From the Sector

The summer edition of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris welcomed nearly 1,200 exhibitors from 26 countries. This season event was characterised by a number of new features and the dynamics remained satisfactory. Next event: February 10, 2025, in a partially renovated Paris-Le-Bourget exhibition centre for a session rich in initiatives.

The latest edition of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, offered in its full version with the Avantex and Leatherworld sectors, ended on July 3 with attendance levels down on the July 2023 session. Over and above a possible "Olympic Games effect" and its consequences on transport and accommodation costs in the capital, the current economic situation is prompting the show's organizers to explore all alternatives to adapt the offer to market demand. However, these results do not seem to have had any impact on the flow of business between visitors and exhibitors, who reported a fairly positive overall climate.

The dynamic on the booths remained steady and the exchanges satisfactory, as shown by several manufacturers particularly well established on the European market. Indian shirt manufacturer Sheraton Apparel, for example, made around thirty solid contacts over 3 days, and reported several serious approaches to African distributors. The same goes for SMIT, a Turkish company specialising in Made in Turkey sourcing, which was able to see its main European customers and open up new contacts with Canadian and Brazilian buyers.

An expanded offering
At the Near Sourcing Hub, the phygital sourcing space connected by QR Code to the B2B digital platform of Messe Frankfurt France partner FourSource, inquiries to exhibiting companies remained much the same as in 2023. The visitor profile, on the other hand, focused on buyers from networks of small multi-specialist boutiques looking for an original mid-to-top-range offering. It was in response to this market demand for differentiation that the show organizers decided to extend Apparel Sourcing's range to include new categories in the fashion accessories sector, such as jewelry and bags.

High-profile initiatives
Other innovations were also on show this summer. The yarn pavilion - a first conceived in collaboration with Yarn Expo, originally a Shanghai show run by Messe Frankfurt - showcased the expertise of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani and Taiwanese companies, while at the same time highlighting upstream products and services. At Avantex, where some twenty suppliers of solutions for more sustainable fashion were grouped together, the new Designer Hub enabled designers and buyers to discover some original initiatives, such as that of stylist Jean-Luc François' association, supported by Messe Frankfurt's Texpertise network, which trains people who are far from employment, or the 3D design studio Scotomalab.

Materra wins 2024 Avantex Fashion Pitch award
The Avantex Fashion Pitch jury has awarded the 2024 prize to Materra. This British start-up, founded in 2019, designs solutions to support the cotton cultivation adapted to climate change. At the other end of the chain, it offers brands a service designed on a Cotton-As-A-Service model that encourages them to source from the producers it supports. Materra will benefit from a €2,800 stand at Avantex Paris 2025 donated by Messe Frankfurt France, plus €2,000 from Texpertise Network, the textile sector network of the Messe Frankfurt Group, and 1 year's incubation at Foundry donated by IFA Paris, official partner of the competition.

A trendy area at Leatherworld
New for 2024, the Leatherworld sector inaugurated its Leather Trend area, developed in collaboration with publisher Edizioni AF and the Arsutoria School design centre. Designed around the expertise of Italian companies specialising in the manufacture of leather shoes and bags, this inspirational space presented the autumn-winter 25-26 trends through 4 creative axis built around the expression of simplicity, nature, dynamism (sportswear collections) and finally romanticism. Leather Trend was also an opportunity to discover the new leather tanning technology developed by Ecotan, which avoids the use of metals (Chrome) and chemicals in the leather preparation stages thanks to the use of vegetable tannins.

In sync with the fair’s 30th anniversary, the sourcing platform will host around 12 fringe events for fairgoers to stay ahead of the curve, under the following segments: Design Inspiration, Business O2O, Textiles & Technologies, and Industry Empowerment. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles has joined forces with Danish trend agency SPOTT trends & business to present the design theme for 2025 – ‘Healing Home’ – together with eight trend directions set to captivate the home textiles market. Set to be a hotspot for in vogue sourcing and industry exchange, the show will take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from 14 – 16 August 2024.

To help home textile industry players set the tone and direction for the upcoming business season, the fair will present Trends 2025 along with leading trend agency SPOTT trends & business, to illustrate the ‘Healing Home– Spaces for Thriving Living’ theme that marks the path ahead for the evolving sector. This concept conveys the idea of a home that promotes a remedial, prosperous lifestyle, improving peoples’ general health and well-being, with several key factors contributing to the overarching theme:

• Eight key directions: Age-Old Crafts, Nature-Tech Synergies, Regenerative Possibilities, Wellbeing Spaces, Colourful Gatherings, Bio-Engineered Innovations, Transitional Practices, and Circular Systems.
• Five key colours: deep burgundy, warm terracotta, light creamy shade, saturated nostalgic green, and vaporous blue.

The founder of SPOTT trends & business, Ms Anja Bisgaard Gaede, will be onsite to share insights related to these new design trends. Fairgoers are invited to join her interactive trend tour, and physically experience the concepts steering the industry's future.

With the intention of sparking further design inspiration for industry players, an expert panel discussion of Chinese interior architects and designers, InterDesign Forum, will be held on the afternoon of Day 1. Focusing on design trend topics related to sustainability, Mr Shen Lei, Founder and Design Director of Interior Architects Design and the Chinese representative of the Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend Committee, will lead the discussion. Adding an international perspective, Ms Anja Bisgaard Gaede will join them for the accompanying round table talk.

In addition to serving as a gateway for efficient sourcing, the show will inspire fairgoers through its fringe programme, with various formats and topics unpacking current talking points.

Highlighted sessions include:    

• Round table discussion: Bridging Borders: A Designer x Producer Talk on Sustainability – a dialogue between designers and manufacturers, exploring how to collaboratively overcome sustainability challenges and reconcile the demands of both sides, from both Eastern and Western perspectives.
• Econogy Talks: selected exhibitors, including 3M, Advansa and many more, as well as a representative from Indorama will showcase their innovative green products, giving attendees in-person insights into some of the market’s latest sustainable developments in the Sustainable Fibre Forum. Additionally, a Messe Frankfurt representative will explain the Texpertise Econogy concept, the combination of economy and ecology that represents the sustainability activities in the company’s Texpertise Network. The discussion will show how crucial sustainability is for the economic success of a business today, and indicate how fairgoers can benefit from such an approach.

Beyond the subject of a greener textile industry, other topics will be explored at various events. With more to be announced in the coming weeks, the following seminars hosted by international experts will provide the latest trends and market updates:

• Bridging Worlds: Design Strategies for Success in Middle Eastern Markets: Ms Esra Lemmens (Day 1)
• How Psychology Impacts the Way We Design Spaces: Ms Pallavi Dean (Day 1)

Moreover, the 10th Home Textiles and Furniture Industry Ecological Integration Forum will bring together home textile and furniture brands to explore cross-industry collaboration and provide one-stop home solutions. The 30th China Home Textiles Design Festival & Designer Recommended Brand Awards will showcase the latest trends and achievements in home design, allowing participating brands to gain recognition from designers. Meanwhile, the 7th China International Fibre Art Exhibition will invite influential artists from home and abroad to present diverse contemporary fibre artworks; and the China Intangible Cultural Heritage of Textile Exhibition will showcase some remarkable displays.  

The start to the premiere of the CHINA WAVE pavilion at Pitti Uomo 106: the first stop of the "2024 China National Garment Association Overseas Programme" was a complete success for the participating designer labels from China. The Chinese brands impressed the international fashion world with their exclusive and extraordinary collections at the Costruzioni Lorenesi in the Fortezza da Basso in Florence. The famous fashion journalist, Suzy Menkes, was also impressed by the creations.

The styles and current looks from from VALLEYOUTH, KB HONG BY K-BOXING, RAXXY, JDV, FENGGY, BLACKHEAD, KEYONE BY HATTERSHUB, TYPETAIL impressed buyers, fashionistas and media representatives alike with their design expertise, creativity and product quality. The combination of contemporary styles with traditional Chinese elements, as seen in the collections of KB HONG by BY K-BOXING, JDV and VALLEYOUTH, among others, attracted international audience from Italy, Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the USA, Mexico, Canada, Australia and many more.

Among those welcomed to the pavilion was Suzy Menkes, who emphasised the combination of tradition and modernity in collections such as those from KB HONG by BY K-BOXING and VALLEYOUTH in the CHINA WAVE pavilion. VALLEYOUTH's new collection was presented by fashion photographer Acielle from style du monde at Vogue World, while fashion blogger Augusto Ferretti commented on the brands' designs as "artistic sculptures". The appearance of the famous Chinese actor and singer AYUNGA as a testimonial for the new KB HONG by BY K-BOXING collection at Pitti Uomo attracted particular attention.

Further stops of the "2024 China National Garment Association Overseas Programme" are Who's Next in Paris and TheOne Milano in Milan in September.

The next CHINA WAVE presentation at Pitti Uomo is planned for January 2025.

After navigating the challenges of 2023, Vietnam's textile and garment exports have been gradually recovering. Additionally, foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam during the first five months of this year reached USD 11 billion, a 2% year-on-year increase, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). To cater to Vietnam’s renewed business opportunities, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will return from 26 – 28 February 2025 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC).

The fair’s inaugural edition attracted 409 exhibitors and 17,262 visits from 17 and 55 countries and regions respectively. Building on this solid foundation, VIATT 2025 will continue to showcase the latest industry trends, and expand its focus on various pertinent areas. This will include the fair’s new Econogy Hub, a dedicated zone to advance the topic of sustainability in the textile industry, and to relate it closely to the demands of economic and social change. Together with the evolving environmental landscape, the fair will also help industry players adapt to the rapid adoption of new technology in the business world with the debut of the Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone. This zone will allow exhibitors to unveil the latest technology and solutions such as AI design, digital manufacturing, big data analytics, and more.

Concurrently, VIATT 2025 will continue to present a diverse range of exhibitors across the apparel, home textile and technical textile sectors, with positive feedback received from many quarters at the fair’s inaugural edition.

Apparel Fabrics & Fashion
In the first four months of 2024, textile and garment exports grew 6.3% year-on-year to over USD 10 billion. The US remains Vietnam’s top export market, followed by the EU, South Korea, China, and Japan. To meet this demand, Vietnam's textile industry continues to import a significant amount of raw materials. At VIATT 2024, yarns, fibres and fabrics for casualwear, sportswear and uniforms, as well as garment accessories, were in high demand.

Home & Contract Textiles
Vietnam’s home textile market is projected to undergo a steady CAGR of 2.4% from 2024 – 2032, driven by the rising need for modern and stylish home textiles, e-commerce expansion, and favourable government initiatives. At the fair’s previous edition, product groups included bedding, loungewear and bathroom textiles, curtains and curtain fabrics, upholstery and sofa fabrics, and home textile accessories.

At VIATT 2025, exhibitors can additionally present their latest offerings in the Home Textiles Display Zone or at dedicated product presentations, to maximise their visibility to potential buyers.

Technical Textiles & Technologies
Across the textile industry, investors are now focusing on optimising production capacity, streamlining supply chains, and enhancing product quality to maintain competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. With the new Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone to supplement the textile technology category, VIATT 2025 is set to play host to providers of textile and nonwoven machinery, CAD/CAM, CMT, and technology for embroidery, knitting, sewing, printing, and more. Exhibitors can draw more attention to their latest solutions by participating in the fair's new innovation showcase area.

The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), covering the entire textile industry value chain. The second edition will be held from 26 – 28 February 2025.

After a debut in 2023, Dibella exhibited again this year at the Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo America (CSI Americas) in Miami, a leading trade fair for cruise interiors.

Under the motto “You create the stories for amazing dreams - We provide the restful sleep”, Dibella presented its latest developments in textile flat linen at the Convention Center in Miami/USA from 6 to 7 June 2024: bed linen and terry products that not only offer maximum comfort and durability but are also perfectly tailored to the special requirements of the maritime environment.

"The trade fair in Miami was a great success for us. In particular, our newly developed JAVA hand and shower towels and our VIRGINIA bed linen, both with regenerated cellulose fibers Lyocell, were very well received due to their special soft feel. We have had many rewarding discussions with existing customers and new prospects and are very much looking forward to working with them in the future,” says Marvin Groß-Hardt, Export Sales at Dibella.

CSI Americas, which has doubled in size since its inception in 2019, had more than 250 exhibitors this year. The show showcases brands in cruise design, attracting representatives from the industry's largest design firms and cruise lines each year.

• Pitti Uomo and CHIC cooperate at the upcoming event in Florence from 11 to 14 June 2024 and present high fashion design from China under the roof of CHINA WAVE

From 11 to 14 June 2024, eight contemporary high class designer brands from China will present themselves for the first time at the leading menswear and lifestyle event Pitti Immagine Uomo at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, on 264 square metres under the umbrella of CHIC, China International Fashion Fair.

CHINA WAVE, born from the partnership between Pitti Uomo and China National Garment Association, is a collection of China's designer labels showcasing their design expertise in Florence.The line-up includes VALLEYOUTH, KB HONG BY K-BOXING, RAXXY, JDV, FENGGY, BLACKHEAD, KEYONE BY HATTERSHUB, TYPETAIL.

Around 500 exhibitors with international participation from Europe and Asia are expected at the next CHIC from 27 to 29 August in Shanghai. CHIC - China International Fashion Fair is organised by the China National Garment Association in cooperation with the China World Exhibition.

Archroma is bringing its new SUPER SYSTEMS+ concept and key denim innovations to Denim Première Vision Milan on June 5 and 6 and Denimsandjeans Vietnam on June 26 and 27.

From classic blue jeans to fashion-forward designs with fresh cuts, colors and finishes, denim remains one of the most popular fabrics worldwide. At the same time, the industry is beginning to question traditional production methods that use considerable water and energy and also have limitations in terms of the selection of chemicals and dyes that are clean and safe.

Archroma will demonstrate its solutions at Denim Première Vision Milan and Denimsandjeans Vietnam, including SUPER SYSTEMS+ for Denim. SUPER SYSTEMS+ are end-to-end systems developed by Archroma to allow brands and mills to make an impact by saving resources, delivering more durable apparel or adopting cleaner chemistries, or by choosing enhanced outcomes in all three areas at once. The suite encompasses wet processing solutions from sizing to finishing; durable colors and functional effects that add value; and cleaner chemistries that go beyond compliance to anticipate future restrictions.

Trade show visitors will also be able to explore Archroma’s new DENIM HALO, a laser-friendly and easy washable denim, as well as a range of other product innovations, such as DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 and EarthColors®.

DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK is Archroma’s cleanest sulfur black dyestuff. Manufactured using fewer resources, it has an overall impact reduction to 57% during dye synthesis compared to standard Sulfur Black 1 liquid.* Importantly, it also offers mills the opportunity to deliver unique shade and wash-down effects that stand out in the market.

DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 LIQ is an aniline-free** pre-reduced indigo that creates authentic denim look with the same performance and efficiency as conventional indigo dye, but in a way that can reduce the risk of pollution. Furthermore, it is produced in an aniline-free** process to help enable cleaner denim production.

EarthColors® is a patented Archroma technology that creates high-performance biowaste-based dyes from non-edible food and agricultural waste, leaving the edible part available for consumption. EarthColors® dyes are fully traceable and help reduce the industry’s overall impact on the water footprint. Since they upcycle waste from other industries, they also help contribute to a circular economy.

* Ecotarrae lifecycle analysis
** Below limits of detection according to industry standard test methods

Source Fashion, which takes place at Olympia London from 14th - 16th July 2024, continues to grow its presence of international exhibitors from new sourcing regions, including representation from southeast Asia and Africa.

The first Malaysian manufacturer to be represented at the trade fair is Kualesa Apparel. Kualesa started as a small seed of an idea, with a big ambition and an even bigger purpose. The brand has evolved from a simple set of values to a producer of great-looking and comfortable bamboo apparel that’s challenging fast fashion. Kualesa offer flexible MOQ’s ranging from 250 pieces to high production capacity of 50,000 pieces a month.

Fairs and More Inc from the Philippines returns to the show for a third time, bringing a pavilion of Filipino manufacturers and makers.

The show also welcomes its first ever Nigerian manufacturer, Beyond Clothing. Beyond Clothing is a garment factory, that specialises in crafting premium custom clothing, branded uniforms, corporate uniforms, and sublimated t-shirts. The range also includes promotional apparel, workwear, and PPE personal protective apparel for hospitals.

Returning to Source Fashion, Texpro Corp (a branch of Kassab Group) from Tunisia has grown rapidly to become a fully integrated apparel manufacturer certified with GOTS, BSCI, BCI, and OCS covering the complete production cycle focusing on sustainability through the process from fabrics to manufacturing, washing and dying. The company specialises in denim and flat garment manufacturing and the product portfolio includes casual dresses, shirts, jackets, pants and coats for men, women and kids. Texpro Corp are increasingly partnering with customers to ensure high consistent quality on the products and invest in innovation to help improve the environmental impact by consistently delivering responsibly produced products.

Visitors will also discover International Trade Center (ITC), who is returning with a pavilion that includes a debut area for Ghanian producers. With manufacturing in Ethiopia, Shints Co Ltd. is a global producer of high-performance outdoor clothing and camping equipment.

A strong contingency from Europe includes over 25 UK exhibitors, representation from France, Italy and Spain, and a selection of Portuguese exhibitors including Ttantos Textiles, FLM Textil, SMSenra and Lagofra.

Nearly 30 countries, including Peru, Cambodia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Italy, and Greece will be represented. Large pavilions from China, India and Turkey have also been confirmed, as well as Tanzania, Madagascar and Nepal.

ITM, to be held in Istanbul at the beginning of June, will once again see a strong participation of VDMA member companies. Almost 90 exhibitors from Germany will exhibit at the trade fair, most of whom are members of the VDMA. In addition to the VDMA member companies exhibiting with their own booth, numerous VDMA members will be represented in Istanbul via agents. They cover nearly all different machinery chapters with a focus on spinning, nonwovens, weaving, knitting, warp knitting and finishing.

In Istanbul, the VDMA members will show their latest innovations. In technological terms, significant trends are digitalisation and automation. These themes have been present for some time but will continue to play a central role in meeting the challenges for many years to come. Another trend that has also been around for a while is sustainability. Today it is much more than a buzzword: Efficiency in energy, raw materials or water as well as recycling are not feel-good issues but have a real economic and social background.

For the textile machinery manufacturers organised in the VDMA, Turkey is a major trading partner. In 2023, textile machinery and accessories worth approximately 350 million euros were exported from Germany to Turkey, which made Turkey the second biggest sales market for German companies. After three years in which China was the most important supplier of textile machinery to Turkey, Germany has now regained this top position.

Turkey is at the doorstep of Europe, which gives Turkish textile producers a powerful geographic advantage over Asian sourcing destinations. The textile companies in the region have a deep experience and know-how in making the highest quality textile and apparel for leading markets of Europe and employs a young, dynamic, and well-educated workforce.

But ITM is not just a place for visitors from Turkey, as Dr. Harald Weber, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association explains: “It should not be forgotten that ITM not only attracts visitors from Turkey, but also from the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. Turkey's proximity to the European Union and its fully integrated textile value chain also make it interesting in terms of the EU's strategy for sustainable and circular textiles and the increasing importance of recycling in the future.”

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) decided to participate in the ITM 2024 Exhibition this year with the Italian pavilion.

ITM 2024 International Textile Machinery Exhibition is preparing to host textile technology leaders in Istanbul on June 4-8, 2024. ITM 2024, which will be organized this year with the motto 'Discover the Future', will offer opportunities to discover the latest innovations in the sector, establish new business contacts and shape the textile world of the future together. The products to be exhibited at ITM 2024 Exhibition, which will bring together nearly 1300 domestic and foreign companies, will meet with thousands of buyers and visitors.

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is the governmental agency that supports the business development of Italian companies abroad and encourages the attraction of foreign investments to the country. ITA has decided to participate in the ITM 2024, which will be held at Tüyap Fair and Congress Center, as a pavilion. With this decision, ITA aims to further strengthen its presence in the sector and in Turkey.