Uncertainty. That will be the overall mood at the trio of fabric and sourcing shows organized here by Messe Frankfurt France as the recent global economic volatility and fluctuating currencies generate increasing concern among textile manufacturers seeking orders in China and the U.S.
“A lack of visibility for the mid- and long-term is what’s preoccupying [exhibitors] the most at the moment,” said Michael Scherpe, chief executive officer of Messe Frankfurt France, organizer of Texworld, Apparel Sourcing Paris and the new high-tech fashion fabric event Avantex. The shows will take place at the Le Bourget exhibition center from Sept. 14 to 17.
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“Nobody really knows today what will happen in December….But there is nevertheless one piece of positive news: the price of raw materials — natural and synthetic — have almost all dropped,” Scherpe added. “That could stimulate purchasing.”
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With the fall of the euro in recent months, Texworld’s mostly non-European Union-based exhibitor base has suffered. At the show’s February edition, several exhibitors cited the weak euro as a severe competitive disadvantage, but Scherpe said he believes the market has weathered the worst of the situation.
“I think the difficulty is already past,” he said. “It’s something [exhibitors] have had to take into account, but they have adapted, albeit not without difficulty. Their fabrics have become more expensive as the euro has dropped.”
Nor does he see the current problems in the Chinese economy having a significant impact on exhibitors from the country, which generally represent more than half of the firms showing at Texworld.
“The infrastructural crisis in China’s textile industry is nothing new,” Scherpe said. “For years, some companies have been shutting down and others opening. [The] industry there is undergoing a pro- found mutation to become more competitive.”
Messe Frankfurt France is adapting to the changing landscape with the introduction of the Avantex show, as well as adding more of a fashion spin to Texworld in recent seasons.
Exhibitor numbers are expected to be stable at 880 at the core Texworld event, which Scherpe said should not be seen as a lack of demand, but the result of more stringent selection and a focus on quality.
“We have integrated [the notion] that there is no point in having 150 exhibitors showing the same thing,” Scherpe said The company has introduced fashion shows and highlighted the role of its artistic directors Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud, who deliver several trend presentations during the event and are part of its selection committee. Apparel Sourcing, now in its ninth edition, continues to grow quickly, with 400 companies signed up to exhibit, a 41 percent increase year-on-year. Highlights will include Apparel Sourcing’s first Vietnamese pavilion, with 10 exhibitors, several conferences on sourcing, and fashion shows highlighting the exhibitors’ offer.
There will also be a focus on made-to-measure garments, with seven Chinese companies presenting their capabilities in this growing domain that combine industrialized production and short lead times with a made-to-order selection.
Avantex, which bows with 25 exhibitors and several conferences, will focus on connected and intelligent fibers. These will include fabrics with integrated LEDs and so-called “cosmeto-textiles” incorporating skin-care ingredients or fragrances via nanotechnology, for example.
While technologically advanced fabrics have taken hold in sportswear, they have yet to truly penetrate the fashion world, but Scherpe is convinced this is about to change.
“I believe the time has come for things to change, with the arrival of new generations and new designers who desire something else,” Scherpe said. “I realized [there was a demand] because at Techtextil, which is a technical fabric show and not a fashion event [hosted by Messe Frankfurt in Germany], people are starting to become interested in fashion applications.”
Other highlights common to all three salons include an expanded focus on digital printing — the subject of a new sister salon, Avanprint, to debut alongside Texworld in February.
Conferences will focus on fall 2016 fabric trends, sustainability and sourcing. The denim section of Texworld is growing and will feature new exhibitors offering denim blended with fibers and fabrics like Tencel, modal and silk, while Indonesia will make its return to Texworld with its own pavilion as the country’s weavers seek to capture the European market.
“Indonesian polyesters and laces are very popular with fast-fashion and creative brands,” explained Scherpe.
There will also be a focus on silk, one of the most popular fabrics at Texworld after cotton, with more than 40 weavers present, including 13 companies from the Huzhou province of China.
Overall, some 1,300 exhibitors and roughly 16,000 visitors are expected at the events, although Scherpe said it was too early to give an accurate prediction of visitor numbers.