Texworld Paris SS2016 trade fair report

Photo courtesy of Texworld Paris

After four days of brisk business, Texworld Paris, encompassing its sister show Apparel Sourcing Paris, saw another successful season for the textile fair held 9 - 12 February at the north Parisian suburb of Le Bourget.

Photo by Lucia Carpio for
My Fashion Connect.

Under the title of "Presence", the fair presented fabric developments and new trends for Spring Summer 2016 from 626 exhibitors and welcomed 13,639 international visitors. 

Messe Frankfurt Paris CEO Michael Scherpe expressed his satisfaction, stating "This 1% increase represents encouraging stability.
I am delighted at the stronger French presence, but I note that there was a marked, foreseeable decline in visitors from Russia. It was a successful show, as the exhibitors met their usual purchasers and generated highly satisfactory volumes of orders.
"The only significant fluctuations noted were the increase in French and British visitors. We are delighted that we were able to combine a creative, competitive range which meets the demands of international brands coming to Paris in full."

Mr. Scherpe also added that the fair has been a success for first-time attendees as well as young textile brands such as Radzuan Radziwill from Malaysia featured hand-printed fabrics and made available in small quantities.

"We have had numerous enquiries from established French and international fashion brands.

Our silk and cotton prints attracted their attention," revealed Jeffriey Ibrahim, brand designer.

Maurizio Clementi, a designer based in Paris and Verona, said he appreciated the variety and creativity of what was on offer.  He said, “I look for fabrics for different brands at Texworld. "Each fair represents a discovery, such as the young brand Radzuan Radziwill, led by a fashion designer," he said.

Long-time exhibitors maximised their presence at Texworld to present developments. 

For one, Kassim Denim from Pakistan, showcased their "Smart Denim" that can keep the wearer warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  "We are pleased with the results and the quality of the visitors who came to see us," expressed Mr Wajahat Zafar, Marketing Manager of Kassim Denim, which has been exhibiting at Texworld for a decade. “We have met both regular and new clients, who have been attracted by our recent developments. It has been one of the biggest successes of the season."

The total of 13,639 visitors to Texworld had come from 111 countries according to the organisers.
While France saw an increase of 13% in visitor numbers and the UK recorded a rise of 3%,   elsewhere in Europe, Italy, Portugal and Germany saw a slight fall, whilst Spain remained steady, supported by its numerous fashion brands.
Africa saw an increase of more than 6%, with led by Tunisia, Egypt and Mauritius.
Japan also saw an increase of 10%.

The sister event - Apparel Sourcing Paris - featured 165 producers from 11 countries who unveiled their manufacturing capabilities showing finished garment products and solutions.  This season it included new countries such as Tunisia, Cambodia and Vietnam, keen to showcase their skills to the European and international markets. 

Exhibitor Mr Avi Menda, Marketing Director of Remar, a Turkish maker of mid-range mixed jeans, said they were very happy with this event.  "We have received many orders from our regular customers, and requests for samples from new customers."

Regular fashion shows took place at Apparel Sourcing, including a presentation of formal and denim wear, and a catwalk show to display creations of the Frankfurt Style Award featuring young design graduates from various universities and international fashion schools and highlighting the development of a new centre of excellence in Frankfurt and the benefits on offer for designers.

Over a dozen silhouettes were shown, under the theme «United Diversity: Uniform, Unisex, Unicult».  Androgynous, magical, functional, surrealist - looks to astonish visitors, who were delighted to discern the cheerful, mischievous fashion.

High level visitors to Apparel Sourcing included their Excellencies Mrs Susanne Wasum-Rainer, the German Ambassador to France, and Mr Mohamed Ali Chihi, the Tunisian Ambassador.

Fashion by Tunisia demonstrated the capacity and creativity of this sector,
which is the country’s second largest industry.

Tunisia, the fifth-largest supplier to the EU and the second-largest to France, was a country of focus in Apparel Sourcing Paris.  In addition to a catwalk show, there was a national pavilion under the auspices of CEPEX featuring eight Tunisian companies operating in the mid-range highlighted their expertise in knits, unstructured garments, sleeved pieces, jeans, casualwear, sportswear, lingerie and beachwear.

Tunisian designers Ahmed Talfit and Ali Karoui closed the show with «Spirit of Couture» items for the international market.

Also on the schedule were fashion shows featuring embroidery, as well as a special area for Shawls, Scarves and Ties this season due to popular demand.

Esmod Fashion School, a partner of the fairs, had a double presence this season, firstly with the Wool by Esmod exhibition and on the stage with the Esmod Couture fashion show.

A BOUQUET OF CREATIVITY

Texworld held a number of conferences during the four-day February trade show to keep visitors informed, covering subjects from colour and fabric trends to social sustainability trends. 

Trend forum images by Lucia Carpio.

New Textures and colours for the summer 2016 season were presented in a Trends Forum with geometric panels and structural display bases designed by the Artistic Directors Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud.

Mr Gérin (pictured above, courtesy of Messe Frankfurt) presented the thematic focus of six themes that marked the season in very well-attended seminars.  The overall theme "Presence" evokes an urban vibe echoing the works of artists like the Korean Do-Ho Suh, entitled «Tangible Space», in which structures combining translucent lines evoke a peaceful presence whilst remaining in context.

«Presence» also expresses the development of the textile and fashion industry. Louis Gérin illustrated this at the press conference, using a specific example. «Rhythms change in fashion, and the present moment and the look of the moment are of prime importance. Fast fashion enhances speed, subjecting design to a whirlwind. This implies that from now on trends will last for eighteen months instead of just six. The influential currents are overapping and becoming increasingly in mixed.»

To recap, the six topics are: Subversive Analogy, Subtle Amorphousness, Alter Echo, Inescapable

Risks, Denim Focus: Intuitive Process, and Accessories Focus: Figurative Overflowing.

The next Texworld Paris will take place from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 September 2015, at Paris Le Bourget.

Photos courtesy of Texworld Paris/Messe Frankfurt Paris unless otherwise noted.