A concentration of business meetings
at the 8th edition
of the ANNECY SHOW-ROOM PREVIEW (ASAP)
Nearly 600 visitors from 296 resort and city stores travelled to outdoor and winter sport capital Annecy on 16 and 17 January to visit the 30 showrooms representing the 48 brands in attendance at this 8th edition of ASAP.
The freshly fallen snow, crisp temperatures and sunshine brought a smile to the retailers’ faces, ensuring stable attendance levels for this launch of the 2017/18 collections. This preview was very warmly received, with the highlight being the fashion show orchestrated by Virginie Toc at Annecy’s Imperial Palace. Loyal customers and newcomers alike found what they were looking for, with 10 new brands to discover and all the innovations of the new collections for 2017/18.
Urban influence was evident in the many hybrid, versatile collections. Some brands dared to embrace the 70s/80s ‘revival’, with others continuing to invest in eco-design. Boiled and rustic wool – combined or not – with ever lighter technical materials; all over stretch; multi-layers, neat, seamless finishes. Everyone agreed that style and performance will be on the agenda for next winter, with highly accomplished and well-worked collections.
“Above all, this represented a concentration of business meetings, saving us precious time”
This was the sentiment expressed by a host of visitors and exhibitors, such as RIP CURL and BENCH. “We saw 15 customers yesterday, which would never have been possible on the road”, explained Flavio, representing MALOJA. Georges PEQUIGNOT, Manager of KILLTEC France, sees ASAP as “above all, a meeting of resort stores”. The young 100% vegan brand RAGWEAR was presenting its products for the first time and saw 3 account openings in just one day. ROSSIGNOL recorded visits from more than 50 stores. SCOTT was also satisfied with the 2017 edition, with the brand continuing to identify prospects year on year from among the 70 stores received on average over the 2 days.
As for the visitors, everyone seemed pleased with what they found at the event. Some of the high-end stores were seeking to reference lines at a more accessible price, other stores selected their go-to brands. CYRIL SPORT, a store in ALPE D’HUEZ, expressed their delight at discovering ASAP: “it enabled me to anticipate, saving time with my suppliers”. A COURCHEVEL boutique that had travelled down to ASAP for some quiet time with two of its suppliers ended up discovering a new brand. Another store, from CHAMONIX, succeeded in taking up new innovations from 6 of its usual suppliers in the Meeting Space and other showrooms, with a new Swiss brand also attracting its attention.
Appreciation for hybrid collections from piste to street
O’NEILL recently set itself up in its new Parc des Glaisins showroom and was satisfied with its thirty-odd confirmed appointments. Laurent PACAUD, Sales Manager France, specified that its customers were particularly attracted to the new 17/18 hybrid (ski and lifestyle) collection developed alongside rider Jéremy Jones.
MALOJA‘s lifestyle line also met with great success among the boutiques of the Southern Alps, with the brand’s skis and technical lines being taken up more by stores from Savoie and Rhône-Alpes.
MONS ROYALE‘s philosophy is to create technical clothing made from Merino wool combining performance and style. The brand will be showing its innovative side again this winter with the arrival of its new TRANSITION line, leaning more towards streetwear, with a younger, trendier outlook – very innovative and “a bold gamble for this classic premium brand”, as Vincent WILLEPOTTE confirms.
Colour and technicality are always on the agenda for DEGRÉ 7. Marie-Charlotte, who is in charge of the Rhône-Alpes region, welcomed 60 stores from the Grand Est region of France and from Switzerland during the event. She described how the men’s TOURING jacket particularly stood out, due to its neat finishes, 3 layers, and 4 ways stretch inside and outside.
PICTURE ORGANIC CLOTHING is continuing to progress. Its new showroom placed the spotlight on two innovations: IVY BAG, a bag by a young designer that can be completely disassembled (travel bag, toiletry bag, pouch…) and ICELAND PROKNIT LAB, a knitted jacket with different densities. The eco-design brand welcomed around thirty French boutiques, as well as a few Swiss and British stores.
KARPOS is a brand originating from the Dolomites and the world of hiking and aerobics. It is unveiling a new technical designer line for the winter: “I should have participated in the fashion show at the Imperial Palace, which was fantastic and would have really brought our Italian fitting to the fore”, emphasises Giuseppe LIRA.
SOS BLACK SNOW made its big comeback at ASAP, setting out to reclaim the French market. “We’re known for the cut of our women’s trousers, and our return to ASAP allowed us to set up appointments with prospects in our Albertville showroom. Our new DRISS jacket really stood out!”
The NISHKUR model, a micro-fleece-lined coat with an ethnic look, attracted many customers to the MADE IN COLORS stand, a new entry on the market and a brand that draws upon the experience of its 4 female founders in the world of outdoor pursuits.
ICEPEAK has responded to customer demand through the details of its junior collection (velcro, materials, style, price), which are really hitting the mark. “Our collections are very well worked and are bringing a smile to our customers’ faces”, explains Elodie Bossuto “and all the more so thanks to the modernisation of our distribution platform in Finland, which has enabled us to cut our delivery time by 4 days”.
Another notable attendee was BURTON, who are now able to deploy their apparel range in France and presented a collection suitable for the whole family.
Performance, Chic Fashion, Urban Mountain: all the latest trends were found at ASAP
Alongside its down jacket collection, MAISON MONTVAL is putting its signature to two new lines for skiing and urban living (chic zipped anoraks, jumpers, boxer shorts). “We already have a presence in 25 resort boutiques, such as Megève, Courchevel, etc., and are seeking to make ourselves known through well-targeted events like ASAP and initiatives such as the fashion show, which brought us new contacts”, explained Arnaud TERZIBACHIAN.
MOUNTAIN FORCE, a very high-end Swiss brand attending the event for the second time, describes itself as the ‘Tesla’ of outdoor wear, with a technical collection that is chic, understated and very comfortable (4 ways stretch), as well as being ultra-lightweight. The collection is made from Japanese materials, with an exceptional feel, and built around the multi-layer principle, to be worn from January to December!
GIESSWEIN is an authentic ‘100% made in Austria’ brand, and attended the event to introduce its new Athleisure après-ski collection, combining merino wool and micro-fibre. Swiss brand ORTOVOX unveiled its technical ANDERMATT jacket, made from rustic Valais sheep wool, which attracted the attention of 15 stores, including 8 prospects.
One of the garments that particularly stood out during the fashion show was PEAK PERFORMANCE‘s ladies’ VOLCAN model, a tailcoat-style white Parka jacket. “We moved away from the wraparound shape of a traditional Parka to produce a more compact, adjusted cut. We wanted to invent a modern ski collection that meets the demands of the mountain but maintains a sleek look perfectly suited to everyday life. Our collection is influenced by the black tones of the city and the minimalist look of a ninja warrior”, specified Jonas Olsson, Head of 
Active Design.
The SKIDRESS spirit also shone through during the fashion show, with its trendy Retro Glam look developed through curved lines, V neck jumpers, quilted tops with Peter Pan collars, half-zip bustiers, polo collar jackets, fur and pleats.
As was the case at the previous edition, the fashion show ended with outfits from ROSSIGNOL By JC DE CASTELBAJAC. These ensembles were just as original, with a de-structured cockerel as their watermark.
ASAP, Annecy, a starting point; SPORT-ACHAT, Lyon, to finalise the latest orders
For the majority of the 48 exhibiting brands, these 48 hours were an opportunity not only to test the water when it came to the flagship products that stood out in the collections, but also to take orders. The Monday evening fashion show, which has always been held at the Imperial Palace in Annecy, also brought together professional sellers and buyers in a very friendly atmosphere. Annecy’s showroom format is followed by Sport-Achat, Lyon’s large format show, creating a winning tandem that allows for better coverage of the market and the season.
SPORT-ACHAT attendees are set to include: Vincent WILLEPOTE, representing MONS ROYALE, who will present the young brand 686, encouraging as many people as possible to discover its latest fully compactable PACLITE model. RAGWEAR will be present in Lyon once again, following its success at September’s summer edition in increasing its points of sale from 10 to 25. KILLTEC, positioned on the junior market, has been unaffected by the crisis and will present its PERFORMANCE LINE.
Schedule for upcoming winter events organised by SPORTAIR
- SKI TEST TOUR Serre-Chevalier, 30-31 January 2017
- SPORT-ACHAT HIVER, Lyon 6-7-8 March 2017.
Press contact
Florence Pezet-Bertrand – Tél : +33 (0)4.50.095.091 – +33(0)6 72 20 64 73- florence@sportair.fr – (Photos on request)
BRANDS ON ASAP 2017
