Curve is heading to Montreal this fall.
The lingerie and innerwear trade show will take place Sept. 18 and 19 at the Bonsecours Market in historic old Montreal.
“We chose Montreal because it’s a hub in Canada and it’s an interesting market,” said Raphael Camp, chief executive officer of Eurovet Americas, which is part of the Comexposium Group, the company that produces the Curve shows. “And it’s a new show, so we’ve spent a lot of time recruiting new brands to come to the show.”
Curve Montreal — which will coincide with Montreal Fashion Week Sept. 19 to 25 — will include lingerie and swimwear brands. Camp said there’s also a possibility of activewear being added to the assortment.
“But it’s not really about the category. The show is about the market,” said Marion Pradier Sentucq, marketing director at Comexposium U.S. “And Montreal is becoming a very good place for fashion and lingerie and they have a very good manufacturing community there. And they also have amazing stores. So it’s a huge market.
“And the government is really hoping to build the fashion district and to attract international buyers and international brands to come to Canada,” she added.
Pradier Sentucq said plans for Curve Montreal began pre-pandemic, but were put on hold because of the sudden halt in travel. Depending on the success of the first Curve Canadian show, she said subsequent shows could take place in Toronto or Vancouver, B.C.
“We don’t really know yet,” Pradier Sentucq said. “But it’s very exciting for us to bring Curve to all of the Americas. After Canada maybe [we’ll bring the show] to the South American markets, maybe Mexico. There’s a huge untapped market there as well.”
Curve, which was most recently in New York City’s Spring Studios from July 31 to Aug. 2, also makes stops in Paris and Los Angeles.
“All of the buyers from Canada are very excited that we are bringing the show to them, because many of them stopped coming to the U.S,” Pradier Sentucq said. “It was too expensive and it was hard for them to hire enough staff [to work in their stores] when they come to the shows in the U.S. So for us to bring the show to Canada is us giving them a gift.”
