NEW YORK — The International Fashion Fabric Exhibition opened on a lively note here Tuesday, with a big buyer turnout, and with colored linens, heavier structures, wrinkle-free fabrics and new ethnic prints — all for spring 1995 — to entice them.
The first wave of buyers gave the show — with its expanded roster of exhibitors for its fifth edition — an affirmative nod. The show, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, ends Thursday.
“We need a fabric show in New York,” observed Judy Freni, merchandiser of the women’s sportswear division of London Fog, arriving mid-morning and visiting three vendors by noon. Moises Cohen, owner-designer of Grupo Fiora, a Mexico City children’s wear maker, was seeking new fabric ideas and suppliers, particularly in silk, and found some silk prints he liked at Chaitra Prints.
The Larkin Group, show producer, estimated the first-day crowd at 3,300 buyers, 25 percent more than last October’s opening. The exhibition has grown to 320 firms, 100 more firms than exhibited in October, and attracted some top U.S. apparel fabric suppliers, including Greenwood Mills, Springs Industries and Texfi Blends, and converters such as Cranston Print Works Co. and Horizon Fabrics.
William F.X. Coffey Jr., director of international marketing of Greenwood Denim, said the firm had a lot of traffic, especially West Coast buyers. Coffey showed Crossroads, a new line of pigment yarn-dyed colored denims, and Tencel solid and striped chambrays.
At the Crantex/Millworth divisions of Cranston Print Works, there were inquiries, especially about a new all-cotton wrinkle-resistant print base that can be custom-ordered, said Ellen Holmes, sales representative. At Horizon Textiles, buyers were sampling rayon and acetate baroque and floral patterns, and lightweight high-twist crepe tapestry doublecloths, according to Jeffrey Schecter, vice president of operations. “Buyers are upbeat and are really looking for novelties,” he said.
Colored lightweight linen and viscose blends with surface interest were some of the news at Arno Salm. “We took a stock order 20 minutes into the show,” added Hank Salm, co-owner.”It’s never happened before to me in all the times I have shown here.”