Pouring rain and low temperatures did nothing to affect the glow of satisfaction at Jacket Required in Spitalfields, London, on January 24-25 as the focused trade show proved once again that its strength is consistency.

For this 14^th edition of the event, which made its debut in August 2011, the stands were, as usual, small, unfussy, rail-only affairs on which the merchandise did the talking. Although it had noticeably fewer exhibitors than in previous seasons, there were still around 200 collections on show and the mood was positive, despite the continuing difficulties of the UK domestic market.

“A lot of retailers were rotting in their shops until about 10 days before Christmas, so things are challenging, but it’s good to see people here getting their confidence going,” said Andy Tompsett, head of sales at Merc. “I think a lot fewer (British) buyers went to Pitti Uomo and they don’t go to Berlin any more, so they have had to come here.”

Connor Poole, who oversees international sales for UK brand Luke and handles UK distribution for US brand Alpha Industries, was satisfied with the business done before the first of the two days was finished. “All the main business is done on the first day and we have seen all our main customers already,” he confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.  

Exhibitors reported worthwhile traffic from buyers from as far away as Spain, France, Japan, China and South Korea.

Terry Betts, buyer with British online platform Thread, summed up the appeal of Jacket Required: “You get constantly good mid-to-premium-range product here and what’s noticeable is that the exhibitors are knowledgeable about the trade. It’s not just about being sold something; you can have a proper dialogue here.”

The show is owned by exhibition organiser ITE Group, which also controls the Scoop premium womenswear fair in London and the mainstream Moda event in Birmingham. Last season womenswear was introduced into the menswear-dominated Jacket Required and about 65 stands carried some womenswear this time, a small increase on the debut number.

After the success of last season’s exhibition of football shirts from around the world, the show featured archive displays from Schott, Supreme and Henri-Lloyd.

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