The offer was broader, more diversified and more accessible; despite increasing requirements in the industry, visitor numbers remained stable. It was on these two objective notes that the latest edition of the Texworld and Apparel Sourcing Paris trade shows for the fashion industry came to a close, being held from 5 to 7 February 2024 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. During the 3 days, nearly 8000 visitors came to meet 1300 fabric manufacturers and clothing companies from 25 countries on the two levels of Hall 7 (7.2 and 7.3).

The unprecedented concentration of international companies in Europe, which exceeds in number that of February 2019, is a reminder of the central role of European markets for the global fashion industry. This position is confirmed by the weight of buyers from the Euromed zone in the visitor structure: Top 5 is concentrated around buyers from France (20% of the total, up sharply on 2023), the UK (8.3%), Italy (7.9%), Turkey (7.2%) and Spain (6.8%). This Parisian event is proving to be an essential point of contact between designers, buyers and suppliers of fabrics or finished products.

Complementarity between Texworld and Apparel Sourcing Paris

A stylist for the George Rech brand, Agathe Coudert travels to Paris every year with her team to design the collections that will be on show in Spain in 2025 in the Corte Ingles corners. "I come to Texworld to choose the fabrics that I have made in France or eastern Europe," she explains. I supplement at Apparel Sourcing with more complex finished products, such as knitwear, which requires special know-how, silk blouses and double-sided cashmere coats,” said Ms. Coudert.

For exhibitors, the show is also an opportunity to showcase their newest products to their customers. Chinese performance fabrics manufacturer, Oracle Textile Technology, was able to highlight the new colour and appearancemranges of its nylon spandex or seamless fabrics used for down jackets and outdoor clothing collections.

The same goes for Pakistani weaver Liberty Mills, which presented its new cotton ranges to its British, French and Canadian retail customers. This was also the case for Indian womenswear manufacturer BP Impex, for whom the European market remains strategic. "The show is an opportunity for us to meet the French, English, Dutch and Spanish brands and distributors with whom we generate a significant proportion of our sales. Buyers

come to the stand with drawings and ideas, and we start working on collections that will be delivered 120 days later," explained a manager, who reports that around twenty new contacts were made during the 3 days.

Making the offer ever more accessible

“Despite the slowdown in the clothing market, Europe remains a major market for textile and finished goods manufacturers," explains Frédéric Bougeard, President of Messe Frankfurt France. “For some players, it is becoming a strategic market to offset the uncertainties weighing on the Russian and American markets," he continued. “Our mission is to fulfil our role as a marketplace, to adapt to these changes and to make the international offer more and more accessible."

The February event also highlighted near sourcing. Nine Ukrainian companies grouped together under the banner of the Ukrainian Association of Textile and Leather Industry Companies (Ukrlegprom), as well as Bulgarian, Italian and Dutch companies, were able to take advantage of the show's visibility to include their expertise in the sourcing plans of French and European buyers.

"We want to build on these initiatives, and we'll be putting forward proposals at our next shows, but also, why not, in different formats," added Frédéric Bougeard.

Texpertise Econogy - where sustainability meets business

In addition to the diversity of exhibitors and new products, this edition focused in particular on sustainable products with the Texpertise Econogy initiative, which is now promoted among the 50 textile fairs of the Messe Frankfurt group in 12 countries worldwide.

This new format will serve as a beacon in the sourcing industry for exhibitors displaying sustainability and will play a decisive role in the upcoming editions of Texworld and Apparel Sourcing.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris - a new name for trade fairs

Reflecting the adaptation of Messe Frankfurt France's strategy to changes in the market, Texworld Evolution Paris is changing its name to Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris. This move reflects developments in fashion sourcing and the expansion of brand universes. A growing number of buyers now want to be able to select materials, while also sourcing finished products directly to complement collections or expand their range.

The new name is accompanied by a new dual baseline - Weaving the future; sourcing I business I solutions - to underline these developments and reinforce the fairs' service-led positioning.

This new signature will be fully expressed at the next edition of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, including Avantex and Leatherworld, which will take place from 1 to 3 July 2024 in Hall 7 (7.2 and 7.3) of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The show, which will remain the same size and offer a more selective range of products, will reflect this convergence between textiles and finished products. This session will also have no interaction with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which are due to open on 26 July, three weeks after Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris website