Las Vegas - As the center of fashion trade shows, Las Vegas will be hosting three apparel shows that are teaming up this season. In the month of February; Agenda, Liberty and Capsule are coming together for a combined conference.
The launch will be entitled Assembly Conference running from February 12 to 14. The event is organized by the three combined trade fairs. Located at The Venetian, the conference will run during show hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will include keynote speakers, tastemakers, and innovators. The conference will also hosts workshops and networking resources for both brands and retailers in attendance. “We’re looking to innovate on our platform by providing inspiration and education to drive our industry forward," Aaron Levant, founder of Agenda, said in a statement as reported by Apparel News.
The conference is meant to expand the trade show format in a more efficient way. By creating this space, the event can help connect more brands and retailers in a business-driven way. The show will take place in mid-February while all other major trade fairs take place in Las Vegas. Other shows that will be ongoing during this time include WSA, FN Platform, and more.
'Indigo Goes Green': Hyun Yeu on Kingpins
REVIEW
Written by Hyun Yeu. Yeu worked as head of design at Gsus for the last six years. Before that he owned his own label Ado Les Scents.
Amsterdam - Taking place twice a year, Kingpins Amsterdam is the place to be for denim lovers from around the world. A wide range of fabric manufacturers, denim mills, suppliers, stitching-, trimming- and washing houses and fabric tech companies from all over the world gather in Amsterdam to present the latest developments in the denim industry at the denim trade fair.
There are two reasons for me to visit a trade show: inspiration and solutions. This edition of Kingpins managed to do both!
I soaked up the atmosphere of the participants simply by wandering through the Westergasfabriek venue and seeing the ‘indigo blooded’ crowd there – looking at their style of clothing, the accessories and shoes worn and hair. Their passion for workwear and denim, on display like live mannequins gathered in their seemingly natural habitat, talking to each other, doing serious business. For me to observe and enjoy from a distance.
But maybe the biggest value add of this edition of Kingpins for me lies in the solutions area: as a designer I am constantly looking for solutions – solutions to challenges in the design of garments or challenges related to fabrics, washings, stitching, trimmings et cetera.
The biggest value add of this edition of Kingpins for me lies in the solutions area: as a designer I am constantly looking for solutions
Green solutions at Kingpins Amsterdam
I saw solutions – and they were all green! Almost everything I saw at Kingpins was in some form or way linked to sustainability and the notion of green fashion.
It has great hand feel of tencel and soft cotton. Depends on the mixture of Refibra and other yarn could make all different kind of fabrics. There were already multiple options in Refibra mix in display.
‘The circular economy has now also entered the fashion industry’
It is encouraging to see that the concept, the importance and reality of the circular economy has now also entered the fashion industry - and that our industry is fully embracing it.
Some odd years ago the notion of using organic cotton or recyclable fabrics was seen as new and kind of odd. Now (high)-tech companies are in the lead with inventing new sustainable fabrics and energy efficient and CO2 neutral production processes.
The third Autumn edition of Chic Shanghai, a fair that has been held in China since 1993, but only took place once a year in March until recently, closed its doors on October 13, 2017 after welcoming a total of 65,722 visitors. Visitor numbers at Chic (short for China International Clothing and Accessories fair) were essentially in line with its 2016 edition, which welcome 65,71 visitors in total.
850 exhibitors participated in the fair this season, the vast majority of whom were Chinese. There were a few product catalogues present at the stands, but there was a QR code present in every space from which all information about the brand could be directly downloaded on WeChat, the social network used for communication from all the Made in China companies.
There were also 13 Italian companies present at the fair, promoting 20 fashion brands and 6 French labels. In the exhibition halls of the crowded National Exhibition and Convention Center, there was no shortage of Korean brands, such as fashion brand Kim Chul Ung Mode, which was recently exhibited on the runway in Seoul fashion week. As Kim Chul Ung, the label's creative director, explained to FashionUnited, the brand will soon also participate in New York Fashion Week and it is preparing to debut in Europe with its cashmere garments and its pleated tartan skirts. The brand's innovation lies above all in its flowing shapes.
Chic Shanghai welcomed a total of 65,722 visitors.
And as Chen Dapeng, Vice President of China National Garment Association and Head of Chic, told FashionUnited, innovation must be the focus of the brands that want to go abroad. “Chic remains a platform dedicated to fashion labels that intend to focus on the Chinese market, but brands that want to go abroad need to invest in creativity and innovation. When companies set internationalisation as a goal, they have to check whether they actually have the capabilities," said Mr Chen.
The conference is meant to expand the trade show format in a more efficient way. By creating this space, the event can help connect more brands and retailers in a business-driven way. The show will take place in mid-February while all other major trade fairs take place in Las Vegas. Other shows that will be ongoing during this time include WSA, FN Platform, and more.
'Indigo Goes Green': Hyun Yeu on Kingpins
REVIEW
Written by Hyun Yeu. Yeu worked as head of design at Gsus for the last six years. Before that he owned his own label Ado Les Scents.
Amsterdam - Taking place twice a year, Kingpins Amsterdam is the place to be for denim lovers from around the world. A wide range of fabric manufacturers, denim mills, suppliers, stitching-, trimming- and washing houses and fabric tech companies from all over the world gather in Amsterdam to present the latest developments in the denim industry at the denim trade fair.
There are two reasons for me to visit a trade show: inspiration and solutions. This edition of Kingpins managed to do both!
I soaked up the atmosphere of the participants simply by wandering through the Westergasfabriek venue and seeing the ‘indigo blooded’ crowd there – looking at their style of clothing, the accessories and shoes worn and hair. Their passion for workwear and denim, on display like live mannequins gathered in their seemingly natural habitat, talking to each other, doing serious business. For me to observe and enjoy from a distance.
But maybe the biggest value add of this edition of Kingpins for me lies in the solutions area: as a designer I am constantly looking for solutions – solutions to challenges in the design of garments or challenges related to fabrics, washings, stitching, trimmings et cetera.
The biggest value add of this edition of Kingpins for me lies in the solutions area: as a designer I am constantly looking for solutions
Green solutions at Kingpins Amsterdam
I saw solutions – and they were all green! Almost everything I saw at Kingpins was in some form or way linked to sustainability and the notion of green fashion.
Green fashion always has been on my mind, but I have been neglecting it mostly because of higher prices or high minimum production numbers. For me sustainability was more for brands that built their identity around it – not for all. Today, I stand corrected!
For me sustainability was more for brands that built their identity around it – not for all. Today, I stand corrected!
Hyun Yeu
At the first day of Kingpins, I saw a inspiring display of the fact that our sector has matured in this respect and that there are so many different options and solutions available: being green and affordable can go together! Throughout the entire production process and the entire fashion value- and supply chain, sustainable options are available: organic cotton, yarn made from recycled materials like bottles and waste clothing, natural dye, energy and water saving washing processes. Almost every exhibitor at Kingpins has something sustainable to offer. It was hard to miss.
Hyun Yeu: ‘My favourite material was Refibra from Lenzing’
My favourite material was Refibra from Lenzing. We know Lenzing from it's famous Tencel and Modal fibers and fabrics. This new developed Refibra is mixture of cotton pulps made out of waste cotton and wood pulps from sustainable forests.It has great hand feel of tencel and soft cotton. Depends on the mixture of Refibra and other yarn could make all different kind of fabrics. There were already multiple options in Refibra mix in display.
‘The circular economy has now also entered the fashion industry’
It is encouraging to see that the concept, the importance and reality of the circular economy has now also entered the fashion industry - and that our industry is fully embracing it.
Some odd years ago the notion of using organic cotton or recyclable fabrics was seen as new and kind of odd. Now (high)-tech companies are in the lead with inventing new sustainable fabrics and energy efficient and CO2 neutral production processes.
During the month of October FashionUnited focuses on Denim. For all our articles on Denim, click here.
Photos: The Kingpins Show Amsterdam. Credit: Hyun Yeu for FashionUnited.
Chic Shanghai uses showrooms to bring brands even closer to the Chinese market
The third Autumn edition of Chic Shanghai, a fair that has been held in China since 1993, but only took place once a year in March until recently, closed its doors on October 13, 2017 after welcoming a total of 65,722 visitors. Visitor numbers at Chic (short for China International Clothing and Accessories fair) were essentially in line with its 2016 edition, which welcome 65,71 visitors in total.
850 exhibitors participated in the fair this season, the vast majority of whom were Chinese. There were a few product catalogues present at the stands, but there was a QR code present in every space from which all information about the brand could be directly downloaded on WeChat, the social network used for communication from all the Made in China companies.
There were also 13 Italian companies present at the fair, promoting 20 fashion brands and 6 French labels. In the exhibition halls of the crowded National Exhibition and Convention Center, there was no shortage of Korean brands, such as fashion brand Kim Chul Ung Mode, which was recently exhibited on the runway in Seoul fashion week. As Kim Chul Ung, the label's creative director, explained to FashionUnited, the brand will soon also participate in New York Fashion Week and it is preparing to debut in Europe with its cashmere garments and its pleated tartan skirts. The brand's innovation lies above all in its flowing shapes.
Chic Shanghai welcomed a total of 65,722 visitors.
And as Chen Dapeng, Vice President of China National Garment Association and Head of Chic, told FashionUnited, innovation must be the focus of the brands that want to go abroad. “Chic remains a platform dedicated to fashion labels that intend to focus on the Chinese market, but brands that want to go abroad need to invest in creativity and innovation. When companies set internationalisation as a goal, they have to check whether they actually have the capabilities," said Mr Chen.
At the moment, it seems that many of the Chinese companies present at the Chinese fair are still organising their development across borders. According to official figures, the number of fashion textile companies in China, at least the large ones, amounts to 100,000 and they employ 90 million people.
Despite owning trademarks, the larger companies primarily position themselves as third party suppliers. The young brands, many of which were created by designers who have studied at the top European schools, show creativity and innovation, but lack the economic resources and the right advice to position themselves in other markets. This, for example, is what the young designer who launched Art On, a fledgling Chinese label that offers Trench Bon Ton and also Lu Joe Nottingham, thinks. This brand is named after the founding designer who completed his studies in fashion in Nottingham itself. Both brands were present in the Chic Impulse area, a space dedicated to promising Made in China talents.
Chic hosted young Chinese talent in the Impulse area.
But if businesses in this market struggle to cross the border, except for some such as Guangzhou Zhuofeng Clothing, already a supplier of the well-known Primark chain and present in Chic with several denim lines, foreign brands, including Italian ones, appear instead to be directed towards Chinese consumers.
According to the Altagamma Worldwide Market Monitor, created by Bain & Company in collaboration with Altagamma, the global market for high-end personal goods will reach 254-259 billion in 2017, a steady growth rate of between 2 percent and 4 percent, mainly driven by the recovery of Chinese consumers both in the local and overseas market and by the increased propensity to buy in Europe.
Finding local Chinese partners at the moment seems to be one of the most popular paths, also because even though China is the leading online retail market (543 billion for products in each segment), the risks of counterfeiting and fraud lead Chinese consumers to be wary of online shopping for luxury goods. According to the Altagamma Digital Luxury Experience - DLE3 (e-commerce, experience and enterprise), created in partnership with McKinsey & Company, only 16 percent of Chinese luxury consumers expect to increase their online spending over the next year.
Young Chinese people, the so-called millennials, are looking for increasingly sophisticated shopping experiences and for personalised garments. "Chinese consumers are more and more careful and selective, no longer looking for the logo and label, but rather for individuality and also a sustainable approach by fashion clothing manufacturers," stressed Mr Chan.
“Chinese consumers are more and more careful and selective", stressed Mr Chen Dapeng.
European labels are therefore sharpening their weapons to attack this market, as evidenced by the emergence of trade fairs such as Milan Unica Shanghai and the debut of Style routes to Shanghai. A platform created by Confartigianato businesses with the Italian White Fair and supported by the Italian trade Agency to promote the internationalisation of Made in Italy. However, for some years now, Emi's tried and tested partnership with Ente Moda Italia has continued and has brought the Made in Italy businesses to the March edition of Chic. At the edition just concluded, the Italian brands - a total of twenty - were at the Italian Fashion exhibition hall.
Mr Sun Guowei said: "We are trying to attract international showrooms and buyers.”
The Chinese company Famory, which produces garments inspired by traditional Chinese dress, made of silk and embroidered by hand, has been exporting abroad for some time, especially to the USA, Europe and South Asia. Founded in 1955, the company has also developed across borders, thanks, at least in part, to the maxim that the "Chinese get married in Chinese dress".
To export, however, it is also necessary to attract international buyers. “We are trying to attract international showrooms and buyers”, Mr Sun Guowei, General Manager of China World Exhibitions, told FashionUnited. Mr Sun explained that the fair organisers are moving in this direction also because of the fact that the Chinese market is changing. The distribution network is moving, though still slowly, towards multi-branding. “Competition in the fashion industry pushes fashion companies to improve their quality and to seek distributors throughout the territory. But also foreign companies that want to grow here are looking for reliable partners”. That is why, from the next Chic edition, there will be meetings of the present brands with showroom representatives.
Photo: Chic, credit FashionUnited
source: www.fashionunited.com