GDS/GLS – International Event for Shoes, Leather Goods and More:global shoes & accessories

From 9 to 11 March 2007 ‘GDS/GLS – International Event for Shoes, Leather Goods & More’ will be opening its doors again in Düsseldorf together with ‘global shoes & accessories’. 1,342 exhibitors from 40 nations will be showcasing the latest shoe and leather ware collections for Autumn/Winter 2007/08 and immediate ranges for this summer.

Highlights & News:

Stars, Designers, VIPs

•Franziska Knuppe, German top model and the muse of Wolfgang Joop, will be amongst the models on the catwalk on Friday, 9 March 2007 at 11.00 am in the Upper Style Show. After the show she will be available for photos and interviews.

•Jan Jansen on 9 March 2007 from 12.00 noon in Hall 9, white cubes, Stand C75: The creations of this top Dutch designer are flamboyant. A ‘master of shoe design’ he toys with shape and materials creating shoes which have featured in numerous international art exhibitions. Alongside his own collections he already created shoe designs for Christian Dior, Bally, Oilily and Charles Jourdan.
•Austrian shoe designer Ognjen Kuzmic from Vienna will be presenting his unusual collections for men and women in person in the white cubes area in Hall 9 at Stand D69.

•Vartan Mahdessian, designer of the American trend label Cefoushoo, will be delighted to show you his progressive collection for the coming winter season at GDS in Hall 9, white cubes, Stand C70. Experience and craftsmanship are what distinguish the unique creations of the designer Vartan Mahdessian.

•Exclusive Spanish shoe designer Paco Gil will be available for interviews at GDS at his stand in Hall 9, Stand A25. He speaks fluent English.

Shows & Events

•A key highlight will be the Upper Style Show featuring international fashion labels like Audley, Emma Lou, Etro, Paco Gil, Paul & Joe, Puma by Neil Barrett and Sebastian, held daily in Hall 14.

•For the first time now exhibitors in the lifestyle hall like Camel Active, Lacoste, Mexx, s.Oliver and Timezone will have the opportunity to showcase their entire outfits as part of the Life Style Show held daily in Hall 14. This means shoes can be shown within the context of their brand image.

•Other labels from throughout the world will be presenting their latest shoe and bag collections daily in the Fashion Show also held in Hall 14.

•The Fashion, Kids & Wellness Show will present the latest collections for kids plus wellness and comfort shoes on all days of the fair in Hall 14.

•Hip streetwear from the ‘Design Attack’ segment will be centre stage at the KUHBA LIBRE Ice Show and the KUHBA LIBRE Eisgeflüster – an unconventional ice skating show held several times a day in Hall 13.

•The Exhibitors’ Evening at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre on Saturday evening will also follow the ‘Kuhba Libre’ theme: Alpine feeling is guaranteed when several hundred exhibitors will party deep into the night.

•Ricosta 'Young Stars' Song Contest
Ricosta, market leader in the children’s shoe segment, will be organising a Song Contest for kids and youngsters on the ‘kidwalk Central Market’. Once the jury has pronounced its verdict and prizes have been awarded the show will end on a joint song. 

Trend Events

•On the first day of the fair the ‘Order Info by TextilWirtschaft’ will provide information on trends, themes and initial ordering tendencies for clothing plus the shoes and bags to go with this.

•The ‘schuhkurier Trend Info’ event will provide a daily overview of the Autumn/Winter 2007/08 shoe and bag fashions.

•The Italian shoe association ANCI will be inviting visitors to a Trend Analysis of the 2007/08 Autumn/Winter season. President of the ANCI, Rossano Soldini, and association director Leonardo Soana will be informing the audience on shoes ‘Made in Italy’ in their talk ‘I Love Italian Shoes’ in Hall 9. They will be available for interviews afterwards.

•Throughout the fair the ‘TrendVision’ event in Hall 10 will be demonstrating the latest trends for Autumn/Winter 2007/08 with its colours and styles – plus the sophisticated transfer between art and fashion so we can experience all this with all our senses. This trend staging puts shoes, together with clothing, lifestyle and art, into one wholistic, aesthetic context.

Symposiums
The ‘global shoes’ event will be holding two Symposiums on current topics on Sunday in Hall 17.
•“India, a Good Partner for the International Shoe Trade " with the experts Tapan Nandi and Naresh Bhasin
  
•“Qualitative and Legal Requirements in the European Shoe Trade" with Dipl.-Ing. Caroline Brinkmann and Dr. Gerhard Nickolaus from PFI Pirmasens

Fashion Talks
•‘Young Fashion Talks’ on the topic “Trends, Concepts, Potential – What Impulses can Young Fashion give the Shoe Retail Trade?" – panel discussion with prominent representatives from labels such as Converse and Replay (Hall 13, First Blue Lounge).

•Crocs Roundtable by the schuhkurier: “Is the Shoe Trade Bold enough?”, panel discussion with the fastest-growing shoe brand in the world (Hall 11, Red Lounge).

Press Conferences
•HDS Press Conference on Friday, 09/03/07, at 12.00 noon in the Pressecenter
The traditional press conference held by the Central Association of the German Shoe Industry (Hauptverbandes der Deutschen Schuhindustrie e.V.) will again be held on the first day of the fair. Philipp Urban and Manfred Junkert will be reporting here on the latest economic data from the shoe industry.

Interviews
We would be happy to organise interviews with our star guests, designers, exhibitors, trade journalists or the trade fair organisers themselves.