Pleased with a positive result and largely exceeding the expectations of the exhibitors the 130th International Leather Goods Fair – I.L.M Winter Styles – finished in Offenbach today. Exhibitors at the three-day trade fair represented 215 companies coming from 14 countries and displayed what will be the trend in leather goods in the coming autumn/winter season.

The exhibition program at the I.L.M Winter Styles comprised the latest fashionable bag collections among a variety of international lifestyle- and designer labels, a choice of young fashion products that are strong on the market as well as new trend collections with small leather goods, travel- and leisure bags, business- and school articles, umbrellas, gloves, belts, and other fashion accessories.

In all supply sectors a strong interest in current novelties was obvious. The suppliers of fashionable handbags, however, could benefit from the pressure of time that goes along with the trade in sesonal business. There was mostly talk of good to very good order placings and of no particular changes compared to the last fairs. Suppliers of the standard range of products, however, sporadically sensed a more restricted placing of orders than the year before.

With just over 5,200 visitors the frequency at the I.L.M Winter Styles 2009 outnumbered the figures of the preceding year by somewhat more than 4% proving an ongoing success. The figures of inland visitors overtopped the level of the year before by about 7% - a level that was already high before – thus resulting with view to almost 4,200 visitors in an inland frequency of a Winter Styles that had never been reached before. 1010 visitors of over 40 countries came to the fair in Offenbach, yet the number of the guests from the Eastern European countries had slightly decreased compared to the prior event.

A success again were the numerous trend inspirations at the I.L.M Winter Styles that were frequented by the trade visitors. About one third of the visitors attended the Trend Fashion Shows that persuaded with the concepts SUPREME and DYNAMIC VIBES. The supplements, too, like trend lecture, deco inspiration or the latest LookBook were well appreciated and picked up.

(9/4/2009)