SME has enjoyed a 25 year partnership with The British Fashion Council working on many aspects of London Fashion Week including the creation of London Fashion Weekend which is now in its 15th year. SME has also launched numerous other consumer events including, most recently, BBC Countryfile Live which has already in its first two years attracted over 250,000 visitors. Haymarket has decided not to run The Clothes Show in 2018 and SME will be reviewing its strategic options for 2019 and beyond.
Haymarket CEO Kevin Costello says: “The Clothes Show brand is an incredibly powerful one in the UK. It is, however, no longer core to Haymarket’s strategy as we focus on multi-platform brands and data-led solutions in our specialist market sectors. I’m delighted that we have found the perfect home for the brand with SME, who are ideally placed to develop the Clothes Show experience for 2019 and beyond.”
SME Managing Director Tim Etchells adds: “Fashion is passion and today’s passionate fashion-hungry consumers crave an experience that is relevant to them. With our fashion-forward experience, matched to a property as unique and well-loved as the Clothes Show, I’m certain we will over time create a new experience making the brand more relevant than ever for consumers and retailers alike.”
The Clothes Show launched in 1989 and has continually evolved over the years to reflect one of the most creative and lucrative industries in the UK, says Haymarket. Most recently The Clothes Show powered the British Style Collective - a fashion take-over event hosted in a variety of famous locations across Liverpool’s City Centre in July 2017.
