This year Top Drawer features over 700 british and international suppliers and designer makers. Being the first retail trade event of the year, it gives an insight into trends for the seasons ahead, as well as the newest product launches and cutting edge designs.
I knew shows like this existed, but for some reason I had never gone. I'm so glad I finally did, as it was absolutely amazing. I was overwhelmed by the amount of stands, but I proceeded to the beginning - the stationary and greetings cards. I had my notebook handy to make notes for general inspiration, but after noting a few designers down, I realised I was pretty much noting down every one. Yes, I was that inspired!
The children's and wellbeing sections were a lot smaller, I didn't bother spending as much time looking at the soft toys and candles, as lovely as they were. The gift section was my favourite. I had seen a lot of it before, as I'm known for going into every single gift shop I come across, but the fact that it was all under one huge roof, was incredible. By the time I got to Fashion, my brain was about to explode...
Luckily, as most things were wholesale (or at least this is what I told myself) I couldn't spend any money, as you had to buy in bulk. Although this was a shame, considering how cheap things were, you realise how much of a mark up the shops put on things.
Today was definitely an eye opener for me, I want to be more involved in these shows in the future. Whether it be on my own stand, or a buyer going around choosing products for their shop - that must be an extremely hard job, considering the amount of choice!
Watch this video to get a better idea of what I'm yapping on about...
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