International demand for production capacity is growing, with fashion labels and garment manufacturers looking for new outward processing channels to outsource production fully or partially.

As a response to the current market situation, Source it area will offer detailed insights into new channels and technologies during Texprocess trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials that will take place from 4 to 7 May 2015.

Highly technological orientation

“Within the framework of our Texpertise Network with over 40 textile fairs worldwide, we also organise events for garment production. At Apparel Sourcing in Paris and New York, garment manufacturers target the design-oriented visitors of the concurrent Texworld,” explained Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies of Messe Frankfurt.

“Source it also presents companies from the outward-processing sector. Additionally, the Source it area is distinguished by its highly technological orientation and, therefore, is of particular interest to Texprocess visitors, most of whom come to see machinery. This combination of production companies and suppliers of machinery and technology is unique in Europe and future-oriented.”

Feedback

At Texprocess 2013, no less than 95% of trade visitors said they were satisfied with the spectrum to be seen at the Source it area.

Jürgen Brecht, Head of Technical Development & Production Management Clothing, Marc Cain, said: “The Source it concept was very good. I was able to make new contacts with companies from Bulgaria and Hungary.”

Madiagne Diop, CEO of exhibitor NOIX-shirting suarl from Senegal, also commented: “For us, Source it was a great success. We mainly produce shirts and blouses for international fashion labels and were able to make good contacts to garment companies from West Europe and even Argentina. The companies are on the lookout for new production locations and we benefit from this.”

International outreach

The Source it will be located near the Texprocess Forum that will also provide information about topical sourcing questions. At the moment, great interest in Texprocess is being shown by companies from South and East Europe, Central Asia and Africa. In 2013, over 50 companies and associations from 16 nations took part, inter alia, from Bolivia, Kenya, Lithuania, Peru, Romania, Tunisia and Vietnam.

“At the same time, the production of fashions and garments is being shifted back to Europe. Thus, much better represented in 2013 compared to 2011 were, for example, companies from Egypt, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Poland, Portugal and Serbia. Countries from East and South Europe, and the Maghreb score through flexibility and short transport distances”, said Schmidt.

Focus on sustainability

Given the demand for environmentally friendly and socially fair production in the garment sector, Source it will focus on social standards and textile labels in 2015. Well-known testing and certification systems, such as GOTS and Oeko-Tex with STeP, have found their way into production facilities in Eastern Europe and Asia.

“For the first time this year, we have awarded our STeP by Oeko-Tex Certification label to companies from China, India and Egypt. Sustainable production processes and social working conditions are developing within the industry into an increasingly important quality feature”, said David Pircher of the Oeko-Tex Community in Zurich.

www.texprocess.com