Texworld and Première Vision Had Visitors Touching Fabric at Last – WWD

Textile fairs Texworld Evolution Paris and Première Vision forged ahead with physical shows north of Paris, giving visitors eager to touch samples and meet in-person a chance to do so, despite the absence of attendees from Asia and other regions, leading to some quiet days.

“It’s nice to come back, but it’s really a shame that we’re missing some important manufacturers,” said designer Walter Van Beirendonck, referring particularly to Italian and Japanese mills. “There are a lot of collections that we usually see, that are not here and it’s really a problem, but we come anyway, because we like PV,” he added.

PV’s hybrid event held Feb. 7 to 11 nevertheless welcomed 21,300 physical attendees and 53,000 digital sessions, an 18 percent increase from September 2021, and organizers are moving forward with long-held plans to reschedule the September show in Villepinte to July 5 to 7. Similarly, Texworld Evolution Paris will take place July 4 to 6 at the Parc des Expositions in le Bourget. The shift is a major one, requested by a majority of buyers and exhibitors surveyed. However, to help in the transition, PV has just announced a new event slated for Sept. 7 to 8 called Fashion Rendez-Vous, following PV’s June 2021 event by the same name, held at the Carreau du Temple and expected to welcome some 100 to 200 exhibitors.

The September show “is for the 30 percent of buyers and exhibitors who said they were not in favor of the date change,” said Gilles Lasbordes, general manager of Première Vision. “We will have a more modest event in the center of Paris so they can meet.” The new, July event “is a hefty move, not only for us, but for the sector. We are ready, and we have anticipated our agendas by supplying our exhibiters with fashion information earlier, so that they can deliver complete collections in July,” he added. Lasbordes was also “happy to have been able to maintain the [February] event during a complicated period. We continue on our path toward progress — not necessarily normality,” he said.

Those complexities were glaring at both fairs, which reflected a slew of hurdles the industry is grappling with at the moment, from pandemic-related travel restrictions and delays in shipping, to almost daily price increases in raw materials and transport costs. This was nevertheless countered by a stronger-than-ever focus on sustainability, translated into new and wider ranges of fabrics, that are no longer limited to luxury items.

“I’m very excited there’s a lot of sustainable fabrics,” Albino Riganello, creative director at BCBG Group, said at PV. “A few years ago, it was booming, now it’s more refined, prices are getting more competitive, which makes our life easier.” The “full-time job” of traveling to Paris from New York, was also “worth the trip,” he said. “We have made the effort to come because we think it is important to see people you haven’t seen in a while and get inspired again. Touching a piece of fabric can lead to ideas that would never happen when you just see it online,” he said. He pointed out highlights like, “leather made from weird things like apple and banana peels. We need to train our minds to be more open to things that might help us in the future.”

Other spring 2023 trends included a focus on natural fibers and dyes, soothing pastels and less flashy looks in favor of “practicality.” Still, plenty of flare and contrast was on hand, with a constant dialogue between an ever-evolving, seductive technical future and a longing for nature. Watery surfaces were apparent in unusual textures, and plenty of cool blues, as with Shibaya Co. Ltd.’s new collection. Shibaya also presented sun-dyed fabrics, and dyes made with food waste like coffee beans, in a nod toward a strong natural dye trend. One of the few Japanese mills able to attend, it also featured a host of textiles made from recycled fibers, easily the most talked about topic at PV.

Liberty Fabrics showed a new collection inspired and designed while heading into nature during lockdown. The natural world invades and shares the industrial in prints where flowers bloom out of pipes, or wild animal and flower prints suggest nature in its less formal state.

Lyria presented its full-size collection in a much-reduced booth, due to the absence of Asian and American buyers, said the brand’s commercial director Paolo Bini. But visitors tended to find what they needed. “Lyria is the best overall,” commented designer Nigel Cabourn. “My inspiration comes when I’m looking at fabric. I am fabric-driven, and spend maybe three hours with my favorite suppliers,” he said. “Other than the masks, it feels like two and a half years ago, even though there are a lot of people missing, like some of our favorite Japanese mills.” He also liked the outerwear offer at Majocchi and the colorful prints at TCS.

Fabric buyer at Karen Millen, Sue O’Brien appreciated the “earthy tone colorations, especially at the Italian mills,” she said of PV, singling out Manteco, which presented a new, workwear-themed, bright red, orange and yellow collection, and another line inspired by the peachy surface of leaves. “In terms of color, I’m seeing that it’s much more quiet, with a bit of a return to neutrality,” she added. Greens, lilacs and oranges were some recurring shades, while a retro floral and geometric vibe, notably in crocheted fabrics, as well as fluorescent pops also made a mark on visitors.

Sustainability was key for spring 2023, such as fabrics made using bacteria, or innovations in recycling, whether leather, wool or cellulose.

Naia presented a new staple fiber made of its Naia Renew, which is made of 60 percent sustainably sourced wood pulp, and 40 percent hard-to-recycle waste material diverted from landfills or incinerators. Inherently soft and quick drying, its reduced pilling and durable properties make it ideal for loungewear, T-shirts and sweatshirts, according to the company.

At Texworld Evolution Paris, Chinese exhibitors, typically the largest group at the fair, were down to a handful of companies because of travel restrictions. Indian mills were also notably absent due to a recent Omicron wave. For some attendees, this further highlighted the advantages of sourcing closer to home, or reevaluating transportation routes to reduce costs and time, suggesting a trend toward diversified sourcing locations.

“I’m shocked because the fair has gotten so small with China not here,” said Brazilian importer João Marques e Silva, CEO of DVJ Tecidos LTDA, while at Texworld. “There are new opportunities with countries like Turkey. I have to be aware of this movement, and I will look at what they have,” he said. “The price of transport from China is getting insane, multiplying by four or five for one container. I’m searching for other ways to buy material from another route, not to pay this absurd amount,” he added. On the hunt for natural fibers and new suppliers, he said his budget is increasing.

Frédéric Bougeard, president of Messe Frankfurt France, which runs Texworld, said he hoped to see the return of Chinese suppliers over the course of 2023. Typically, more than 1,200 Chinese companies attend the event, versus about 36 this edition, many of which included apparel manufacturers which could not send representatives, and were instead featured in the Source in China showroom section, managed by the show’s digital partner Foursource. Leather-makers from Bangladesh were also unable to attend due to “technical issues” related to the relocation of their leather-making facilities, making Turkey the most represented region with 72 exhibitors.

“The salon is five times smaller than usual,” said Bougeard, tallying about 200 exhibitors from 16 countries for this return to the Parc des Expositions after a two-year, pandemic-induced absence. “It leaves quite a bit of opportunities for other countries, like Turkey, Uzbekistan, [South] Korea, to play a primary role. They are more expensive than China, but have the advantage of being closer and more flexible,” he said. “I think some buyers have realized with the pandemic that they can open up to new regions for sourcing,” he said, though business continues to be done with China, whose technical capabilities and competitive prices are unmatched.

Still, while several buyers said they were now considering places like Turkey as transport-saving, new sourcing locations, the absence of key regions also meant fewer visitors. “The show is too slow,” said Egemen Dogan at the EGR Fabrics booth in Texworld. China’s absence didn’t translate into more orders in his case. “If there are more companies, more people come,” he said.

“The show is very small,” said product manager Daphne Grote Punt at Northern Linen. “I’m not sure it’s worth the time and money. We just really hope that the corona[virus] will end, and we can go back to a normal size. Normally, it’s a very good business,” she said. Northern Linen, present at both fairs, echoed concerns over constant price hikes. As a result, the mill was introducing more linen blends. Grote Punt also said she “was a bit shocked” by the July date change for the fairs. “How can I develop something with such a short season?” she asked, particularly with energy problems in China doubling delivery times.

In terms of newcomers, Uzbekistan sent its first pavilion of countries to Texworld, since joining the GSP+ group in April 2021, which gives it preferential tariff rates with EU trade. The arrangement reflects the country’s commitment to core international human and labor rights conventions, good environmental and climate protection governance. Speaking at a press conference, the country’s leading textile and apparel representative, Uztextilprom Association, reported about $3 billion in exports for 2021, and expects that number to reach $3.3 billion in 2022.

Three-year-old Lelit, a mill based in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, said it was experiencing 170 percent growth since the GSP+ agreement, with demand mostly from Europe. It presented colorful cotton and cotton-blend prints averaging $2.50 per square meter, assuring as good quality as what can be found in nearby Turkey.