From January 19 to 21, 2019 - the underwear and lingerie industry will congregate at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris for a new edition of the Salon International de la Lingerie (SIL) trade show. The event will showcase over 400 exhibitors from 34 countries, plus the 42 labels selected by Matthieu Pinet for the avant-garde ‘Exposed’ section.

Though the lingerie market posted a 4.8% downturn in the first 10 months of 2018 compared to the same period in the previous year, the organisers seem confident about the show's visitor figures, saying that “buyers have pre-registered as usual, and they won’t want to miss this must-attend event.” SIL has confirmed about one hundred new brands to showcase their Autumn/Winter 2019-20 collections in the forthcoming edition, among them, New Zealand label Lonely, sexy British brand Agent Provocateur, and Felina, one of the labels owned by Sweden’s European Lingerie Group.
 
“The mood at the end of last year affected the entire French retail industry, generating great imbalances among operators, and we hope that buyers will be able to recharge their batteries and find fresh energy and zest during the show’s three days, to start the year with fresh aspirations, boosted by their show experience,” said Taya de Reyniès, in charge of the lingerie division at show organiser Eurovet.

The show’s ‘Trend and Selection’ section, grouping together the season’s most influential brands, will focus on four trends: ‘The Love-in-voice’, for lingerie that promotes self-confidence; ‘The Emancipated Voice’, for lingerie with a feminist message; ‘The Constructivist Voice’, focusing on the graphic features of underwear, and ‘The Natural Voice’, for lingerie in harmony with the environment. In parallel, the section will host workshops on themes as varied as matching underwear to skin color, bra-fitting and accessorising. Tights brand Gabriella will also hold a workshop on know-how and creativity in the hosiery industry.

The CL (Chantelle Lingerie) group will be awarded the ‘designer of the year’ prize at noon on Saturday, and an array of catwalk shows (three per day) and conferences (17 in total) will also be held during the event's three days. The first conference will be organised by the Nelly Rodi marketing agency, to shed light on market trends and consumer attitudes. Also on Saturday, Carlin Creative will chair a debate on consumer expectations for 2020.

On Sunday, visitors will be able to attend a conference on making the most of web opportunities to boost revenue, and on Monday, the Get Real Paris group will host a debate on the meaning of brand positioning in the era of activist and ethical brands. There will also be a daily conference by a market specialist: on Saturday by trend consultant Leherpeur Paris, on Sunday by Promostyl and on Monday by FashionNetwork.com.