Over 1.3K exhibitors set for Texworld's 25th anniversary show in Paris

With a sharp rise in the number of exhibitors, Apparel Sourcing, Avantex, Leatherworld, and Texworld Paris are all showing pre-crisis levels of participation. The number of exhibitors in Hall 1 of the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in July is 40 per cent higher than in February 2023, Messe Frankfurt said in a press release.

The alliance with the Curve Paris and Interfiliere Paris lingerie products and accessories shows, which are being held from July 2–4 in Hall 5, also offers buyers a wider fashion platform than ever before in Paris.

The event takes place in a context of recovery, and will be an opportunity for buyers to rekindle business with manufacturers from the major production regions in order to build their 2024-2025 collections. Reflecting a diversified global offering, a total of 26 countries are represented at the shows, with a strong presence of exhibitors from China, Turkiye, India, Korea, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, as well as Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Uzbekistan.

Several country pavilions will structure this expanded offer. Alongside the Turkish heavyweights, grouped under the banner of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), and the Koreans, led by the National Union of Textile Manufacturers (KOFOTI), emerging sourcing countries such as Ethiopia and Myanmar have also chosen to showcase their expertise collectively at Apparel Sourcing Paris.

Pakistan’s range of finished products will also be grouped around two pavilions. The first, located at the entrance to the show, will bring together six companies. The second, initiated by the German governmental institution for international development cooperation (GIZ), will bring together 16 companies with an ethical and sustainable profile.

The Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) will also be showcasing the products and services offered by its companies, with a first collective stand focusing on technical textiles, visible at Avantex Paris, and a second, called the Taiwan Eco-Textiles Collective, bringing together six companies with high CSR added value in the aisles of Texworld Paris at booths L110-M109-N090.

“Today the main supplier countries attending our events are integrating sustainability as an essential element of their offer and are evolving rapidly on this subject, particularly due to the strong growth in demand from mature markets,” said Julien Schmoll, marketing and communications director at Messe Frankfurt France. “This evolution is visible in our sustainable sourcing itinerary, where hundreds of certified companies stand out, in specific showcases, as do Pakistani and Taiwanese manufacturers with these pavilions dedicated to the sustainable offer.”

The show will be offering conferences and events in the Agora on July 3 and 4. Louis Gerin, one of the two artistic directors of the shows (Gregory Lamaud being the other one), will comment on ‘Apres Vous’, the Trendbook for the autumn/winter 2024/2025 season, and highlighting the creative directions that will shape the fashion of tomorrow on July 3 at 12.30pm. On the sustainable and inclusive approach, representatives of Texpertise—the network of expertise that brings together the more than 50 textile and fashion trade fairs that Messe Frankfurt organises worldwide—will host a keynote on the place of women in fashion, with a specific focus on South Africa. This panel will address issues around the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals Number 5 (Gender Equality) and Number 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

A number of round tables on the Avantex Paris agenda will focus on innovative textiles and solutions to support the ecological and digital transition in fashion—3D fashion, the ‘inclusive’ approach to building collections, the sustainability of synthetic fibres, and the digitisation of chemical substances will all be discussed in the Agora during the show. Visitors will also be able to discover the digital solution proposed by Redonner, the start-up that won the Avantex Fashion Pitch award last year, to enable fashion brands and retailers to put an end to textile waste. The China Textile Innovation Center (CTIC) will also present the latest trends in Chinese textile production. The full programme is available on the Texworld Evolution application.

ESMOD will be offering a space dedicated to digital fashion design. The Academie Internationale de Coupe de Paris (AICP), meanwhile, will be exhibiting near the Agora the creations of its pattern-making students, based on fabrics supplied by Texworld Paris exhibitors as part of a partnership initiated by Messe Frankfurt France.

The 25th anniversary of Texworld Paris will be an opportunity to offer visitors a range of special events and activities, and the new setting of Porte de Versailles will provide an innovative networking opportunity. The new T-Club area will be expanding its business-oriented services for exhibitors and visitors. Finally, two joint visitor days will be organised with the Curve Paris and Interfiliere Paris lingerie products and accessories trade shows, added the release.

Since its launch in 1997, Texworld, a textile and clothing sourcing platform, has grown significantly. Acquired by Messe Frankfurt in 2001, the exhibition expanded from 37 to 604 international exhibitors. The event moved to the Bourget exhibition centre in 2007, broadening its offerings to include finished garments. In 2011, Apparel Sourcing Paris was launched, a segment which expects to host 500 exhibitors by 2023. Despite 2021’s health restrictions, Texworld held hybrid shows in Paris, demonstrating resilience by moving its traditional autumn edition to July.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)