This coming October Who's Next and Premiere Classe will bring the height of fashion to Dubai

The organisers of these two renowned trade shows, has announced their launch in the Middle East introducing an entirely new event that will be the first professional fashion trade show to take place in this part of the world bringing together both fashion and accessory universes.

WHO'S NEXT & PREMIERE CLASSE will run from the 11th till 13th October 2009 at the Dubai World Trade Center covering over 12 000sqm of exhibition space and hosting 250 international brands, mostly from Europe and the Middle-East, including 100 French brands.

With 100 women's brands, 80 accessory designers and 70 urban labels showcasing together the latest trends from their 2010 Spring/Summer collections, WHO'S NEXT & PREMIERE CLASSE will without a doubt bring a profusion of diversity and uniqueness to the fashion scene in Dubai.

The international trade show of fashion accessories, PREMIERE CLASSE is the only trade show in the world dedicated to the entire fashion accessory sector ranging from handbags, jewellery, shoes, hats, scarves, belts, gloves to even umbrellas.. Created in 1989, PREMIERE CLASSE is a market pioneer notorious for edifying novelties and key values in the accessory world.

In Paris, PREMIERE CLASSE takes place four times a year: twice alongside WHO'S NEXT at the Porte de Versailles in January and September and twice in conjunction with the Paris Fashion weeks at the Jardin des Tuileries, within walking distance of the catwalks, in March and October.

Amongst the many trade shows that take place in Paris, WHO'S NEXT has been standing out for over 15 years with its unique spirit defined by a deliberately offbeat vision of fashion and its strong viewpoints. From street wear labels to the must have feminine fashion brands, not forgetting the creative and talented young creators, WHO'S NEXT bets on a transverse and exclusive range.

WHO'S NEXT aims to constantly guide and stimulate the press and buyers' desires by introducing them to new products as well as providing them with avant-garde and pertinent fashion information.

For over 20 years, the teams behind WHO'S NEXT & PREMIERE CLASSE have been relentlessly defending creativity and continuously looking for novelty, innovation and aestheticism amongst designers and craftsmen from around the world. The ultimate objective is to offer exclusive and innovative designs at every show.

According to their own selection standards and creative approach, the two trade shows carefully select their exhibitors through a dedicated committee and have become an eminent consulting and exhibition platform for the brands who wish to establish themselves on the fashion market. What's more, WHO'S NEXT & PREMIERE CLASSE provide their exhibitors with quality services by offering them direction, expertise and experience to help them develop in the fashion market.

After taking part in renowned events in China, Canada and Brazil, Who's Next & Premiere Classe have decided to launch their own trade show in Dubai. "The Middle East is a very dynamic region, both economically and culturally, representing a great potential for both European and regional fashion designers. Dubai has clearly established itself as not only an economic, but also a global fashion hub with its increasing number of shopping malls and retail outlets", comments Bertrand Foache, CEO, Who's Next and Premiere Classe

Xavier Clergerie, managing director, Who's Next & Premiere Classe further added,

"We are very proud to launch Who's Next & Premiere Classe in Dubai as the first professional fashion trade shows in the region. Despite its rapidly growing fashion industry, the region suffers from the lack of trade shows exclusively focused on fashion yet bringing together both accessories and textiles."

"We aim to use our expertise and experience to introduce top-of-the-range brands that are not yet available in the GCC to a growth market that is rich in business opportunities. It is important for these brands to get a foothold in the region, just as it is essential for us to offer a service of proximity to regional buyers who cannot necessarily afford to attend all the fashion trade shows in Paris."

So despite talks of an economic downturn, the Middle East still represents a key market for European fashion and, determined to exploit this potential, Who's Next & Premiere Classe intend to become the fashion rendez-vous of the region. Running in Dubai just after the Paris Fashion Week, Who's Next & Premiere Classe will be the last event in the great international fashion calendar to present the spring summer collections for 2010.

Key figures:

Who's Next & Premiere Classe:
• Porte de Versailles (January and September): 1200 brands, 700 exhibitors for Who's Next and 500 exhibitors for Premiere Classe, 55000 visitors and 1000 journalists