PARIS — India emerged as a hot spot for fabric sourcing at the Texworld fabric fair here last week, as buyers sought sophistication and subtlety, and styles moved from past seasons’ ornate embellishments to more staid embroideries.
“You can’t just slap sequins on a fabric today,” said Aruna Muraka, owner of Ventures, an Indian mill that specializes in embroideries. “You have to use your head and make fabrics with an added design value.”
Exhibitors reported solid business, propelled by buyers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Buyers voiced confidence for the next season, most saying they would increase their fabric budget by as much as 10 percent.
Stressing the importance of getting value for their money, many buyers said they had started to build significant business with Indian mills as they diversify their supply chains to be less dependent on China. Indian mills offer more fashionable items that can cater to niche customers, while China remains focused on basic textiles for mass market channels, the buyers said.
“The price is good in India and over the last few years they have invested in design,” said Simon Hawksworth, head of design at Ben Sherman. “They have really changed. You still have the typical Indian touches, but you also find fashionable fabrics. They are producing full fabric collections now and have beefed up their design teams. Textiles you find in China just aren’t as good.”
Texworld featured some 688 exhibitors during a four-day run that ended Thursday at the CNIT complex at La Defense, the business district west of Paris. For the first time, the show added a space; 70 exhibitors were housed in the nearby L’Espace Grande Arche, underscoring the show’s rapid growth since Germany’s Messe Frankfurt acquired it in 2002.
The show’s organizers also announced the creation of a new edition of the Texworld show in New York — Texworld USA. A show in Mumbai, India, is also planned. In 2007, the Paris show will change venues to accommodate more exhibitors. Because of a tighter focus on the bottom line, stiff competition at retail and the high value of the euro, crossover shopping between Texworld and the more exclusive Première Vision show has increased.
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“I’ve come to PV for years, but this is the first time I’ve visited Texworld,” said Zonda Nellis, a Vancouver designer of high-end women’s wear. “I’ve found a couple of real gems so far. The quality, especially from the Indian mills, is very good.”
Maxime Vibert and Laurence Dolige, designers of the Paris contemporary line Madame A Paris, said they had transferred the majority of their production to India.
“We work more and more in India,” Vibert said. “They make the fabrics and they manufacture the designs. The quality is fantastic now and the price is right.”
Buyers shopping for spring and summer 2007 said soft hues such as rose and blue attracted them. Embroideries were still popular, but in subtler variations, and cotton and linen fabrics were hot.
Manish Mandhana, managing director of Mandhana, a Mumbai mill, said business had exploded by triple digits this season. “It’s never been so good,” he said. “Over the last few years, we’ve invested heavily to bring more design value to the product.”
Organizers said 17,099 buyers visited the fair, up 1.7 percent from the same session last year, with marked increases from countries such as Italy, Germany, South Korea, Japan and Middle East nations. Fewer Americans and Canadians visited than a year ago, which organizers said was a “stabilization” after a 25 percent jump in 2005.
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