Area History

A story of persistence in freedom of expression, artistic integrity, and economic independence in the face of growing global corporate commercial fashion interests at all levels.  Across 16 consecutive editions, Area has provided a very special artistic platform for the newest and the best of independent design...

1998-2003
the formative years

Informal discussions among independent men's designers for positive system change in Paris first began in late 1998. These discussions were triggered by the fall in the men's market which coincided with the selloff of the original SEHM by Claude Miserey and the Federation Francaise to Fair Team nv, a Dutch finance speculation company with no experience in fashion, which proceeded to also buy Tranoi. Both SEHM and Tranoi deteriorated under Fair Team. Christine Bonini ex-director of the extremely successful Nouvel Espace section of SEHM founded a new show named Casabo, which for many represented the new hopes to revive the Paris men's industry, which was by then sliding into crisis and losing much ground to Milan.

Bonini and Casabo enjoyed some success from 1999 to 2001, and did more than their share of helping various designers, and lobbying for much needed attention and support at the broad system-wide level of Paris fashion to the Chambre Syndicale, France's governing body of fashion. However, over time it became clear that the Chambre's priorities lay in the large luxury groups which were currently merging into lesser numbers of firms but  bigger entities whose main business was women's fashion and particularly accessory and perfume sales, and important actions needed to save the men's industry were ignored or never taken.

Casabo slowly shifted its own emphasis towards women's by joining and eventually selling its operation to Sodes SA, a major trade show operator of the PAP Comexpo group at the Porte de Versailles in the summer of 2003. By January 2003, independent designers in Paris had seen continuous decline in the attendance of international buyers and journalists for the men's fashion week, and less and less options available for trade shows and presentations. Casabo indicated to its exhibitors in January that it would not operate during the July 2003 men's week. With no other option, designers were quickly forced to begin discussions to organize something themselves. Casabo eventually did mount a small show of about 20 exhibitors in July 2003 at the Hotel St James. But by this time the writing on the wall was clear, designers would have to fend for themselves and inititate system changes on their own urgently or there might be no options left. And these changes would have to address the overall changes that had taken place in the market and the world, and adapt accordingly. Working by telephone and fax, a small group of designers agreed to a plan to test a new approach and start a new concept to serve the needs and interests of the independent designer. For the first time in decades, a new active generation of practicing designers aimed to have a voice in the process of where Paris fashion might be able to go.

September 2003
AREA edition 1.

"An experimental trade show exhibition"

The first AREA, an experimental trade show concept was organized in record time and placed within an existing salon at Casabo during the September PAP session at the Porte de Versailles with 6 designers from 5 countries. The event was successful and marked the beginnings of the concept's efforts to serve the needs of independent designers at a specific level and the concept of allowing individual designer installations to be created within an open communal space.  The Imp of the Perverse was introduced to the world market for the first time.
Location: Casabo exhibition Porte de Versailles 75015
participants
Josep Abril, Geoffrey B. Small, Intuitive, Firma, The Imp of the Perverse, Ron Orb
sponsors: Josep Abril, Geoffrey B. Small, Intuitive, Casabo/Sodes/Christine Walter Bonini

January 2004
AREA edition 2.

The 2nd AREA, was the first totally independent designer event staged in its own independent space and completely promoted and organized by the designers themselves. An encouraging success involving 12 designers from 5 countries, and attendance and orders from many of the best shops in the world. Geoffrey B. Small's first napoleonic-style collection, Intuitive's hand felted wool fabric deconstructed clothing, Delle Cose shoes, and FQ Roma were all introduced to the world market for the first time.
Location: Espace St Martin 4th floor, 199bis rue Saint Martin 75003
participants
Josep Abril, Firma, Intuitive, Marc Le Bihan, Jean-Francois Mimilla, Orner, Werkstatt Munchen, Delle Cose, FQ Roma, Gallego Desportes, Rene Talmon L'Armee, Geoffrey B. Small
sponsors: Firma, Josep Abril, Geoffrey B. Small

March 2004
AREA edition 3.

The 3rd AREA, followed quickly on the success of January 2004. With less than 4 weeks to organize, only 7 pioneering participants, and under the intense women's week competition and difficult worldwide market conditions, the show, marked the AICI's first presentation during the Paris women's week of the Semaine des Createurs--a critical first step in its efforts to pioneer a new alternative for independent designers to present their collections at lower cost and higher artistic quality, and continued to set new standards for artistic expression, individuality and quality in Paris for both men's and women's presentations.  Ester Marthel and Pulver were introduced to the world market in Paris for the first time.
Location: Espace St Martin 4th floor, 199bis rue Saint Martin 75003
participants
Geoffrey B. Small, Intuitive, Delle Cose, Rene Talmon L'Armee, Pulver, Micheal Maiman, Esther Marthel
sponsors: Delle Cose, Geoffrey B. Small

July 2004
AREA edition 4.

"Fashion for men: it's time for a change"

The 4th edition of AREA, established itself as the most important avant-garde event of the international men's fashion season, bringing in a record number of the world's top store buyers and journalists for an AREA event. The event proved that designers working together with common goals could continue to set the highest standards of presentation quality in the industry at the lowest costs to the exhibitor. The concept featured 15 member participants from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, United States and Hong Kong. The international preview of Lionel Csisinski's and Rene Licata's "Fashion Therapy" documentary DVD on fashion artists inside and outside the system drew hundreds of visitors from the Paris fashion and art community.  Intuitive oxford shirting based tailored jackets and pants, Absinthium, Marcello Scunzani, Corps Accords, P.Van Lef, and the relaunch of Sebastien Meunier were introduced to the the world market for the first time.
Location: Espace St Martin 4th floor, 199bis rue Saint Martin 75003
participants
Absinthium, Anna Ruohonen, Corps Accords, Delle Cose, Firma, Geoffrey B. Small, Intuitive, Josep Abril, Maiami, Marcello Scunzani, Markus Stich, P.VanLef, Rene Talmon L'Armee, Sebastien Meunier, Y Preston
sponsors: Josep Abril, Firma, Geoffrey B. Small, Delle Cose

September 2004
AREA edition 5.

The 5th AREA, featured a record number of 20 participants from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, United States, the UK and for the first-time,India, achieving some of the lowest costs per exhibitor in the history of the event. The first Area Concept Shop was tested in the new expanded 60m2 entry space. And the event marked an outpouring of press coverage for the continuation of AICI efforts to reshape the industry and the first Indian-based designer Manish Aurora for Fish Fry at Area.  Divine Tribe, 03, and the relaunch of Catherine Giacomini were introduced to the world market for the first time.
Location: Espace St Martin 4th floor, 199bis rue Saint Martin 75003
participants
Absinthium, Catherine Giacomini, Corps Accords, Divine Tribe, Elsa Esturgie, Firma, Fish Fry-Manish Aurora, Gallego-Desportes, Geoffrey B. Small, Iggi, Intuitive, Josep Abril, La Corderie, Marcello Scunzani, Orner, P.VanLef, Rene Talmon L'Armee, Sebastien Meunier, Tatiana Lebedev, Yiorgos Eleftheriades, 03

October 2004
AREA edition 6.

The 6th AREA, the largest AREA women's show to date, featured a record number of participants for an AREA women's exhibition, 18 designers from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, United States, and Hong Kong participated, up from only 7 in the first women's Area exhibition in March. The second Area Concept Shop was tested in the new expanded 60m2 entry space and the show was visited by legendary journalists Ninette Murk from Antwerp and Lela Aquarone of Italian Vogue. Bad Spirit, Revital Avidar and the relaunch of Libertine Louison were introduced to the world market for the first time.
Location: Espace St Martin 4th floor, 199bis rue Saint Martin 75003
participants
Absinthium, Bad Spirit, Delle Cose, Divine Tribe, Geoffrey B. Small, House of Done, Intuitive, La Corderie, Libertine Louison, Marcello Scunzani, Nicola Edeler, Philipe Roucou, Rene Talmon L'Armee, Revital Avidar, Tatiana Lebedev, TT.WIP, Yiorgos Eleftheriades, Y Preston

January 2005
AREA  edition 7.

"Fashion waits for no one"

The 7th AREA, marked the most ambitious show to date with the development of the first Area Defiles press presentations and fashion shows. The selective show featured 11 designers from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, United States, and Greece, and featured catwalk presentations by Geoffrey B. Small, Josep Abril, Yiorgos Eleftheriades, P.VanLef, and iX by Intuitive. A special press presentation by Catherine Giacomini featured a live concert performed by the Spitts rock-band from Sweden wearing the collection. The event also included the world premiere screening of Jerome Chichet's film for Fashion Therapy "Dress Code Napoleon" on the development of Geoffrey B. Small's 3-Napoleonic collections. The slogan for the event "Fashion waits for no one", reinforced the leadership role the event was shaping in the avant-garde industry. For the first time, Area had enabled 4 independent designers to make their first-ever fashion catwalk presentations in Paris.
Location: Espace St Martin 4th floor, 199bis rue Saint Martin 75003
participants
Absinthium, Catherine Giacomini, Firma Berlin, Geoffrey B. Small, iX by Intuitive, Josep Abril, Maiami, Marcello Scunzani, P.Van Lef, Werkstatt Munchen, Yiorgos Eleftheriades

March 2005
AREA edition 8.

"Shhhhhh.....revolution in progress"

The 8th AREA, continued with the historic development of the first women's Area press presentations and fashion shows. The revolutionary show featured 12 designers from France, Italy, Canada, Hong Kong, Turkey and Holland. and featured catwalk presentations by Geoffrey B. Small, iX by Intuitive, Absinthium, Ozlem Suer, Rich Saguaro, Y Preston and Catherine Giacomini. In addition, the shows initiated a daring change in the scheduling by advancing the dates of the fashion shows and main exhibitions ahead of all the major salon trade shows in Paris. A new private by appointment only showroom for top clients was successfully launched to close the events after the fashion shows and main exhibition. In addition, 5 designers had been enabled to do their first Paris runway presentations ever, and an ambitious agreement was arranged with 6 Area participants to launch their collections for the very first time in the Japanese market. Rich Saguaro and Rafaella Cocchi were introduced to the world market for the first time.
participants
Absinthium, B.O.R.N. by Norbert Fiddlers, Catherine Giacomini, Eber-Specher, Geoffrey B. Small, House of Done, iX by Intuitive, Marcello Scunzani, Ozlem Suer, Rafaella Cocchi, Rich Saguaro, Y Preston

AREA Defiles garnered their first coverage in a 2-page spread in Collezioni magazine pushing total Area press coverage in the international fashion trade media past an estimated 1 million cumulative impressions. The controversial story and efforts of AICI/Area and its participating designers had already appeared in numerous international design publications including Sport&Street, WeAr, Mug, Journal du Textile, International Textiles, Glamour, Style and Progress, Monitor, and Zoom on Fashion. And numerous celebnty clients Area participants' recent celebrity clients included Paris Hilton (Y Preston), and Lenny Kravitz and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler (Marcello Scunzani).



    

January