Biannual Trade Show to Debut in Barcelona
Barcelona—the Spanish city known for its great architecture, avant-garde art and incredible beaches—is launching a new apparel trade show this summer.
Called The Brandery, the show will take place twice a year.
The first show will be held July 7–9 in Montjuic Park, a green knoll topped with a 17th century fortress overlooking the port city.
The show aims to feature 250 national and international contemporary brands in four distinct areas. The Cathedral will be for designers and brands. The Loft is for groundbreaking and trendy labels. The Warehouse will be home to denim-based brands, and The Outerspace is reserved for streetwear brands and sneakers.
Barcelona’s mayor, Jordi Hereu, said, “This is a personal project that will help Barcelona become a reference point for international trade fairs in contemporary fashion.”
One of the organizers, Josep Bonet of Fira Barcelona, noted that Barcelona is a good port of entry to Europe for American-based brands.
Until recently, Barcelona was the site for Bread & Butter, a trade show of select apparel brands. Bread & Butter’s first show in Barcelona was in the summer of 2005. But in January, the organizers announced that Bread & Butter would be moving back to Berlin this summer after six seasons in Spain. “It left a void for the brands and the buyers and the people who enjoyed the experience of Barcelona,” said Minerva Arboleya, a spokeswoman for The Brandery, explaining why the city was stepping in to organize a new apparel show. Arboleya did not have a list yet of confirmed exhibitors. —Deborah Belgum
