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The 51st edition of Semana Internacional de la Moda de Madrid (SIMM), was held at Parque Ferial Juan Carlos I, between February 13th and 16th. The increase in the number of visitors reasserts the event’s position as the major Spanish trade show for the textile and clothes-making sectors, and the second largest in the world within its specialty. According to results and data, 31,652 professionals participated, and the number of visitors was a total 28,534, which means about 90% of overall results. At the same time, the trade show strengthened its increasing international projection with a remarkable increase in the number of foreign visitors. Portugal was the country most widely represented, making up 58% of the total number of foreign professionals. Other countries represented were: Italy, France, Germany, the UK and Greece, and there were also buyers coming from the US, Morocco, Switzerland, Sweden and Mexico. SIMM was also visited for the first time by professionals from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway and Bosnia Herzegovina.
Local visitors reflected attendance in the following proportions: Comunidad de Madrid (20% of the total number), Comunidad Valenciana (10%), Catalonia (9%), and Castilla y León (8%).
The event was the largest in its history, with 965 companies (8% increase on February 2003) and 1,450 local and international brand names and companies presenting their proposals over an area of 37,400 square meters.
The two editions held every year in August and February reflect SIMM as the shop window professionals esteem every season, projecting the global fashion offer for all styles. The sectors in halls comprise: Iberpiel-furs; Imagenmoda, women’s fashion, urban and evening wear, medium-level brand names; Boutique, high-quality and design fashion for young people; Espacio Cibeles, a forum for great fashion creators; Espacio Hombre, men’s fashion;
La Galería, well-promoted brand names for active, urban women; Intermoda, Salón Internacional de la Moda Pronta (ready-made clothes); Cien x Cien, International Jeans, Streetwear and Sportwear Hall; Complementos y Plataforma, an area promoting young designers.
Along with its commercial activity SIMM has repeatedly shown to be the setting for a number of meetings for professionals in the world of fashion and clothes-making, attracting major personalities within this sector. One of these events was the round table under the name of “Fashion and Technology”, organized by Unicen, celebrated on the first day.
On Saturday 14th, the fashion parade for Portuguese companies belonging to Anivec/Apiv presented their collections, and the event was attended by Portugal’s Prime Minister José Manuel Durao Barroso. On the last day, two more events were the round table “Distribution channels. The future of sales outlets”, organized by MM Moda magazine, where commercialization challenges for the sector were analyzed, and the presentation of a report under the heading of “Textile commerce in figures”, made by Asociación de comercio Textil de la Comunidad de Madrid (Acotex), summarizing the main results and figures in the clothes-making industry.
At the same time, the 39th edition of Pasarela Cibeles was held. This is the major platform for Spanish designers. 26 local designers presented their collections in 22 fashion parades. As a novelty, the Catwalk started its programme with designed by young talents who until now used to present their creations at the end of the event. But in this way, as has been usual over the past few years, Pasarela Cibeles wishes to place its stakes on younger designers and creations.
The event was once again supported by L’Oreal Paris, who awarded the Best Collection by Young Designer, and the Best Model, with 6,010.12 Euros. This year, Ion Fiz and Eva Sanz were the respective winners.
This coincided with the fourth edition of “Madrid vive la Moda” (Madrid experiences Fashion), a promotional programme aiming towards communicating to citizens the importance and significance of Madrid as an international center for the Fashion business sector, through a series of activities open to the public.
The city, therefore, welcomed a number of events related to this sector, such as the exhibition under the name of “La Memoria de los Artistas Agustín Ibarrola/Miguel Marinero” exhibited in the Ballroom of the Fine Arts Circle in Madrid between February 4th and 18th, in addition to ‘Indumenta’, featuring the history of clothes by means of a hundred miniature pictures made with vintage figurines with volumes and antique fabrics.
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