Repositioning efforts drive success at Who's Next September 2026 edition

Paris - Des Petits Hauts, Bérénice, Stella Forest and Not Shy returned to the Who's Next trade show, which ran from 5 - 7 September 2026. Armor Lux and Von Dutch exhibited for the first time. These six brands, each with a different profile, together show how the repositioning of the Parisian trade fair Who's Next contributes to their commercial development.

The first day of the Who's Next trade show (Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Hall 1) was busy. This was no coincidence, given the actions taken by the organisers, WSN, to make the event dedicated to the spring/summer 2027 (SS27) collections more attractive.

“On this first day, around 3pm, we had nearly 8,500 visitors,” Frédéric Maus, CEO of WSN, told FashionUnited. “The entire edition should attract around 40,000 visitors for 1,300 exhibiting brands”.

According to Maus, this performance can be explained by the efforts made to optimise visitor numbers. “Three years ago, we created a service dedicated exclusively to buyers, whereas exhibitors normally invite their own buyers,” he explained. “Within this framework, we have developed hosted buyer programmes.”

To enhance the experience, WSN now organises Retail Tours in Paris, allowing visiting buyers to discover boutiques and exhibitions. The aim is for them to create a lasting memory associated with Who's Next, encouraging them to return in the future.

Share of international buyers at Who's Next has increased from 30 percent to 55 percent

The number one objective is to increase international visitor numbers. “In all my discussions with exhibitors, their need to expand internationally was a recurring theme,” acknowledged Frédéric Maus. “These things do not happen in five minutes; it is a long-term effort.”

As a result, Who's Next has shifted from a visitor base of 70 percent French and 30 percent international buyers to a majority of 55 percent foreign buyers.

This performance was achieved thanks to financial support from the Union Française des Industries Mode & Habillement (UFIMH) and a partnership with Shoppe Object. Shoppe Object is a trade show dedicated to design, home, lifestyle objects and gifts, which grew from seventy to over one hundred exhibitors in a single edition. According to Maus, the number of buyers coming specifically for this sector has almost tripled, with a majority being international.

Another contributing factor is the disappearance of major trade shows in Northern Europe (Germany) such as Panorama Berlin, Bread & Butter and Premium, which used to attract the majority of international visitors.

Evolution reflected in return of key brands to September 2026 edition

Another part of the strategy involved extending the textile and accessories offering to include decorative objects and cosmetics. This was done to adapt to the evolution of the multi-brand model towards the concept store format.

Simultaneously, WSN tightened its selection, resulting in the trade show being “sold out” by early July. “It would be tempting to try and get even more exhibitors,” the organiser added. “However, in the long term, and even in the medium term, that is a very poor idea.”

For several years, certain brands had stopped exhibiting at Who's Next. They felt the trade show generated too few new clients, particularly international ones, compared to the efforts in their own showrooms. On the first day of this most recent edition, several returning exhibitors already noted a more international and diverse visitor base.

Des Petits Hauts returns to find new multi-brand retailers

The return of Des Petits Hauts, a subsidiary of the French fashion group Gérard Darel, is significant. Despite developing a network of 93 stores in France and Europe, the brand remains committed to wholesale, its original distribution channel. It currently has approximately 550 multi-brand retailers, with 60 percent located internationally.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the brand tightened its investments and began to measure returns more carefully. “We were always meeting the same clients we had for twenty years,” remarked Vanessa Sanchez, co-founder of Des Petits Hauts. “Since existing clients could be hosted in our agents' showrooms, the economic benefit of the trade show had diminished.”

For the September 2026 session, the wholesale director encouraged Des Petits Hauts to try again, arguing that the trade show “set the tone” for the season. “Everyone embraced the collection, they reassured each other, they argued and counter-argued,” the manager noted. “Participating in this show allowed us to gather feedback from buyers and test the relevance of the collection. For twenty years, after Who's Next, I could always predict my wholesale turnover and the number of pieces I would produce, accurate to within a thousand units.”

The goal of this renewed participation is to recruit new accounts, particularly from a new generation of multi-brand retailers. It also serves to remind retailers that the development of its own retail has not diverted Des Petits Hauts from wholesale.

This return, however, remains subject to a very pragmatic approach. In a challenging consumer climate, the brand is making future participation conditional on the return on investment from this edition.

Bérénice bets on a more international visitor base

After being absent from Who's Next for three and a half years, French ready-to-wear fashion brand Bérénice also made its return. The brand currently has 300 multi-brand stockists, down from 600 to 700 at its peak, in addition to 11 of its own boutiques and around 15 corners in department stores. Its turnover is approximately 13 million euros, compared to 25 million before the Covid-19 crisis.

The brand had gradually moved away from trade shows, judging their attendance to be declining and their profitability insufficient, in favour of its showroom. However, word-of-mouth among brands about the renewed dynamism of Who's Next convinced Aaron Krief, son of the brand's founder, Frédéric Krief, to try again.

His objective is specific: to meet buyers that Bérénice does not already reach through its usual channels, particularly internationally. On the first day, Krief, who took over the brand a year ago, said he was surprised: “I see French buyers in my showroom. Here, I have met many Chinese buyers, which has never happened before. I have also seen many from Lebanon, England and Spain, as well as a few French buyers.”

This new participation coincides with a rebranding effort and a commercial relaunch in new markets. Bérénice recently opened showrooms in the US and Dubai. China could follow as early as next season.

Stella Forest plans to expand its commercial network

Historically built around wholesale, the family-run brand Stella Forest works with four sales agents in France and has a network of approximately 250 multi-brand retailers. This is the distribution model on which Stella Forest has built its business for the past twenty years, and which it also deploys internationally through a network of agents.

Today, it produces around 50,000 pieces for the winter season and up to 80,000 for the summer.

Several of its agents had asked the brand to return to the trade show. For its director, Geoffrey Boniface, the value of participating again depended mainly on the ability of Who's Next to broaden its visitor base. Before making his decision, he conducted some research and noted that several other brands had also chosen to return.

By the first morning, he felt that the situation had changed. “The organisers have worked to attract a broader clientele, and I met many Spanish buyers this morning. Furthermore, Who's Next allows us to reconnect with our clients, discover trends and meet our suppliers.”

The management team also attended with the aim of expanding its sales network in target development areas.

Furthermore, in a market where the number of multi-brand retailers is contracting, Boniface believes that “over time, multi-brand retailers will need to become more focused. They will have to bet on four or five brands rather than multiplying their references, while also improving their merchandising.”

Not Shy champions trade show format over showroom

Absent from Who's Next for two years, Not Shy, a Parisian brand founded in 1998 specialising in cashmere, is now present in 30 countries. It has over 1,300 wholesale points of sale worldwide, including more than 200 in France, and around 20 of its own boutiques in the country. Its sales network is supported by six agents in France and approximately 30 in total worldwide.

The brand had chosen to prioritise its Parisian showroom and its presence at several international trade shows in countries such as Italy, Denmark, Germany and Korea.

Its return to Who's Next, however, was driven by pressure from its own commercial ecosystem. “By popular demand, clients, French and international agents, and the trade show organisers all asked me to return. We missed each other,” stated Mercedeh Vafaï, director of Not Shy.

She particularly acknowledges that the trade show serves a function that the showroom cannot fully replace: “There is a kind of dynamism at a trade show that you do not get in a showroom. You see many more people. This ability to multiply meetings gives the event renewed appeal.”

Vafaï also remains convinced of the relevance of the multi-brand model, despite the difficulties this distribution channel is facing. She highlights the advice, service and customer relationships that, in her view, continue to set independent retailers apart.

Armor Lux bets on wholesale to complete its territorial network

Armor Lux presents a slightly different case. The Breton brand is participating in Who's Next for the first time, alongside Bermudes, another brand from the Bonneterie d’Armor portfolio.

Armor Lux has around one hundred points of sale in France, with approximately three-quarters being owned stores and one-quarter franchises. It has some 400 multi-brand retailers in France and nearly 300 internationally. The brand manufactures between 800,000 and 900,000 pieces per year at its production sites.

Its presence at the trade show is driven by a desire to redevelop its business-to-business (B2B) channel. “We open new accounts each season,” highlighted the duo of Guillaume Thouvenot, sales director, and Marco Petrucci, export manager. They are looking to meet retailers not yet in their portfolio of French clients.

“We cannot be everywhere with our own stores. Opening ten stores in Paris would be no problem. However, opening a store in a small provincial town would be difficult to make profitable. Finding a very good partner in those areas is precisely what we are looking for here,” the sales managers explained.

This wholesale offensive accompanies an evolution in its offering. Without abandoning its core essentials and maritime DNA, Armor Lux has been developing more urban and casual collections for several seasons, which are being showcased at the trade show.

The aim is to present a broader image of the brand and strengthen its presence among a female clientele, which is still a minority in its export business. Internationally, sales are currently composed of approximately 80 percent menswear and 20 percent womenswear.

Von Dutch chooses Who's Next to accelerate its European relaunch

Von Dutch is participating in Who's Next for the first time as part of a new phase of its European development.

Von Dutch now belongs to the US group WSG. The brand's operation is based on a licensing system by territory and product category. In Europe, Textiss is responsible for developing several of Von Dutch's historic categories.

Simultaneously, DNAM, a Los Angeles-based group represented at Who's Next by sales account manager Elias Belhouane, manages several product categories. The group is also set to take over the brand's e-commerce, communications and social media in France and Europe.

The US brand, which became a global phenomenon in the early 2000s, aims to reposition itself with a new generation of fans of the Y2K trend. In France, its image remains strongly associated with the consumers who experienced its previous success. However, its US and UK customer base is now much younger and more female, primarily aged between 15 and 25.

The strategy involves developing its wholesale channel. The brand is currently distributed in approximately 300 points of sale in France. In the UK, initial trials are underway with Urban Outfitters and JD Sports.

Its presence at Who's Next is therefore less about securing immediate orders and more about network development and visibility. “My goal is to meet distributors and reconnect with medium to large-volume clients,” explained Belhouane, who added that he does not expect “instant gratification” from this first participation.

Next Who's Next: January 16 to 18, 2027, for the autumn/winter 2027/2028 collections.