Portuguese Brands at 108º GDS

24 September 2009
The 'Featured Label'  and 'Labels to watch' at GDS gave great emphasis on the Portuguese brands that increasingly, can impose on arguments such as quality, originality and self-signed.

Having manufactured classic premium-quality men's shoes since 1948, men's shoe producer Armando Silva prescribed itself a fashion rejuvenation cure in 1995. The company offers the highest quality and innovative design for a clientele with high standards in contemporary style.


Portuguese label Atelier do Sapato sought the inspiration for its 2010 Spring/Summer collection in Bedouin culture: layering, pleating and gathers serve as effective details here. Multi-layered and welt-sewn soles look brushed by a desert storm. Calfskin suede is supersoft like finest sand while imitation matt snakeskin looks sun-bleached.
Styles include hand-worked flat and high sandals with cork platforms and desert boots with crepe soles. The colour scheme features black, midnight blue, dark olive, denim nuances, different shades of sand and ivory.


The target group for Chibs could be called "walking society": young, style-conscious men. The focus is on fashion and comfort; the image is bold, technological, innovative and future-oriented.


Deficifield's styles are made for "city people". Bags, briefcases, billfolds, weekenders and leather accessories are offered here—for women and men, for all occasions, for day and night. The quality is first-class and the look is sophisticated, elegant and glamorous. A strong social commitment is important to the company, as are good working conditions and high environmental standards.

Mack James focuses on classic styles with world class. High-quality sewn-welted shoes are what this label offers. For this family business now in its third generation, the combination of classic shoemaker craftsmanship and international styling is important. The mix of innovative design, exquisite materials, the high art of craftsmanship and perfect fit results in a look that works for any generation.

 The young women's shoe label Les Souliers de Masha is perfect for women who are stylish yet swim against the fashion mainstream. The look is unique and individual. The French shoe designer Karine Dorounian is responsible for the designs, while the shoes are manufactured in Portugal by shoe producer Vitorino Silva Coelho.

 The high-quality men's shoes from Profession: Bottier were originally produced for the French market with solid middle-aged career men as the primary target group. Meanwhile P: B is a global label but has retained its French flair. Fine materials and the high level of craftsmanship make for a perfect look.


The Vudu shoe label comes from Portugal and behind the name are casual shoes for men and women. The styles include deck shoes in different variations, sneakers with new details, short cowboy boots and sandals with metal appliqués. The materials worked here are washed nappa, oiled camosico and waxed canvas.
Offering an added plus are odourless insoles made of leather and coconut. The collection slots into the mid to upper shoe range and the quality/price ratio is described as extremely interesting. Matching unisex bags in leather and canvas also feature. The line is distributed by the Marc Zimmermann agency in Düsseldorf.

Since 1987 Portuguese label Atlanta Mocassin has been offering comfortable moccasins for the entire family – for men, women, children and babies. On request the shoes can even be made to match. The style is classical, exquisite and self-evident with trendy colours and patterns providing highlights here. The range is large with a choice of 150 tones, different materials and patterns. The shoes are handmade exclusively in Portugal using traditional methods.




GDS – International Event for Shoes & Accessories GLOBAL SHOES – leading trade show for sourcing 11 to 13 September 2009

14 September 2009

Providing Reliability in Unsettled Times

* 28,500 Visitors at the Düsseldorf Shoe Fairs
* GDS c
onvinces Visitors with its Variety of Brands and Information

The mood of the international shoe sector is quietly optimistic. This was demonstrated at the shoe fairs GDS – International Event for Shoes & Accessories and GLOBAL SHOES – leading trade show for sourcing that closed their doors on Sunday. According to provisional estimates, a total of approx. 28,500 buyers from 82 countries found their way to the three-day events held at the Düsseldorf exhibition centre (11 to 13 September 2009). 6,400 of these also visited GLOBAL SHOES. Visitors included many renowned retail stores such as Apropos (Cologne), Betsy Palmer (Amsterdam), Breuninger (Stuttgart), Deichmann (Essen), Görtz
(Hamburg), KaDeWe (Berlin), Office (London), Prange (Düsseldorf) and Stiefelkönig (Graz). One in two buyers came here from abroad (82 countries, the top 5 being Benelux, Italy, Great Britain, Spain and France).

At the same time, GDS and GLOBAL SHOES were once again able to significantly extend their reach within Germany also welcoming more buyers here with decision-making powers. 93% of visitors rated GDS good to very good. It was primarily the range presented, the proximity to current trends, the seminar programme at the new Speakers Lounge as well as the fashion shows that went down particularly well.


“We are very satisfied with the way GDS and GLOBAL SHOES went. Over the last three days both events presented themselves as reliable fixtures in unsettled times,” explained Director Kirstin Deutelmoser at the end of both fairs. “The pooling of the individual lifestyle worlds and the extension of the information programme for retail have proven good steps to take. Strong premium and quality brands have continued to bank on GDS. At the same time, buyers were able to discover many new brands. This combination of brand variety and information gives GDS its appeal.”



GDS – International Event for Shoes & Accessories and GLOBAL SHOES – leading trade show for sourcing held from 11 to 13 September 2009 presented a total of 1,145 exhibitors from 42 countries at the exhibition centre in Düsseldorf. At GDS 765 exhibitors with over 1,800 collections presented the trends for Spring/Summer 2010 and the current season. GLOBAL SHOES with its 380 exhibitors posted a clear plus over the previous year’s event.

The next GDS and GLOBAL SHOES will be held in Düsseldorf from 12 to 14 March 2010.