UKFT was pleased to be able to support and highlight over 100 UK brands at Paris Men’s Fashion Week (22-28 January 2026) which coincided with the Women’s Pre-collections sales 22-28) and the Playtime Paris Childrenswear show (24-26), coming shortly after the commercial Who’s Next, Impact, Bijorhca, the Salon International de la Lingerie and the new Shoppe Object Paris tradeshows which took place 17-19 January at Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.

With support from the Department for Business and Trade, UKFT delivered a successful Discover British Brands in Paris map and promotion to identify and locate all the UK brands showing in the French capital on or around these dates to help buyers to find them wherever they were showing. The map was promoted through Modem’s printed map which was available at all the 35 or more shows and showrooms in Paris as well as at the main trade shows and catwalk events.

For the 25+ UK menswear companies showing at Welcome Edition, as well as another 30 or so at men’s and unisex showrooms including MAN Paris, Good People, Awaykin, DMSR, Fabrik Showroom, ToraTora and 505, Paris is the place where they all see their international buyers and discuss and place orders for AW2026/7. Whilst some brands also go on to show in New York and other cities, Paris remains the key order-writing place for premium menswear brands.

At the same time, and sometimes across the aisles, this is also the week when most UK womenswear and childrenswear designers and brands converge on Paris to meet their buyers and place orders for the same season.  Many of the womenswear brands will also come back to Paris for the “Main” Paris Women’s Fashion Week in March but it was clear from the conversations UKFT has had with many of the showrooms that in many markets including the US, January is already seen as being quite late with buyers under pressure to confirm orders as early as December or mid-January. For this reason, for womenswear we are seeing a continuation of the shift from the main March shows to January especially for more commercial collections, while Designer womenswear and luxury eveningwear brands remain more steadfastly wedded to the March PFW dateline. For menswear companies January is well placed towards the end of their AW26/7 sales cycle.

As with Pitti Uomo, in the run up to the week there was palpable concern in the market about whether the US’s IEEPA tariffs and a volatile new world order would keep buyers away, but as had been seen in Florence, the week got off to a positive start. The buyers came to Paris and were confidently discussing and placing business for AW26/7 and beyond.

US buyers were reported as being especially active, as were those from Canada, albeit that they were especially keen to source non-US collections and brands. The Gulf and the Middle East were very much in evidence especially for the women’s collections and lingerie. Most of the key Japanese and Korean stores were seen in town, especially at the menswear shows, even if they were said to be buying cautiously. Exhibitors were pleased to see a significant number of new stores from China probably for the first time since Covid.  French, Belgian and German buyers were very active as were the Eastern European markets including Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic which continue to grow. Other markets of note were Greece, Turkey (notwithstanding its complicated compliance, labelling and expensive testing landscape) and Albania, the latter being referenced by a number of luxury eveningwear exhibitors for the first time.

Paul Alger MBE, international business director at UKFT, said: “We have seen a very upbeat and successful Paris Men’s and Pre-Collections Fashion Week in January 2026. Buyers appear to have adopted a business-first approach, looking at new collections for newness and originality. Buyers have been placing their OTB budgets with confidence in the hope and expectation that stability and growth will return to the globe sooner rather than later.”

Men’s apparel and accessories, 22-28 January

Paris Men’s Fashion Week is the term loosely used by the profession to refer to the Paris Men’s Catwalk and the tradeshows and multi-brand showrooms which take part during the same week. This season’s UK Paris Fashion Week catwalk roster was smaller than usual with Charles Jeffery Loverboy, Feng Cheng Wang and Kiko Kostadinov.

The largest menswear show, and gathering of British brands, this season was at Welcome Edition. Organised by the UK’s Brand Progression consultancy who created the successful Jacket Required shows in the UK, and supported by a number of prominent UK menswear brands including Kestin, this show is now the main premium and designer casualwear/streetwear tradeshow for the sector. Set in a stunning new building between the Gare du Nord and the Porte de Clignancourt markets, the new venue provides a bright and airy space to show up to 250 brands (meaning that there is room for growth) with heating in the winter and air-conditioning for the summer.  The organisers hope to make this their new permanent home in Paris. Immediately after the end of the Paris edition, Welcome Edition took over 50 of their exhibitors to Welcome Edition in New York but for the majority of the brands the season ends in January although many companies had shown at Pitti Uomo, Trades Union in Berlin and (for those with a Scandinavian agent) CIFF in Copenhagen.

Welcome Edition was busy on all four days of the show with a real buzz. The UK exhibitors were extremely pleased with the show with many of them claiming to have had their best show yet. Buyers and press were from the EU, UK, US, Canada, Korea and Japan in particular – these are markets with a real appreciation of quality casualwear and heritage collections. UK exhibitors included: A-Cold-Wall, Barbour, Far Afield, Fred Perry, Jo Gordon, Kestin, Nigel Cabourn, Peregrine, Service Works, Sunray Sportswear and Wax London.  The new venue was popular with exhibitors, who appreciated the bright clean space and the new layout of the show. The brightness and space meant that the show was better laid out than before with exhibitors able to show their full collections and have quality face to face meetings with buyers. The buyers clearly loved the show and its selection of brands and felt that the show had taken a massive lift in the right direction.

Gemma Hare speaking on behalf of Scottish designer brand Kestin and the show organisation said: “Paris was on another level this season. The busiest we have experienced in a long time, perhaps even ever. The new Welcome Edition location really upped the ante and we had long queues of buyers waiting to get in on the first day, which I’ve not seen since pre Covid. We saw a truly international audience, with lots of Asian, US, Canadian as well as European buyers flocking to the show. We had a record breaking first day, and the momentum continued for the whole week with lots of new buyers browsing and overall a great buzz.”

Starting a day after Welcome Edition, Man Paris also got off to a very positive start with strong attendance from the US, EU, Canada, Japan and Korea. UK regulars George Cox, Gloverall and Minessak were joined by newcomers Fields of Necessity and Goral in this prestigious location on Place Vendôme. Whilst the show also included some women’s pre-collections, the majority of the collections were men’s heritage and unisex collections on a similar price level to Welcome Edition.

Peter Han of Fields of Necessity showing at MAN Paris said: “This was our first ever collection and our first time showing in Paris, presented through MAN Paris, and it was a very positive experience. Being part of a multi-brand show allowed us to meet a broad spectrum of buyers and press in one place, and to see our work positioned alongside a diverse range of international brands. We met buyers from across Europe, Japan, the US and the UK, with strong interest in the collection’s focus on refined utility, fabric quality, and understated construction and Scottish knitwear manufacturing.”

Running concurrently with the men’s shows, there were a number of specialist menswear agencies and showrooms in town and some showrooms with both men’s and women’s.

Good People showroom in the Marais, always a popular showroom with menswear buyers, was showing Bélier, Manors Golf, Oliver Spencer and Origin Knitwear from the UK alongside new Manchester brand Summit.  On the outer side of the Marais, Fabrik showroom was a collaboration of UK brands represented by their Middle East agent including Loake, Only the Blind, Oliver Sweeney and new brand named Formerly Known As. Elsewhere in or around the Marais, were The Alphabet showroom (a new location at Goncourt) with Mains London and Château Orlando. Awaykin’s men’s collections included ACMH by Magic Castles, Cawley, Gander (another popular new brand from Manchester) and StoryMFG. Awaykin launched a new women’s pre-showroom two minutes’ away. DMSR showed Easy Listening, Le Kilt, Sage Nation and Stepney Workers Club opposite the Pompidou Centre. Impossible Objects shows new designers Arodazi, Gascoigne, Jane Fu, Storefront and Vexed Generation in their incubator space. Paul Smith’s Foundation saw Laura Pitharas and Paolina Russo showing together. Tora Tora presented UKFT member Au Concours to its international buyers as well as new entry BeKindDarling (BKD) while 505 Showroom was home to UK brands Service Works and Universal Works. All of the showrooms reported that they had seen most of their main buyers from around the world in what was hailed as a  positive week.

Igor Ivanenko of Only the Blind said: “We had a really good season in Paris this time with orders up with almost all retailers  and orders from new retailers we are looking forward to working with. It was so exciting to see that the industry seems to be still in a stable place and the brand is doing very well with growing demand globally and great performance. We are focusing on developing new relationships for the next summer season to showcase our brand to more retailers.”

The British Fashion Council’s LondonSHOWrooms reported its four UK designers Derrick, Johanna Parv, Nicholas Daley and Saul Nash were visited by a record-breaking 278 buyers and guests, representing 98 stores from 16 countries. The list of buyers confirmed by BFC included: Antonioli (I), Beaker KR), Beams (J), Boon the Shop (KR), Browns (EI), Corso Como (I), Departamento (US), Dover Street Market (GB and F), End. (GB), GR8 (J), Mr Porter (GB), Selfridges & Co (GB).

Women’s Pre-Collections, 22-28 January

January has increasingly taken over from the main women’s collection shows as the best time of year for buyers to place their womenswear orders. This season was no exception with some showrooms saying that they had seen most of their key buyers in Paris in January, whilst also confirming a shift in womenswear volumes from March to January – and sometimes even earlier. Whilst there were no premium pre-collection tradeshows for womenswear in January, the city was home to many great British women’s pre-collections brands at Paris’s multi-brand showrooms all reporting encouraging buyer numbers with Japan, the US, Canada, the EU and the Middle East most often being reported as the most active.

Awaykin launched its new separate women’s pre-showroom on Rue Réaumur with Ahluwalia, Cawley (women’s), Eudon Choi, La Fetiche, Peachy Den and Story MFG (women’s). For this first season, the showroom experimented by splitting its men’s and womenswear collections between the two showrooms with the new location housing the women’s collections. This had the effect of giving buyers more dedicated time to select from the ranges and enabled Awaykin to expand as space for new collections has been an issue for for some time. Break.fast once again provided an exciting line up of some of the most avant-garde designers in Paris including Ancuța Sarca, JordanLuca, Lueder, Masha Popova and SRVC in a unique venue off Avenue Parmentier. Across town in the 8^th arrondissement Emma Jones showroom was visibly busy with It’s 9PM, Leem and Oceanus. Also busy was PaperMacheTiger with UK brand Lalage Beaumont showing for the first time. UKFT was also pleased to see non-UK brand Vera Wang making a comeback in the showroom with the support the UK’s Claudia Sodano – always a pleasure!  Studio Nicholson showed with PlusPlus near République. Close by, Polly King showroom reported a very positive season in the US and in Paris with her brands including Damson Madder and Missoma. Rainbowwave moved to a new home in a stunning venue opposite the Elysée Palace, showing le Monde Beryl and Sunray Sportswear. Back in the Marais, the Jewellery Showroom included Césart by Regina Pyo, Sandraalexandra and Shyla.

Jonathan Rodden representing Lalage Beaumont at PaperMache Tiger said: “Paris was an excellent opportunity to connect with buyers and receive very positive feedback. We generated strong interest from several European retailers, as well as from department stores in the GCC  and are actively following up on these opportunities. Looking ahead, we are also placing a strong strategic focus on the US market. particularly in key states such as Texas and California, and we are keen to build on the momentum and interest we are already seeing there.”

This season in particular, there was an increasing proportion of standalone UK designers showing on their own in various locations in Paris. UKFT was especially pleased to be able to highlight these designers on its Brits in Paris Map including: Arch4, Begg & Co, Completed Works, Edeline Lee, Harris Wharf London, IA London, Jenny Packham, Liberty London, Johnstons Elgin and Rupert Sanderson. The mood of all of these standalone designers and brands was very positive showing that it is possible to drive buyers to standalone locations with the right approach, determination and sales support.

Ira Avezov of IA London reported a busy schedule with a good mixture of both new and returning stores from Europe, the US, Japan and the Middle East. Jenny Packham was visited by the majority of their US and Middle East customers as well as new ones from countries including Albania. The new Begg showroom was extremely well received by buyers with room to show both knitwear and homeware in dedicated spaces. Liberty London reported an exceptionally busy programme of appointments on Rue de Babylone on the left bank.

Daisy Yu at Jenny Packham said: “The Jenny Packham Pre-Fall showroom in Paris delivered a strong and commercially focused season, with high levels of engagement from international clients. The extension of the collection, including the introduction of kaftans alongside core embellished and crepe styles, was very well received and broadened the brand’s offer. Fall 25 sales performed strongly, with clients confirming increased open-to-buy commitments for Spring 26. In response to the growing demand and sustained momentum, Jenny Packham will extend selling days for the Spring main season to accommodate heightened interest and support continued growth across global markets.”

Of special note, UK show organisers Splash!Paris has announced that it will be launching a new premium women’s show to be called LeCUT/Paris later in the year.

Commercial shows and Lingerie: Who’s Next, Impact, Bijorhca, Salon International de la Lingerie and the new Shoppe Object Paris, 17-19 January

The commercial tradeshows under the Who’s Next banner the week before saw an increase in UK brands this season with 19 UK exhibitors including regulars Glen Prince, Underground Shoes, Mou and Oats and Rice. The show was well laid out and presented with a new Shoppe Object concept imported from the successful US show of the same name.

The Salon de la Lingerie (now part of the group alongside the Interfilière lingerie fabrics and trimmings show ) remains the world’s largest and most influential lingerie and foundation garment trade show with an impressive lineup of UK exhibitors including Coco de Mer, Cyberjammies, Derek Rose, Elomi (Wacoal), Fleur of England, Freya, Jessica Russell Flint and TBCo.

Sophie Filipe of Fleur England said: “We had a good show at Salon de la Lingerie. We were celebrating our 25th Anniversary and had a really positive experience with a significant increase in visitors on previous years. The show felt full of optimism, there was definitely an energy in the room and it felt like buyers were looking to buy and not just browse. The new layout of the show which made it easy to showcase the product. We welcomed numerous international buyers to the stand, from Europe, US, Australia and the Middle East.”

According to the organisers’ official figures some 45,000 buyers visit the combined shows of which 70% were buyers. 70% of the visitors are traditionally from France but the organisers have pointed to a growing number of international buyers especially in the lingerie show. The organisers list  the following department stores as regular attendees: Le Bon Marché (F), Galeries Lafayette (F), La Rinascente (I), El Corte Ingles, Beyman (TR), Takashimaya (J) although some of these may be represented by their permanent representative offices which are located in Paris.

Lucy Litwack of Coco de Mer said: “The Salon de la Lingerie show in Paris was a real success and felt much more like the pre-Covid days – great atmosphere and plenty of buzz. There was a strong international presence, particularly buyers from the USA and Canada, which we haven’t seen travelling as much in recent years. Overall it really felt like a return to the old days.”

This return to better trading times and hope for the future was echoed by Barny Edis, representing Derek Rose: “Paris was a success for Derek Rose, we had a great position, we saw a mixture of old and new customers, there were some good orders and the show was well organised.”

Childrenswear: Playtime Paris, 24-26 January

The week was also the time when international childrenswear brands flock to the Parc Floral near the Château de Vincennes for Playtime Paris, still a very respected international childrenswear show. Approximately 10 UK brands took part in the show including 4Kix, Fille Garçon, Forivor, Mabli, Main Story, Mumzers, Roarsome, Toastie Kids and Wynken some of which would also be travelling to Playtime New York.

UKFT was able to visit the show on the last day, which appeared to have been busy. French buyers and French based-based buying houses representing Asian stores are always well represented at the show. According to the organisers’ officially audited figures 4892 buyers from 72 countries visited the show. 23% of the buyers were from France and which 16% were first-timers. UK exhibitors referenced a busy show with a positive attitude from EU and US and Canadian buyers. Belgium was referenced by several companies as an important childrenswear market.

Nadine Hallak of 4Kix said: “Playtime is always beautifully and thoughtfully organised. The team are super professional and so welcoming, and the show is generous with its space, layout and materials. We found the range of visitors this year to be positive and  diverse and we really enjoyed meeting so many press, influencers, and other brands, as well as buyers from different parts of the world. We saw buyers  from the Middle East, Northern and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, France, the UK and even Brazil.”

Elbe Lealman of Wynken was similarly positive: “Playtime Paris was a very busy fair with lots of return customers and many new ones. Most of the buyers we saw were from the EU with some from further afield. New customers from the fair should go some way to offset the negative impact of the US tariffs and a downturn in orders from that market along with the political changes in South Korea. We saw 11 new stores at the show.  ”

Other issues and trends:

SAKS Global: A number of companies referred to the Chapter 11 status of Saks Global in the US with several companies asking whether the UK government (namely UK Export Finance) would be able to assist with export cover for the US retailer moving forward if commercial cover was not available. UKFT is in contact with the Department for Business and Trade about this but understands that there may also be some commercial options. Members should contact paul.alger@ukft.org about this.

Lack of tradeshow support for UK companies: An increasing number of British exhibitors this season questioned the logic of the continued lack of government support for UK businesses at international shows compared with other competitors which have well established and generous long-term schemes for their exhibitors. While two Welsh companies did receive generous support at Playtime (Wales is now the only part of the UK with a grant scheme), none of the other UK exhibitors across any of the shows received financial support towards the cost of their stands. This puts British businesses at a substantial disadvantage with other countries such as Italy, France, Spain and Turkey which also benefit from a lower minimum wage and NI regime compared with the UK.

Elbe Lealman of Wynken said:  “I would like to push the UK government to reintroduce funding for UK companies at key international shows. We need to be able to double the size of our stand but cannot do so without support.  We have the potential to grow but we can’t compete financially with the likes of the Spanish and other EU brands even though we have great quality products and design. We are a self-funded company, we are growing and pay corporation tax each year.  I would love to send a message to the international buyers that the UK has great kidswear and, for once, I would like us to be able  to look big, make an impact and stand up in a market which is  dominated by the Spanish. I don’t believe in funding for funding’s sake but targeted investment is smart for growing brands and should be considered a sound investment of taxpayers money and a great advert for UK business in Europe.”

UKFT’s DISCOVER BRITISH BRANDS