 220 stands and 380 labels were to be seen at the Rai in Amsterdam , the Netherlands . In total, 4.575 retailers visited the fair, which is an increase of more than 30% compared to the last summer fair .

With 4.371 m2 and 21% more exhibitors, kleine fabriek went beyond all expectations. In only 2 years, kleine fabriek has become known within The Netherlands as well as abroad. The 30% increase in visitors compared to last summer indicated that. The number of visitors from abroad went up as well, with visitors from all corners of the world coming to Amsterdam . There were buyers from France , Switzerland , Austria , Great Britain , Germany , Belgium , Greece , Italy , Spain , Ireland , Denmark , and for the first time from Japan and Bahrain . As a result of that, most of the exhibitors were very happy after the fair. More than 90% already decided to participate again in January.

“The mix of clothing and accessories attracts visitors”

Sophie Wildemans, who has a lifestyle shop in Belgium , is visiting kleine fabriek for the first time. “I’ve been very pleasantly surprised and can really find what I’m looking for here. The fair has mainly high-quality stands focused towards the better shops. I hope that kleine fabriek maintains this mix of clothing and accessories. The fair is also not too big, which makes it convenient to view.”

Pien Berends and Nicolet Bosschieter, two sisters from Oisterwijk and Amsterdam , are here because they want to start a children’s clothing shop. “We’re able to get a good impression here of what is available on the market. The stands look good and a lot of effort has been put into them. The Belgian labels particularly appeal to us. They are slightly simpler and are made using beautiful fabrics. The fair is conveniently laid-out and we can easily see what does and doesn’t suit us.”

“International growth is important”

Kidscase , the winner of the Kek Trend Awards 2007, has participated in the fair right from the start. Owner Merel Verbrugge has also taken part in other international fairs. “What I always notice at kleine fabriek is that the atmosphere is very open – it’s easy to make contacts.” She is also pleased that the fair has grown so much and has become increasingly more international. “That’s important for us. We’ve already got a good rapport with the Dutch clients. But here we see a lot of international clients as well, for example from Germany and Japan .” This is the first time children’s clothing label Lola et Moi from Lebanon is participating at kleine fabriek. “This fair mainly encompasses high-end labels,” says Chantal Arida. “Compared to other fairs it’s very classy. We feel that we are new here and some of the visitors are observing us from a distance. But we will definitely be coming back!” Another newcomer is the baby accessories label from Belgium , Supernana . “What I’ve noticed is that people first have a look around in the morning and then come back later in the day to actually make contact,” says exhibitor Elke Meersma. “It’s also positive for us that the fair has a number of accessories and shoe labels.”

A dynamic fair where the visitor is able to experience everything themselves

kleine fabriek is a real experience for the visitors. It starts at the entrance hall where you walk directly past the catwalk of ceramic sculptures made by artist Hans van Bentem. Immediately after the entrance children can get a taste for modelling at a real Photoshoot . “We’ve borrowed pieces of the latest collections from the exhibitors,” says theatre stylist Monica Petit. “It’s fun to mix them together.”

There’s plenty of room in the hall for the mini.superstore , created in cooperation with the Stijlinstituut Amsterdam. “This is where young designers show what’s available in the area of design,” says Hilde Koenders of the Stijlinstituut. “The items are not yet in production so it’s very progressive.” It’s an extremely dynamic project – partly an exhibition, but you can also buy things here. “The visitors can also see how everything has come about. There’s a large paint machine which The Sewing Room team uses to customize shirts with paint splatters. The store offers shop owners ideas about the decor and inventory of their own store.” Visitors and exhibitors are given the chance to relax and take a break at the massage chairs . Books are read out loud at the stand of children’s bookshop Helden en Boeven. At the same stand there is a cooking workshop with D utch cook Julius Jaspers. Fifteen children decorated 250 cakes, pieces of which they handed out to the exhibitors afterwards.

Kek Trend Awards

The presentation of the Kek Trend Awards 2007 also took place during kleine fabriek. The Kidscase collection won the Kek Trend Award in the category of Fashion. The jury was convinced by “the total brand experience with beautiful photography, design and consistent quality,” according to the jury report. It is also an advantage to Kidscase that they strive to produce their collections in a sustainable and humane manner. The award for Lifestyle went to Zid Zid Kids because the brand is “authentic, exotic and out of the ordinary, also because the choice of colours;” “The collection has a great sense of style and craftsmanship”. The awards for Best Newcomer and Unique Children’s Design were presented respectively to La chaise Ronde by Oolaalaa and the designer toys of Jelmer Zijlstra. The jury consisted of members of the retail sector, designers, fashion journalists and kleine fabriek organizers.

For more information and high resolution photos, please contact: Veronique de Weichs/Merel Bunnik Modefabriek bv Gedempt Hamerkanaal 29 1021 KL Amsterdam t: 0031 (0)20 4421960 f: 0031 (0)20 4421961

[email protected] www.kleinefabriek.nl