Interview with Playtime Show Director Chantal Danguillaume

Show Director Chantal Danguillaume explains what excites her about the trade season, how Playtime has evolved over the years and how the fusion of Playtime and Kid’s hub represents the US market.

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Playtime has had a number of shows around the world. Is it important that each show maintains a local identity?
Yes, we are present in Paris, New York, and Shanghai, and have also had shows in Tokyo, Las Vegas, and Berlin.

Playtime maintains its DNA on each continent, but we must adapt to the markets we are in. We must remember that the purchases made must appeal to a local audience :-)

This special feature of the Playtime shows is built by the selection of brands, their position in the market, their style… as well as our communication and marketing with our local partners and the internal Playtime teams that are specialized in each of these markets.

The kid’s market was one of the first to incorporate organic and recycled materials, and protect the work of women and children around the world.

Chantal Danguillaume

What creates a good relationship between:
Trade show and brand? The Playtime Team is made up of professionals and passionates that give each brand personalized support throughout their preparation for the trade shows.

Each season is a discovery together, and a time to meet with one another twice a year, or even more when our brands participate at multiple shows with us.

We are very present, and we are committed to ensuring the meeting between brands and buyers is always up to par. The work to always be the global reference for trade shows isn’t easy, but that’s the challenge!

Trade show and buyer? The selection of brands at Playtime is essential, it must always adapt and even anticipate the needs and consumer trends of parents and final customers. Buyers know that they will find the must have brands of today and tomorrow at Playtime. It’s important to be there and meet their needs. We are also very close to our buyers, and listen to their feedback with a team dedicated to them within each market.

What most excites you about show season? I have been running the shows for a few years now, after having held several positions within Playtime. I must say that each of them is exciting, different, and inspiring. It is the result of the careful preparation with the sales team, creative teams, the communications teams, technical teams that handle the logistics, etc… It is a complete and thrilling mission that has to be perfect.
But the most exciting thing for me is still discovering the collections, the richness of different brands’ offers, the products and know-how are my driving forces! So, I keep my eyes wide open and continue to be curious, I never get tired of it! Nothing makes me happier than being able to be surprised by new things!

Over time you will have seen many brands come and go. Is there a common quality amongst those that enjoy longevity in the market?
I think that one of the first qualities is to avoid spreading yourself too thin. You have to create a strong identity, to develop it and let the brand grow.
It’s also important to evolve step by step knowing that it’s important to surround yourself with professionals at each new stage. This involves creation, production, marketing, prices, and on time deliveries! There is no point in running! You have to be patient, there are so many brands in the market and no one is indispensable, so it’s important to be different!

Favorite thing about Autumn/Winter?
I love outerwear collections, the big pieces as well as the layered looks with different pieces and accessories between them.

Paris, France

Is Playtime Paris the most international show of the Playtime family?
Yes, it is! But if you would like to target the American or Asian market, it is worth traveling or finding the right local partner.

What would you say have been the most significant changes to the show since Playtime Paris started in 2007?
Since Playtime began the show has grown from 45 to more than 500 brands at its largest edition. The brands and products have evolved a lot, but the base has remained the creativity and know-how put forward by avant-garde brands.
At one time, we had a lot of designer brands structured around rich materials, ingenious patterns, and very scripted collections. They were incredible kids dignified enough to be on adult designer runways.
Today, all this has been democratized, without a loss of creativity of course, and with materials that are evolving too! To make it easier to wear with more casual collections, to genderless collections, permanent collections… All of these evolutions are meant to meet the need to better consume, manufacture, and recycle.
The kid’s market was one of the first to incorporate organic and recycled materials, and protect the work of women and children around the world. Artisanal knowledge still takes a prideful place, but it’s evolving. Other brands have created more global approaches, no longer stopping at the creation of kid’s clothing to also offer accessories, shoes, lifestyle products, a way of life focused not only on children but also their parents. With the more recent appearance of collections dedicated to parents, cosmetology, skincare, etc…
Teenagers also have their say with modern collections that appeal to them. The offer of shoe brands is diverse, and much larger as well. All of these are cycles, trends, one drives out the other to better return…
Another major step has been the appearance of Orderwizz, where physical and digital mix to provide solutions to brands and buyers all year long, worldwide.

New York, USA

What should a European brand know about the New York show?
A lot!! You must be prepared to do business quickly, so that the prices, logistics, and delivery delays can be set… It’s a market that is fast paced, but exciting :)

What are the differences between the US and European markets?
American buyers like to test new brands, the range of products mix to respond to all parents’ expectations, from everyday products to those for special occasions, who all make up a mix of brands within the same boutique who can surprise us in Europe, but is very natural in the US.

In Europe, the construction of the store offer is more selective and targeted, new brands take longer to really enter the market.

Each market has its own rhythm, you just have to prepare yourself and know how to adapt.

Why do you think the fusion of Kids hub and Playtime work so well?
Since August 2021, the internationally recognized labels from Kid’s Hub have joined the independent creatives from Playtime to exhibit the entirety of the children’s market under one roof.

As I explained in the previous question, it is a representation of the typical offer in the children’s sector of the American market. It’s very interesting to see how it all comes together and fits, it’s an uncomplicated way to find everything that we ultimately all have in our closets as parents…

The fusion is also a success because we have created two distinct universes within the show and our buyers can easily understand which brands are Kid’s Hub and which are Playtime.  This trend may arrive next in Europe. I have also observed the birth of small creative brands that are equally concerned with offering a reasonable price to consumers…

Playtime

Shows: Paris, New York, Shanghai

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