16.08.2011 More than 800 exhibitors, 125 of which are newcomers

• More than 800 exhibitors, 125 of which are newcomers
• Ecofriendly fabrics in focus with Sustainability Day and the range from Taiwanese weavers
  
• Wool under the spotlight for Winter 2012
  

More than 800 international exhibitors will unveil their new products to visitors buying for Winter 2012. This is a good year for the exhibition, with more than 125 new international exhibitors attending and expanding the ranges on offer at the next Texworld show in September.

New registrations
125 new firms have registered for the exhibition for the first time. They mostly come from the major textile-producing countries in the business: Turkey, India, China, Japan, South Korea and even Italy.

Knitwear makes a strong arrival with around thirty weavers, like KSH Corporation from South Korea with a variety of sophisticated knits and jerseys, which are ideal for designers and labels working with fabrics with a high added value, or like the Turkish firm Vega Tekstil, which offers a wide range of classic jersey and knits with interesting weights.

Wool will host fifteen weavers with some very imaginative companies.
To give you a glimpse of what is in store: the Indian weaver Uday Industries and its wools in trompe-l’oeil velvet effect, its classic “heritage” tweeds in the “neo-bourgeois” spirit or its line of recycled wool (a rarity!!!) for designer ready-to-wear and high-end women’s clothing; China with two complementary brands worth watching: first, Hangzhou Haichao Textile which is innovative and targets designers and brands at the top end of the market with its lightweight cashmere tweeds in sophisticated colours and a fine range of tartans, which are a strong trend shaping up for next winter; and second, Jiangyin Hailian Textile which tends to invest more in traditional wool (super 100 and 120 and flannel) in a plain pallet of black and grey and a few colours like wine, Bordeaux and plum.

Silk is also experiencing a major revival with the arrival of around ten firms which have their sights set on mid-range and high-end women’s labels, including the Italian Serica Malnati with its organzas and silk muslin which, while classic, have been livened up with a touch of vibrant colour such as fuchsia or Klein blue and the Chinese firm, Hangzhou Wanshili Silk that has made silk its key theme with a line of silks especially rich in print following in the footsteps of Pucci and Léonard.

With the resurgent trend for romantic boho, buyers for ready-to-wear will be delighted by the arrival of a dozen firms specialising in lace and embroidery, such as Vasansi Jaipur from India that offers lace and hand-woven fabrics, or Marry Lace, a fresh Chinese brand with a line of cotton and organza lace, very “prim and proper” in the entire pallet of dusty and pastel shades, destined for the big-name labels.
Functional textiles are not left out with around ten companies including the Korean Ji Hyun Co with an interesting range of multi-material blends for sportswear and casual clothes.

But fashion would be very forlorn without the accessories and trimmings. This is where the appearance of strong companies has been noted, for instance, the Japanese Shimada Shoji with its diverse range – from buttons to epaulettes to beautifully crafted ribbons and grosgrain and the Roja Orme San Ve Tic company from Turkey with a line of accessories for ready-to-wear and braiding and stays for lingerie and corsets. Hong Kong brings us Jointak Labels &Co for woven labels, transfers and leather inlays for womenswear, menswear and junior wear.

This surge reflects the improvement in the world economic situation, the upturn in consumption in Japan and the healthy state of the economies in India, China and Brazil as well as the easing of speculative pressure on the price of raw materials, which have all restored confidence to firms. The upturn is also driven by trends for volume and for longer hemlines. These trends will last and benefit weavers with the need for yardage.

The return of exhibitors who were absent from some of the more recent shows will also strengthen this confidence.  The return of the big Indian manufacturer of cellulosic fibres, Birla Cellulose that will make a conspicuous reappearance with its range of fluid fabrics, that offer an alternative to traditional and organic cotton weighed down by its high price. The South Korean Global AMS group, a specialist in knitwear and cotton hosiery and GDD Exports, the Indian cotton weaver for casual wear, are also signalling their return after the period of fluctuation for cotton prices.

Texworld is proud to welcome these newcomers from all over the world as it is this cosmopolitanism that is one of the exhibition’s strengths and that attracts international buyers from all segments of fashion, from designers to the major brands.

Focus on Ecofriendly fabrics with Sustainability Day

Tomorrow’s consumers will be more aware of clothing that makes sense: in terms of material and of social and environmental responsibility. The demand for these eco fabrics is increasing as the green movement is developing very rapidly: organic and recycled fabrics are no longer the prerogative of ecofriendly labels and designers. All the labels, starting with the major brands, have designed collections of 100% organic materials, giving structure to the sector. The trend is also establishing itself at renowned designers such as Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Oskar Metsavaht from the Osklen label and among young designers (Studio Jux, Valentine Gauthier, Sakina M’sa...). Also the number of shows dedicated to ethical fashion is on the increase, like the Ethical Fashion Show, that lends flair to the world of fashion.

A pioneer in this respect, Texworld put organic fabrics at the heart of its ranges of products and made them a strategic priority. The exhibition has the best range for eco fabrics of any exhibition in France with more than one hundred ecofriendly weavers (of cotton, modal, denim, new fibres such as maize, recycled textiles like fabrics made with recycled plastic and lace). With weavers like Kassim, a Pakistani firm specialising in denim, or Black Peony from Hong Kong, which offers organic hemp, cotton and ramie, the Austrian Lenzing group for cellulosic fabrics, or the trendy lace made from organic cotton and natural dyeing methods from the Taiwan firm Unitex.

Texworld is investing a lot of effort to ensure expansion of the ecofriendly products on offer. According to customer surveys conducted last February, 66% of buyers confirm they are satisfied.
Following the organics circuit at last February’s show, this September will be marked by Sustainability Day, Tuesday, 24 September.  
A day that will be entirely dedicated to eco fabrics and to sustainable development, interspersed with talks, where weavers and professionals from the sector will share their expertise with visitors and discuss advances made in the field and their lines for this season.  An insight into the programme: the Global Organic Textile Standard – GOTS, the best known certification body is in charge of approving the organic traceability of materials from harvest to the finished product and the RITE Group from the United Kingdom, which is working to reduce negative environmental effects of the textile industry.

The range of functional and eco textiles from Taiwanese weavers

The best-known organic and recycled fabrics are natural materials like linen, cotton and hemp. Functional textiles for sports and leisure activities, although widely used and available on the market, are still not well known. However these are interesting products which deserve to be better known.
Mission accomplished, the show of eco functional textiles from Taiwan presents the best of technical and social creativity from fifteen Taiwanese weavers.
These fabrics are very much in demand for their countless qualities: absorbency, breathability, UV-protection, anti-odour... and they are boosted by the boom in outdoor pursuits.  

This small Chinese island is establishing itself as the leader for ecofriendly functional textiles, thanks to a true policy of long-term commitment, investments in technology and healthy creativity linked with the social economy. Some weavers have been investing for thirty years in sustainable development and the share of green textiles now fluctuates between 30 to 80% of their production.
 
Recycled polyester obtained through the collection and processing of plastic bottles is one of the key areas of special expertise for Taiwanese weavers. The result is unexpected, giving a supple fabric that is silky and that breathes.*
The weaver DA.AI is one of the great masters in this material: a success and a fine story of solidarity, which commences with the volunteers at Tzu Chi, an aid agency that collects bottles and sorts them according to colour at recycling stations. This sorting will determine the final shade of the fabric. Fine and soft polar fleece with maximum breathable and absorbent properties is one of the great success stories of the company. Houndey is also one the labels to be discovered. It develops yarns and fabrics from recycled plastic, technical fabrics, in appearance like organza or with a velvety feel, which go just as well with unisex fashion products as with casual and functional products.
When it comes to Excellassoc, it has a whole range of lovely end-on-end cloth for men, also in recycled plastic. Some of the cloth is coated. It has a silky look, is pleasant to the touch and its heat regulating properties are ideal.
Ecomax Textile Co.Ltd, which sells in the United States and in Europe, also produces recycled polyester with multiple weaves: some are similar to muslin, some have a rougher surface or are embossed in neutral or acid shades or crinkled like those from Issey Miyake.

The weavers work closely with major fibre manufacturers such as Dupont de Nemours and Lenzing in order to perfect new yarns and ecofriendly treatments. Like Handseltex, which develops cellulosic fabrics or viscose blends with a silky texture. This fluidity and these functional properties are very much in demand from buyers for women’s and children’s ready-to-wear or loungewear.


Fabrics destined for casual and outdoor fashion: technical blends with optimum comfort, based on nylon and spandex, antibacterial maize and nylon fibres and soft jersey made from recycled polyester are typical of Lee Ven’s creations. While Suntex fabrics make crinkle or twill fabrics from recycled plastic, suitable for creative fashion with a little added plus in function.

This innovation applies equally to other branches of fashion (transfers, printing, labels). Labels and major brands wishing to develop added ‘green’ value to their products will find the solution they are looking for at Wing Hung with its range of woven and printed labels, transfers, stickers, hang tags and eco-friendly packaging.

The strong point of the ecofriendly Taiwanese weavers is their competitiveness in terms of price, their responsiveness in reacting to requirements for delivery times/quantities and their technological creativity. This is the best sourcing for ecological and functional textiles.
These Taiwanese fabrics and accessories have already been taken up by fashion brands like JC Penney, BCBG, Calvin Klein, Juicy Couture, H&M and manufacturers like Nike, Puma, North Face.

Wool under the spotlight for Winter 2012

The recent catwalk shows for Winter 2012 highlighted the strong new trend for the neo-bourgeois look, the return to traditional signature pieces (like the cape and structured coats) and to exquisite materials, with wool being the star. The garments were made of wools in classic patterns like tartan, thick wools, tweed, herringbones and end-on-end. The cut is architectural and minimalist in order to set off the weaves and the hang of the materials.
This trend is establishing itself and is attracting the focus of all the spotlights to wool for Winter 2013, even if the price of wool has seen significant rises in recent times.
The Strict Essence area, which highlights the products from all the wool manufacturers and blends, is presenting a broad variety that is both innovative and classic, in order to respond to buyers’ requirements.

For their premium collection, made with best wool sourced in Australia, Reid Taylor, weavers and wool makers since 1879, offer a wide range of cloths for suits and large garments, in the great British tradition with worsted in hues of heather and moss that recall the British countryside or more conventional shades, a lovely pallet of greys in particular, and special mention for the lovely Prince of Wales checks and elegant end-on-ends.
Their cool heavy wool is one of the finest in the selection. Reid&Taylor is also a specialist in twill weaves: diagonals and herringbones and presents a collection of wool-polyester blends that will suit men equally as women.

Teknik Mensücat, a weaver from Istanbul, also supplies a premium range of worsteds and classic end-on-end serge fabric, in different weights, woven with yarns purchased in Europe in a pallet of grey, blue and dark greens, and a range of wool-polyester and wool-silk for men’s and women’s suits.

“Natural stretch” wool, an invention achieved by an ingenious weaving system from the Egyptian firm of Goldentex, is ideal for lovers of fabrics for suits with that added value. It has a range of thick and fine, no-crease worsteds. They have gone for a line that is more reduced, preferring to emphasise the added technical value.

When it comes to wools and tweeds, the Ukrainian weaver Cheksil stands out from the crowd with its classic thick wools, bouclé wools in autumnal colours and fancy-coloured and bouclé tweeds, in Panama weaves and hounds tooth checks.

Among the newcomers is the Indian weaver Uday Industries, which offers wools with the look of velvet, classic “heritage” tweeds or a line in recycled wool. The Chinese firm Hangzhou Haichao Textile, distinctive with their tartans, one of the strong trends shaping up for next winter, supplies wool cloth and luxurious wool-cashmere blends that are perfect for little lightweight and fluid pieces that accompany large structured garments.

We make special mention of the Japanese Teijin Shoji who offer a lovely line of wool blends with interesting textures, twills, plenty of end-on-end and serges, which are combined with a pallet of matt mineral hues.