Texworld and Apparelsourcing Paris closed their doors last week after four vibrant days, during which the trade fairs welcomed 15,034 visitors from 109 countries coming to see the 2015/16 winter collections shown by 1166 exhibitors.

The highlights included the launch of the new Shawls&Scarves feature; the exploration of rich Texworld winter trends for 2015/16; designer catwalk shows and the Sustainability Days, with the noteworthy talk on the responsibility of the textile industry by Jason Kibbey, speaking on behalf of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

Positive growth

According to organisers, the rise confirms the movement in fashion consumption in Europe. “We are delighted by this rise, which could have been greater, as a lot of visitors could not attend because of strikes at Air France,” said Michael Scherpe, CEO of Messe Frankfurt France.

Bang Moy, of the Chinese woollens company Intertextiles, exhibiting at the fairs, commented: “This was our first time, so we were not expecting our collection to be so well received by European buyers, but we took a large number of orders from some major fashion houses. They were attracted to our trendy, elaborate prints and weaves.”

Fred Sathal, a designer showing during Paris Haute Couture Week, said: “I was won over by Texworld making agreements with exhibitors to offer to sell small quantities to couturiers. I also liked the care given to organising the fair. This initial visit enabled me to source good-quality Japanese-made silks and textiles.”

International success

Europe recorded a rise of 4.39% and Asia made a great leap forward, up by 18.32%. The Americas showed the slight growth of 0.3%, with a 10% increase for Brazil. Africa was down by 11%, reflecting the crises by which the continent.

Visitor figures from the six major countries were up, with a noteworthy resurgence by Italy (+23%), whilst recovery was evident in respect of France (+4%), Turkey (+4%), Germany (+3%), Spain (+1.5%) and the UK (+1.5%).

Asia also supported the fair, with the return of Japanese buyers (+9.5%), whilst South Korea (+33%) and Hong Kong (+21%) showed their interest. China, with 8%, is now coming to buy for its domestic market.

www.texworld.messefrankfurt.com

www.apparelsourcing.messefrankfurt.com