PARIS — The Who’s Next trade show continued to spread its wings, leaning further into demand for broader assortments as retailers seek opportunities to up the lifestyle quotient in stores and cultivate a community vibe that brings consumers back time after time.

This year’s January show at Porte de Versailles, which ran from Jan. 17 to 19, incorporated the debut edition of Shoppe Object Paris in collaboration with the U.S.-based interiors show, within the core Who’s Next offer for ready-to-wear and accessories and alongside jewelry event Bijorhca, the Salon International de la Lingerie, as well as a sourcing section integrating the Interfilière and Bijorhca Elements spaces.

The combined events saw visitor numbers up 5 percent year-over-year, according to organizer WSN, 26 percent of whom were newcomers.

In total, 1,760 exhibitors were present. “This edition is proof that bringing our five communities together creates exponential traction that no single event can generate on its own,” said Frédéric Maus, WSN’s chief executive officer.

“I found it to be a very interesting initiative, especially at a time when […] fashion and lifestyle items are becoming increasingly interconnected,” said Ryosuke Motono, deputy representative for Isetan Mitsukoshi’s Paris office. “Shoppe Object felt highly relevant, as it connects well with proposing products to customers who enjoy expressing their lifestyle through interiors, home goods and fashion.”

Historically, Who’s Next has attracted a majority of French visitors, in contrast with accessories event Première Classe, held during rtw collections. This has shifted since the pandemic, Maus explained, notably due to a number of European trade events having scaled back, and thanks to the expanded offer.

“Having the different categories all in the same place has really reinforced our international traffic,” Maus told WWD. “We have very little competition today — there are shows that have shuttered in Germany and the U.K. Buyers still need trade shows.” At January’s edition, international buyers accounted for 60 percent of visitors.

Thanks to the acquisition last year of a majority stake in retail service provider Labomode, meanwhile, which operates the Fashop and Pagesmode platforms, the show has reinforced its relationships with top boutiques in France, he said, and is committed to helping them navigate market changes with a range of services throughout the year.

“We need to club together to face up to a market that is in the midst of a major mutation,” said Maus. “We are trying to be closer than ever to retailers, working as an ecosystem and offering them added value. Seeing the show so busy despite an economic context that is difficult for everybody right now gives me a lot of hope for the future.”

Aiding retailers in becoming more consumer-centric and cultivating communities is becoming increasingly important, Maus commented. “The boutiques that are successful today are those that offer a multitude of categories and bring people together around a shared passion, a community, and I think that trend is only going to accelerate,” he said.

Cheryl Sivewright from Woodlane of Doune, from Scotland, was one retailer leaning into such a strategy. The boutique creates 30-minute videos daily showcasing its offer, which it broadcasts via Facebook, building loyalty and customer interaction. Sivewright was returning to Who’s Next for the first time since the pandemic, she said, and was impressed by the broader offer. Shopping for “something different,” she observed that “some of the clothing labels are being quite careful,” a tendency echoed on the runways during men’s shows this January.

Trends highlighted by WSN for the season included classic silhouettes, comforting materials like velvet and corduroy, and traditional but warm colorways. While on the rtw side, a lot of brands were playing it safe, looking to offer timeless staples in collections that are easy to buy into to help retailers alleviate risk, on the accessories side the offer was more eclectic. Small-scale pieces at lower price points, add-on accessories and customization options were among the standouts, including categories like socks and small woolen accessories.

Melanie Bolin and Lina Dickinson, co-owners of Mersea boutique in Kansas City, Mo., said shopping the show was challenging given the tariff situation, with a lot of brands manufacturing in India. “But there’s no way through it, we can’t just not buy in India,” they said. “It’s terrible for our business.” They cited stripes and fake fur as among key trends, and were excited about customization options like patches for clothing or accessories.

“It’s been a good show, but people are being reasonable in their purchasing,” said Ludovic Delpierre, sales director for jewelry label Satellite, a historic exhibitor at Bijorhca. “We’ve been renewing our offer over the past two years, and that is beginning to pay off.”

The collection was inspired by archive designs, notably from the ’90s, with chunky 3D-printed mesh pieces in brass and others made using an innovative resin metallization process. Such techniques are allowing the brand to counter increases in raw materials prices while offering statement looks that remain lightweight in a market dominated by smaller jewelry pieces, Delpierre explained.

Some bigger brands taking a closer look at wholesale again made a return to the show, like streetwear label Eleven Paris, while Italian animal-free outerwear specialist Save the Duck made its debut as it looks to grow its international footprint.

Discoveries, Brand Highlights at Who’s Next

Bonjour Cocotte

Category: Accessories

Paris-based Virginie le Duc has transformed her passion for vintage silk scarves from luxury houses into a business, updating the French classic for a younger, more contemporary clientele. “There’s an emotional connection to silk scarves, they’re often passed down from mother to daughter,” said the designer, who previously ran the Nini la Duchesse brand for kids. “I wanted to give these classic pieces a new twist.” The designer sources the pieces largely online, selects key placements in the designs, and transforms them into iron-on patches with embroidered details in the shape of letters or quirky motifs. Leftover scraps of the scarves are twisted and transformed into necklaces with the addition of pearls.

Core price range: 35 euros to 45 euros (retail)

Bag + Block

Category: Bags

This playful, socially minded brand from Spain was created four years ago by Paloma Hernández Tamame, and creates colorful, customizable handbags with decor using children’s construction blocks. The fabric-lined bags themselves, in plain colors, are made by artisans in India, then decorated in Spain working with nonprofits that provide employment for people with mental health issues. The colorful building block designs can be customized at will, and the system is compatible with Lego and other bricks on the market.

Pricing: About 150 euros retail

Outrè

Category: Apparel

Based in Israel, Yuval Alroey offers “art-to-wear” pieces made with repurposed Gobelins tapestries that are carefully dry-cleaned and restored before being transformed into striking tailored pieces. Alongside her custom tailored pieces, she has developed a rtw offer reprising the same motifs, using ribbed cotton or mesh, for instance, to replicate the textured surface of the motifs in print. Accessories include one-of-a-kind pouch-like bags made from a piece of tapestry framed by handmade macramé details.

Pricing: Rtw 76 euros to 152 euros, bespoke 500 euros to 1,800 euros (wholesale)

Iamactive Studios

Category: Apparel

Dubai-based model-turned-designer Mia Pereyra Matteazzi, originally from Argentina, was opening up wholesale for her mix-and-match rtw label, which focuses on elevated essentials in oversize silhouettes with modular cuts and a muted color palette intended for comfortable day-to-night dressing. Her Iamraw collection, intended to channel fragility, features subtle design details like double sleeves and raw edging in fabrics like Tencel, viscose and cotton.

Pricing: 30 euros to 150 euros wholesale

Graine

Category: Apparel

Chloé Chabaud takes inspiration from the earth and the changing seasons for her Graine label, which she created in 2019 with her father Christophe. Initially inspired by the colors and smells of their vegetable garden in the southwest of France, Chabaud has created an unfussy, practical wardrobe produced as sustainably as possible in Portugal using natural fabrics like organic cotton and as much deadstock as they can. The colorful collection for fall 2026 featured lots of stripes and a color palette dominated by yellow and khaki.

Pricing: 45 euros to 189 euros (retail)

Biju

Category: Accessories

Paris-based former architect Timothée Biju-Duval’s design concept was inspired by a personal frustration: when traveling and wanting to take pictures on timer, there was nowhere to balance his smartphone. He had the idea of creating a bracelet that would slide off the wrist to serve as a stand. Experimentation with a 3D printer led him to develop a design with a range of slots adapted to all phone sizes and a range of angles, which won the bronze award in the prestigious Concours Lépine innovation contest in 2024. The genderless product is available in a range of colorways and in plain and tortoiseshell versions, all made in France from cellulose acetate and fully recyclable.

Pricing: From 49 euros to 59 euros (retail)

Julia Mosina

Category: Jewelry

Based in Paris but originally from Siberia, Julia Mosina believes jewelry functions as a quiet but powerful form of expression. She launched her namesake jewelry brand in 2025 after several years working in marketing and analytics, and that analytical experience informs her approach to jewelry design. Her delicate, lace-like openwork filigree designs are made from silver, gold, and gold-plated silver set with natural stones.

Price range: 400 euros to 15,000 euros

Elena Najdovska

Category: Jewelry

Self-taught jewelry designer Elena Najdovska, based in Paris, was inspired by animal skeletons to create her sculptural pieces, with this debut collection based on scans of the bones of birds. Cast in sterling silver, each piece is modeled on the bone of the area of the body where it will be worn — with a statement choker in the form of a wishbone, earrings modeled on ear bones found in avians and rings shaped after the bones of the feet. “I wanted to create a comparative study of every species,” she explained. She is studying reptilian anatomy for her second collection.

Price range: 500 euros to 6,000 euros (retail)