Messe Frankfurt France says, “Registrations for the trade fair have broken a new record, passing the 400-exhibitor level, which represents a 40 percent rise in attendance, compared to the 289 exhibitors in September 2014. The event is consolidating its position as Europe’s premier world garment sourcing event.”
The knits section is showing strongest growth, with more than 35 new manufacturers, such as Anjuman Garments (Bangladesh), BLR Knits (India), Thai Son S.P (Vietnam), Sanyang Cashmere Textile (China) and others, who are focusing on highly diverse collections of circular and cut and sewn knits for men, women and children. Unstructured garments continue to develop, with 29 businesses and the sleeved pieces segment will welcome 25 new manufacturers, including Apex International (India) and New Zeenat Textile Mills (Pakistan).
Among the newcomers in sportswear are: fashionable collections by Kreateks Tekstil (Turkey) and Alphabeta (South Korea) will be on display. Accessories always attract more exhibitors. Newcomers such as Ningbo Kingshi (China) and Rashish (India) are aiming to attract buyers with traditional, fashionable pieces in quality finishes. The dedicated Shawls & Scarves section will see three newcomers among its 21 exhibitors: Porostar (China), KUM (India) and Shengzou First Garment & Necktie (China). The collections on offer will be highly market-oriented, displaying particular skills, such as hand embroidery, vegetable dyes and digital printing.
Made to measure deserves a special mention as it is still a strong trend in sourcing for customised dresses and unstructured garments at competitive prices. Made to measure had a modest debut at last year’s fair and is coming back in force, represented by seven companies: Ai Xin Dao, Dalian Faric Garment, Ningbo LS Lace, Ningbo EJJ Knitting Garment, Sendi, Shanghai Leads Enterprise and Wujiang Silk Garment. On the whole, the manufacturers at this event will be offering collections intended for the entry-level and midrange women’s and children’s market. In the case of men and accessories, there will be many premium collections on offer alongside more affordable collections.
Vietnam pavilion to feature ten exhibitors
The fair will feature a national pavilion for the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), with ten exhibitors including Babeeni, Diep Duong, Garment 10 Corporation, Hai Phong Xhan, Hoa Tho Textile, International Fashion, Lewave, Resources Garment, Thai Son S.P. and Thien Nam Investment & Development JSC. They will be offering accessories, casualwear, unstructured garments, bottom pieces, business wear, formal wear, children’s wear and denim for men, women and children, mainly targeting entry-level and mid-range buyers.
Many brands are attracted to Vietnam because of the quality and sourcing solutions which the country and its businesses can offer owing to free trade agreements with Europe (Eurasian Economic Union - EAEU). In other respects, Vietnam has become the world’s fourth-largest exporter of textile products on the basis of its first-quarter figures: $12.18 billion and a year-on-year rise of 8.2 percent in exports to the EU, according to the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex). Also on the agenda is a seminar ‘Vietnamese textile and clothing sector: a prosperous, competitive industry’ led by Jean-François Limantour , a specialist in both sourcing and Vietnam.
Seminars and programs scheduled for the fair
The trade fair has a full program, featuring four seminars and numerous fashion shows to reveal the specialities of exhibitors from participating countries. Seminars on sourcing, apart from the one on Vietnam, will feature two topics: ‘European garment sourcing in 2015: suppliers, products and markets’ and ‘Garment sourcing management and alternative strategies for industrial offers’.
On corporate responsibility, the association Well made will present ‘Trends in sustainable development’, which will provide professionals with information on new innovations and development of certification. The fashion shows, a showcase for skills, will allow visitors to evaluate exhibitors’ products, shown off to their best effect by the artistic director responsible for the programme. Seminars concentrating on countries and types of product are also scheduled during the four days. As for young designers, the finalists in the 2015 Frankfurt Style Award competition will reveal their creations during the fair.
