MILAN — Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week is already gearing up for its upcoming edition with a recent director in tow.

Albasarí Caro was named the pinnacle of the bridal trade show last month, succeeding Estermaria Laruccia, who left after seven years.

Caro is planning to forge ahead within the sign of continuity, but made it clear she’s desirous to boost the fair’s international appeal and because the industry’s point of reference, beyond just business.

“Ultimately we wish everyone within the industry to have FOMO when they give thought to the dates,” Caro said in a Zoom interview from Barcelona.

Running April 19 to 23 on the Fira de Barcelona fairgrounds, the trade show on Tuesday released the edition’s theme and concept centered on the world of cinema.

After 2022’s Viktor & Rolf show, a guest designer is anticipated next 12 months as well, however the name is being kept under wraps.

Boasting a background of 25 years within the Spanish fashion and retail scene, Caro’s most up-to-date, 10-year gig at Pronovias gave her a deep knowledge of the industry.

“We’re going to be continuing to guide by being many steps ahead of the curve. We’re a trade show, of course, but we’re not selling square meters, we’re selling a source of inspiration, some extent of reference for the bridal industry, that is what we’ve all the time been aspiring to do,” she said.

This entails providing an added value to the standard business-to-business platform via talks, which Caro likened to “bridal’s Ted Talks,” and further grounding the fair’s strength in its networking component.

“I do know buyers — and multibrand buyers especially — know each of their microcosms of their cities…obviously they’ll come to purchase collections, discover recent brands, it will proceed to be true. But what we will offer them that they are usually not going to get anywhere else [is] the networking opportunity and in addition the industry talks,” she explained.

Against the backdrop of increased supply chain issues and shortened lead times for brides’ wedding days, that are posing challenges when it comes to inventory, preorders and fulfilling radically modified needs — think sustainable manufacturing, number of offer and more — Caro stressed the fair’s role as a guiding light for the industry.

“We’ll be sharing ideas and becoming that place where people gain knowledge from the industry, trends not only when it comes to fashion but in addition the industry itself…sharing suggestions, know-how, best practices, that sort of place where we will all come together and share…we’re sort of competitors but ultimately we’re sharing the identical clients, same industry, [our aim is] to create a neutral place where everyone can come and learn, not only come to purchase,” she added.

Although the talks component will likely be expanded ranging from 2024, hints of it’s going to be present in next 12 months’s edition, Caro said.

The manager noted that the majority of the fair’s brands and buyers are international, with 75 percent and 80 percent, respectively, hailing from outside Spain.

“That added value is all the time an incentive for buyers and types to come back, that is how we see it. It’s motivational, since the buyers would want to come back themselves, the lead buyer would come and never send a second buyer, since it’s the place to be,” she contended.

She’s also adamant about keeping the format, which blends the fairground exhibition with fashion shows by marquee bridal names.

“We’re on the core a trade show, there’s absolutely little doubt about that. People come here to do business, to put orders and to sell, that’s the core of what we do,” she said, adding that the glamorous component of the catwalk experience can’t be ignored because it provides visibility and content to brands.

Caro’s goal is to further boost the international appeal of the trade show. She offered that the team has been trying to find key players in markets which might be currently less represented, including South Korea and Japan.

“It’s all the time a challenge due to the distance mainly, they usually’re completely different markets, but still very interesting ones for us as well. We’re very much wanting to grow there and we’re exploring to bring each brands and buyers…because we feel there’s an amazing potential for them to search out recent and interesting things here. So it’s a win-win for the buyers and types that now we have,” she explained.