Shows

At the 21st edition of Spinexpo Shanghai, a new Knitwear Pavilion is bringing together the best and the brightest of Asia’s new generation of knitwear producers. These young entrepreneurs defy old stereotypes with the latest equipment, dedication to design, and willingness to engage in an open exchange with their partner customers from traditional as well as new markets. It’s a new way of doing business, bringing fresh ideas to stimulate customer thinking, and resulting in differentiated product that reflects the trends yet is tailored to the needs of the customer.

Janet Prescott reports from Paris Gathering optimism evident since the first fabric and yarn shows was also present at Premiere Vision where there was an increase in exhibitors and where a colourful approach to design reinforced the mood of buyers looking for the new and attractive for SS 2014.

Carlo Volpi reports from Florence The 72nd edition of Pitti Filati took place as usual at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence last week. Foreign buyers once again led the show, with very good turnouts from Hong Kong (+75%), Turkey (+30%)United States (+33%), Spain (+22%) and Great Britain. With a total of 3,700 buyers, the International buyer turnout stayed the same as the previous winter edition last year even though the number of actual buyers was inferior (there were about 4,000 last winter).

Outside was snow, on snow, on snow; inside Hall 1 of Paris’ Porte de Versailles some 26,373 designers, buyers, retailers, and decision makers gathered at the January 2013 Interfilière and Salon International de la Lingerie in search of new concepts in fabrics, technologies, and brand development. Indeed, the show’s ambience seemed particularly suited to the weather, with cozy igloos and fur throws, hostess’ costumes of winter white fleece capes and boots, and trend forums featuring shimmering, sparkling, iridescent innovations.

Leading fibres and yarn show Expofil, part of the Première Vision Pluriel collection of shows, has announced a 17% increase in the number of participants for its forthcoming edition as compared to the February 2012 show.

The 2013 winter edition of Texworld USA, which kicks off this week (14 - 16 January) at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, features a new Turkey Pavilion hosting a number of Turkish knitters who are keen to increase their presence in the US market.

Flat knitting machine builder Stoll will exhibit at Knitwear Solutions, the ‘show within a show’, for flat knits launched by Premiere Vision in September this year. The show takes place at the Parc d'Expositions, Paris Nord, Villepinte from 12-14 February 2013.

“Interfilière's reputation is beyond doubt,” says the show’s organiser Eurovet. “The trade show, a powerful ally for designers, collection managers, buyers, trend agencies and the intimates and beachwear industry, will bring them all together in Paris, the fashion capital on 19, 20 and 21 January 2013.”

Almost 1500 guests assembled in Wakayama, the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan, for the Shima Seiki 50th Anniversary Celebration last week. Approximately 750 guests and Shima Seiki representatives gathered at the company’s headquarters and at the city’s Big Whale arena on each of the 8th and 9th November to celebrate the historic occasion. In addition, almost 1350 employees celebrated their company’s 50th on Saturday 10th November at the same venue.

Janet Prescott reports from Milan Filo is always a business show, people get straight to the point. The latest edition, 10-11th October, in Milan, showed an increase in exhibitors, and business appeared brisk. This was despite lower production figures and higher imports registered in Italy for the sector during 2012.