“REFRESH” FROM PORTUGAL

In this year's edition, Playtime Paris celebrates its 10th anniversary, presenting the main trends in children’s clothing for the next warm season. Portugal is represented by five national companies - Knot - Piupiuchick - Rocket Pear - Sissonne - Wolf&Rita - which promise to surprise all visitors with their proposals for Spring/Summer 2017.

“Young Dreamers are the Best Artisans" is the point of departure for traveling through the Piupiuchick collection. Attending Playtime Paris for the second time, it is presenting a collection in which the palette combines the colours of fresh summer fruits, such as strawberry, lemon, mint and tangerine with indigo, in the style of the ancient Japanese hand dyeing technique of shibori. In the materials used, the emphasis is on fresh linens and gentle cottons, with items that evoke a light, bohemian and essentially happy lifestyle! «We found our milieu at the Playtime; a place where we can find visitors and participating brands that speak our “language”’; that breathe our lifestyle. Visitors that are looking for trendy, niche brands. As a result, we now have higher expectations», revealed Mariana Pimentel, sales manager of the company. «The challenge, in this our second participation, is obviously to create new partnerships and reach new markets, but also to solidify and increase existing partnerships», she emphasised.

Attending the event for the first time, the brand Rocket Pear is offering its Spring/Summer 2017 collection of pyjamas, based on a classic concept, but reinterpreted in shirt fabrics, with elements of sportswear, in a minimalist, stylish approach, alongside another range that is fluid and organic, inspired by a mineral landscape. Besides the pyjamas, it is also presenting its ranges of textiles for the bedroom and bathroom, casual wear, and bibs. «The decision to take part in this event is based on the fact that its target market, and the visitors to the fair, are in line with our target public», said Rebeca Pereira, manager of the company.

Back in Paris, Sissonne is presenting its collection for infants and children aged from 3 months to 8 years, with an emphasis on light fabrics, vibrant colours and original designs. «It is an internationally renowned trade fair, and a key event for finding clients and partners, whether in Europe or in the rest of the world. A fair where the brands present quality and design compatible with Sissonne», explained Inês Ramos, manager of the company. «Our main objectives are to increase our client portfolio and gain more visibility», she added.

Playtime Paris is held twice a year. In the January edition, it gathered around 500 collections (11% more than last winter), two third of which were from foreign exhibitors. During the three days of the fair, it received 7500 professional visitors.

The participation of the 5 Portuguese companies in one more Playtime Paris edition is an initiative promoted by the Selectiva Moda Association, co-financed by the EU Structural and Investment Funds as part of the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020 and COMPETE 2020. The FROM PORTUGAL project is made up of approximately 81 international activities which take place in the second half of 2015 and in 2016, covering the entire textile and fashion industry and spread over four continents, with a total investment of over 13 million euros.