03.03.2011 Final report: Texworld 2011

New purchasing behaviour, immediately on first visit

Designers & Fashion “action and colour” theme captivated exhibitors and visitors with originality and contemporary vision

This Texworld show welcomed 13,987 visitors during the four days of the show.

“We have had more visitors in terms of real visits (+1.7%), and in terms of traffic, we have witnessed a decrease (-1%), which allowed us to observe a change in our visitors’ behaviour: immediate purchasing at the time of the first visit. As the products offered were better promoted and more easily identifiable, buyers were more certain of what they were looking for. In addition, the continued high quality to price ratio and customer loyalty meant that most buyers placed orders during their first visit. Many exhibitors were very satisfied with the orders they took in the first days of the exhibition”, states Michael Scherpe, President of Messe Frankfurt France.

We noticed an increase in visitors from the USA (+ 6%), Canada (+21%), Chile (+54%) and Columbia (+33%) as well as from Scandinavian countries in general (+40%). And a drop in attendance from Egypt (-70%), Tunisia (-60%), Greece (-29%) and Australia (-7%), which reflects the current difficult situations in these countries.

Visitors

Visitor profiles this session were very diverse. Stefania Dezza from the fabric and accessories development department at Stefanel was on the lookout for new products to enhance their future collections. Chiara Stramaccioni and Giuseppe Iacolino from the children’s’ range at Guess came to see their usual suppliers and to discover new products, mostly denim, and to look for new countries to diversify their production base, 90% of which is abroad.

The designer, Christophe Guillarmé was searching for excellent quality silks, embroidery and lace at attractive prices for his high-end collection and for knits for his ready-to-wear collection. Tania Hanff, from the e-commerce site Zalando was on the lookout for suppliers for her own collections. Laure Paschoud, from Atelier homonyme was more interested in the eco-friendly products at the exhibition for her future project. Donat Egorov, from the Russian label Vassa & Co, specialising in the high-end market, was concentrating on fabrics for evening dresses aimed at a wealthy client base.

New segmentation for Texworld: a pragmatic arrangement of products

Visitors to Texworld were offered a new segmentation in order to make it easier for them to direct their searches and to pinpoint their requirements faster. Attractive Spirit, Casual View and Strict Essence were the three sectors where the global textile ranges at the show were organised. Attractive Spirit for fancy fabrics dedicated to women’s fashion, Casual View for casual wear, sportswear and urban wear and Strict Essence for menswear with tailoring had great appeal for visitors. This initiative was received with enthusiasm as the well-segmented overall offer was more clearly identifiable, resulting in time gained and improved organisation. These two aspects are vital for buyers, who need to find fabrics, accessories and trimmings for different lines and have little time at their disposal.

Designers & Fashion, Fabric Experience

Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud, Artistic Directors at Texworld, have lent Texworld a designer touch, orienting it more towards fashion and designers. Four modules highlighted the high-end ranges from exhibitors and symbolised the theme of “action and colour”: the vibrant union of pink and red in “A Smooth Palpitation” was all emotion and feelings. The blue/violet in “A Gasp of Creation” expressed natural phenomena. The invigorating yellow of

“A Weaving Growth” represented the plant kingdom where earth and light merge in synergy. And the black in “A Touch of Grace” was the finishing touch of elegance and sophistication in a magnificent decor of hands, which comes from the imaginary world of a surrealist show in tribute to Cocteau’s “Beauty and the Beast”.

These modules were grouped around a transparent cube, where the trio of choreographic artists, Sauvage Inachevé, danced to the rhythm of music inspired by the chanting from Asian temples, a hymn symbolising the union of action and colour.

The forums

For the first time, the trends have been defined by the Artistic Directors at Texworld, who were able to showcase the products offered by exhibitors for the 2012 spring/summer season.

Four key trends have been defined.

Aggressive Opulence: bold colours mixed with chic black. Warm shades and gold were found alongside feathers.

Primary Memories: memories of the first emotions, interpreted by cottons, linen and lace in a monographic palette of white and beige.

Colorisation: the beauty of civilisations was expressed through reworked ethnic motives.

And Parallel Materialism, where warm hues of green, blue and ochre enhanced denim, cotton and satin fabrics.

For the first time, the general forum welcomed China Premium trends, which grouped the high-end range of Chinese products, presented according to four themes:

- Innovation: dazzling colours, the brilliance associated with satin and nylon

- Interaction: the theme was respect for nature and sustainable development: pastel, grey and white shades, combined in cotton, silk and other eco-friendly fabrics

- Care: primary colours with spare, geometric designs, shades of grey, black and blue on printed gabardine jersey and technical textiles

- Revival: the 1950s revisited, expressed with intense colours in psychedelic prints, evoking joie de vivre, on silk muslin, tulle, satin. lace and surprising marriages with summer tweed.

The future with eco-friendly

Manufacturers of eco-friendly fabrics - the most committed - identifiable by the “silver leaf” label, offering fabrics that observe high ecological standards and the ethical charter, like Gulshan Weaving Mills and Sapphire (Pakistan), Bhaskar Industries and Vardhman Fabrics (India) and Nuryildiz Textiles, Gamateks Tekstil and Isil Textile (Turkey). Europeans also left a powerful impression with Northen Linen (Holland) and Lenzing (Austria), a major specialist in ecological materials and finishing.

“We have created a department for eco-friendly fabrics, as we had requests from several customers, who were very aware of this subject. Today, we are investing great effort, both in terms of human resources and of finance, in this sector. Although it only represents a minor share of our turnover, it is destined to become a major share, given that the end-consumer is more and more demanding when it comes to eco-aware products”, explains Salamat Ali, marketing director at Sapphire.

The same assessment is reached by the denim manufacturer Bhaskar, a major partner for brands like C&A or Zara. Of particular interest were the lovely designs from the Indian manufacturers Vijay and the Turkish producers Bordo Tekstil and Bora Tekstil, who moreover offered the options of ordering small quantities for a wide range of fabrics.

The exhibitors

639 exhibitors from 30 countries gathered for the February exhibition to demonstrate their expertise and new products from their collections.

India came in force with sublime embroidery designs that are the perfect answer to the couture trends and the desire for added value in high-end ready-to-wear fashion. China, represented by twenty silk producers, showed a selection of heavy and lightweight silks with a beautiful quality finish and a cluster of especially lavish prints for next summer. Functional textiles were well represented by the Japanese and South Koreans who offered a fine range, between innovation and traditional techniques, at competitive prices.

Fabrics for men’s and women’s shirts remain a speciality of Turkey, a European partner, very interesting for the quality of its products and its proximity. Consequently, Texworld has been particularly fruitful for them. The Gürçetin Tekstil label, a specialist in production of fancy fabrics and manufacture of shirts for both men and women since 1977, was very satisfied. Gürcan Çetin, director, explains “I was able to establish some contacts that will open up new markets to us, in particular in Colombia and Mexico”.

Ilhan Uçar from the firm of Ipsan Tekstil, specialising in wool and knits, has already confirmed that they will be attending the next show and has doubled the surface area for the future stand so that they can present a larger collection to new customers like Tally Weijl, whom he met at the exhibition.

The Europeans continue to forge ahead: A first and very promising attendance for the French, Yves Dorsey, who wants to develop on an international scale, 80% of the turnover today coming from France. Troficolor from Portugal, and a specialist in denim, is savouring the success of their second attendance. “We have already encountered great success with our range of finished products, in addition to our denim fabrics that our customers usually came in search of”, says Carlos Araujo, from the export department. The partnership initiated with the Italian designers BSL Ltd. has allowed them to offer a very creative collection that is right on the pulse of fashion and hence to position themselves and capture the European and international markets.

Products presented by exhibitors:

Cotton, despite the increase in price, linen and silk with various quality finishes and washes, are ever-present in the 2012 collections for spring/summer. Among the new exhibitors, the French label, Matière à créer, has brought a breath of fresh air with its collection of crinkle linens, made entirely in France. The Japanese firm of Kokka offers beautiful cottons with playful prints of cartoon characters or animals.

When it came to more dressy collections, the selection was rich in lace and embroidery from White Lilies and Connaught Industries.

The silks from the innovative Chinese label Hangzhou Silkpride and from Frog captivated buyers with their quality. Imaginative prints on stretch fabrics from the South Korean Wooda echoed the strong trend for next summer.

New natural fabrics are very much sought-after as a substitute for cotton, like those with a bamboo base. Youngwon and Bez Tekstil offered an excellent selection combining functionality and creativity.

Gamateks, Casa Fashion and Bordo Tekstil presented recycled fabrics in mineral shades.

Transfers present a strong added value and are always very much appreciated. A&CSourcing and Cstown offered some lovely examples, which will primarily be used to adorn children’s collections. Heathcoat, the excellent Japanese label Chikuma, Ncrotex and AB Industries continue to astonish customers with breathable, lightweight functional textiles.

International pavilions

Texworld welcomed, once again, producers who offered a variety of products and were located within a national pavilion. The square with national pavilions that have been there for a long time, like Thailand, Mauritius, Pakistan and Hong Kong, welcomed the Indian pavilion, organised by Texprocil, for the first time. “This was the first time we have attended and most of our exhibitors intend to come again. They have been able to demonstrate their expertise and their collections to high-level visitors”, comments Ravidranathan Narayanasamy, Deputy Director of the Council for Promotion of Indian Textiles. This pavilion grouped silk makers, producers of cotton, wool and cashmere as well as embroiderers. The firm of ASM Industries, a wool producer, presented its products at Texworld for the first time: “Our first attendance has been a test in order to study the Western market, weak as yet but with great potential”, is how Ankit Kejriwal assessed it.

Designers & Fashion, Services

The matchmaking service for establishing contacts between young designers, who have just graduated, and exhibitors or visitors to the show on the lookout for designers, which was ensured by a partnership with Esmod Paris, has borne fruit. “We have been contacted by several exhibitors who are searching for new talent to design their collections so that they can respond to Western tastes better”, says Grégory Hachette, from Esmod Paris.

Designers & Fashion, for Future

Texworld again backed today’s young talent, the major names of tomorrow, by means of several initiatives.

A resounding success for Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, whose students presented their designs with Suggestions, mini-collections created for women from 16 to 45 centring around four spheres. “This experience has been very rewarding for my colleagues and me. This has allowed us to tackle the real issues facing a young designer with professionals from the sector. These issues were only theoretical up until now. I also had the good luck that my work was noticed by several exhibitors who have made me offers for collaborative work on their collections”, said the young designer Elena Menke.

This step is the logical consequence in a desire to support young design, at the heart of the show and outside it, as illustrated by the partnership with the Dinard International Festival of Young Fashion Designers. Incidentally, Texworld will be strengthening its backing for the event this year and increasing its financial commitment for the festival that takes place for the 18th time next May.

The AICP – Académie Internationale de Coupe de Paris, has met and signed agreements with companies that are interested in its courses. “The exhibition is also an excellent showcase for our students, who often find offers for work placements here, which may turn into collaborations”, explained the head of training.

For the benefit of young designers, fresh graduates wanting to launch their first collections and developing labels, 755 fabrics were offered for ordering in small quantities, in order to meet the requirements for their mini-collections. This offer will be repeated at next season’s exhibition, which will take place from 19th to 22nd September 2011, as always at the Paris Le Bourget exhibition centre.

The exhibition next September will demonstrate a special wealth of products with the arrival of the new show for fashioning and fashion accessories, Apparel Sourcing, which will provide a complement to the vertical offers of Texworld for brands and designers.

The next Texworld and Apparel Sourcing will take place from 19th to 22nd September 2011 at Paris Le Bourget exhibition centre.