Nothing ventured, nothing gained
CLOSING REPORT
MUNICH FABRIC START | BLUEZONE | KEYHOUSE | THE SOURCE
The most important fabric trends for Autumn.Winter 2024/25, lectures and discussions on the most relevant industry topics as well as plenty of networking opportunities: after three days, Germany’s largest and most important fabric trade show, MUNICH FABRIC START, with over 1,100 collections on display, came to an end yesterday, Thursday. The international and, compared to pre-covid times, restrained transcontinental travel behaviour of the fashion industry and the general changes in the market are also partly reflected at MUNICH FABRIC START – the fundamentally positive mood on the part of exhibitors and visitors at the trade show, which took place for the first time at an early July date, proved that the trade show location Munich is set for fabric sourcing.
After three days full of program, networking, inspiration and fashion business, the 52nd edition of the international trade show MUNICH FABRIC START came to an end yesterday, Thursday. The anniversary edition of the denim trade show BLUEZONE, which celebrated its 20th birthday this summer, the onestop sourcing platform THE SOURCE and the innovation hub KEYHOUSE closed their doors for this season on Wednesday evening after two days.
“MUNICH FABRIC START has once again proven itself to be the platform with the strengths it is known for: in a highly professional working environment, with reliable top quality of the international exhibitor portfolio and diverse opportunities for inspiration, information and networking, MUNICH FABRIC START as a one-stop destination offers almost everything needed to create collections bundled in one place. The fact that we are able to offer this qualitative continuity as a trade show in transformative times, in which much of the fashion business is being re-adjusted and put to the test, is honoured by our visitors, exhibitors and partners and confirms our conviction that MUNICH FABRIC START brings together the right people at the right place and on the right topics.”
Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director MUNICH FABRIC START Exhibitions GmbH
“After intensive discussions with a large number of relevant market participants, we decided to take a progressive step and reposition MUNICH FABRIC START in terms of the date. After three days of the show, we can state that all those for whom this early date is relevant have been here in Munich and have been able to do successful business. At the same time, we simply have to note that the days of crowds of visitors pushing their way through the exhibition halls are over and that success and quality are expressed differently today. The need for information and orientation is becoming more and more important: fully attended trend lectures and the large number of panels where future-relevant topics were discussed controversially show how important personal contact is for the industry. I would even go so far to say that the joy of meeting and exchanging ideas in person, working together on collections and inspiring each other or celebrating together is essential for releasing the creativity that is essential for fashion’s survival – and we definitely felt this joy during the past three days.”
Frank Junker, Creative Director der MUNICH FABRIC START Exhibitions GmbH
MUNICH FABRIC START is now looking forward to the near future with anticipation: first and foremost, reVIEW Autumn.Winter 24/25, which will celebrate its premiere at Motorworld on 13 and 14 September 2023 – and thus on the date previously reserved for MFS and BLUEZONE. With this new venue in Munich, it offers the industry, as usual, a late order date that is perfect for follow-ups and research into the latest market developments. As a new concept, reVIEW replaces the previous VIEW PREMIUM SELECTION and fits harmoniously and seamlessly into the trade show portfolio of Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH. It thus enables the still important September date as an essential time for quick orders, innovations and developments in the fashion industry.
“MUNICH FABRIC START is like visiting friends. It doesn’t feel like work at all. That’s how you
want a trade show to be.”
Pia Geisler, RND – Hugo Boss
“We are very very happy with the new date in July. I have been saying for a long time that the September date is too late and I am very happy about the postponement. The collections are now ready and there is no reason to wait any longer with the sales. Price, price, price – that’s THE topic we’re discussing with all our customers at the moment.”
Thomas Püttmann, Inhaber – Textilagentur Püttmann
“My quintessence: it’s early, but good. MUNICH FABRIC START provides continuity and constancy in the present time. That is simply nice. Everyone is here, you find each other. And yes, the date is early, but that suits me for slow fashion.”
Claudia Lanius, Geschäftsführerin – Lanius
Trends: what we will see in Autumn.Winter 24/25
Due to its much earlier summer date for the first time this year, MUNICH FABRIC START once again increased its relevance as a place for early trend research. The five exclusively developed, central aesthetic trends for the winter season 2024/2025 are united under the leitmotiv “each other” and were staged over a wide area in the foyers of the MOC: Highland Hybrids: a patchwork of nature, tradition and performance; Mystic Beings: the fantasy world of elves, heroes, monsters and robots; System Cringe: a movement that calls for action; Kinky Classics: provocatively extroverted with style and Past Forward, a retro-futuristic point of view. “In the past, entire worlds of colours and materials were excluded from the outset for women because they were not compatible with our outdated ideas of the beautiful and weak gender. And it is precisely these colours and materials that women are now conquering. For the first time in the history of fashion, women are now wearing the colours of concrete, anthracite charcoal and mud and materials like bacon saddle leather, stiff raw denim and scratchy tweed,” says Carl Tillessen, CEO of DMI, summarising the most striking shifts. The DMI Fashion Day, which took place the day before the show at the MOC, also celebrated a successful premiere, creating synergies for visitors and exhibitors alike.
“The most important trends for Autumn/Winter 24/25 are soft touches in different finishes and construction, 3D effects, cross-overs for newly interpreted jacquards, velvet effects and contrast doubles. The colors of the season are light beige and naturals, pastel green, dark green, cobalt and the full range of dark colors with a high importance of brown.”
Giancarlo Biancalani – Fabrica Tessuti
Edutainment – future-oriented and sustainable application scenarios
In addition to the extensive trend information for Autumn.Winter 2024/25, the show offered a diverse program of lectures with panel discussions, inspiring keynotes and lectures. Around 35 agenda items and over 50 speakers ensured a comprehensive edutainment experience. Future-oriented sustainable material developments – from research to the finished product – were discussed by Simon Angel, Sustainable Innovations Curator, with Nicole Espey from Biotexfuture, among others. VirtualKnitting, Mycotex, AlgaeTex, BioTurf, BioBase, CO2TEX and BioCoat are just some of the innovations that were presented and discussed. Everyone agreed that it is important that industry and research work closely together in a network to really make progress. Otherwise, research projects remain in research and do not make it to market – “the Death Valley of research” as Espey called it. The upcoming and partly already implemented legal regulations as well as their concrete effects on the entire fashion and textile industry took up a large part of the discussion. In three application-oriented sessions and discussion rounds, Rolf Heimann, Chairman & CEO of the Hessnatur Foundation, showed how and where companies can start in their supply chain to promote recyclable products and processes and how these can be integrated into corporate practice.
Kim van der Weerd, Intelligence Director of the Transformers Foundation, presented the new guide “An Apparel Supplier’s Guide to Key Sustainability Legislation in the EU, US and UK”, which was launched on Thursday. It presents twelve international regulations and their requirements that companies can expect in the coming years – with a clear focus on textile manufacturers. “It is a large number of regulations for suppliers to fulfill in the near future. My advice: look at it as a holistic business change. It will not only involve the sustainability teams, but also HR, sourcing and others”, Kim van der Weerd summarised the legislative changes coming to the industry at the panel accompanying her keynote with Danijela Cafuta (Lenzing AG), Rashid Iqbal (Naveena Denim NDL) and Ilishio Lovejoy (Simple Approach). During the panel “Newtopia – Reconstructing the Jeans of the Future from Scratch”, Panos Sofianos discussed the future of denim with Jordan Nodarse (Bossa), Romain Narcy (Ereks & Era Denim Group), Hamit Yenici (Hich Solutions), Christina Agtzidou (Tom Tailor Group) and Marco Lucietti (Sanko Holding ISKO Division):
“Bast in general is a good competitor to the good old cotton. I think bast has a great future. But I see it from a mainstream side as well – it is still very expensive and it’s difficult to implement. Mills should make it more approachable,” Christina Agtzidou brought up a rethink at fibre level. Marco Lucietti called for an even broader shift: “We have to shift the paradigm towards consumption. It’s not just about reduce and reuse. Now is the time of NOT using any new materials of virgin fibers. We have to close the loop and make recycled products accessible to the market.”
“We need to create more fashion that costs money. This is about the question: what value does fashion have for us? And what is it worth to us to buy a sustainable product? We all have to work towards a different way of thinking, so that we also pay for things according to their value again,” Karin Schmitz, Business Development Director Peclers Paris aptly summarised the status quo of the current discussions in the industry during her trend lecture.
ConneXXion – 20 years of BLUEZONE
BLUEZONE celebrated a special anniversary summer: in addition to 150 years of the jeans patent, 70 years of Orta and 50 years of the Ruedi Karrer Jeans Museum Zurich, the aim was to celebrate its own round birthday – 20 years of BLUEZONE – in a fitting manner. More than 100 denim and sportswear specialists transformed the completely booked Munich Zenith area into a blue hotspot and showed the relevant fabric developments for the coming autumn. The MUNICH FABRIC NIGHT on Tuesday evening provided a worthy setting for the birthday party – the DJ Crew Geschwister Schall heated up the party-hungry MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE guests in the open air with beats and bites.
Panels and talks with Women in Denim, Mohsin Sajid and The 5 Denim Senses of AMD Düsseldorf, additional installations such as the photo exhibition “The World’s best Denim Fades” by Bryan Szabo, founder of The Indigo Invitational, the exhibition by designer Ksenia Schnaider and a special presentation by “The Jeans Museum” Zurich, through which Ruedi Karrer himself gave guided tours, made the Zenith area much more than a place to order. Ten denim trends were presented in the BLUEZONE: Old Money, Cover Up, Special Operations, Starsystem, Generational Baggies, Nope Indigo, S-Art-orial, Unbleached Nature, Lowriders and Belts ‘n Buckles. Curator of the denim trends at BLUEZONE is Tilmann Wröbel, Creative Director & Founder Monsieur-T. Denim Lifestyle Studio. The closing words and at the same time key take-away of his trend presentation were: “We are not expected to sell only pants anymore.” This became more than clear in the ten trend themes, because denim is present in fashion everywhere and in every facet and style – from tops, blazers, jackets and suits and outdoor with jackets and coats to haute couture gowns.
“BLUEZONE was good. We had a lot of customers. Big brands like MAC, Adriano Goldschmied, Gardeur and Angels were there as well as smaller brands. There was a strong interest in our fabrics with brown and regenerated cotton as well as Renewcell.”
Müge Tunceren, Product Development Manager – Bossa
“We exhibit at MUNICH FABRIC START for a very long time already. This year, it is our first time in Hall 6, and we are very happy to be here, as the surroundings are fresh, spacious, and well-lit. As we are quite strong in the German market, we always schedule our appointments before the show and don’t expect random visitors. Many of the big German brands were here, and we’re pleased with how it went.“
Dr. Dilek Erik, Global Marketing Manager – Sharabati Denim
One-Stop-Innovation & One-Stop-Sourcing
At KEYHOUSE – the innovation and sustainability hub of MUNICH FABRIC START – everything once again revolved around technological and ecological progress. The Sustainable Innovations as a special presentation area for outstanding new developments on the borderline between start-up and scalability were once again one of the absolute visitor magnets of the show. The ReSource Area in Hall 2 of the MOC was also all about sustainability. The meta-platform for certified ecologically and socially produced fabrics and accessories has been showcasing the green solutions of the show’s exhibitors in one place for over ten years now, thus enabling visitors to engage in targeted sustainable sourcing.
“Right now, I think the industry is getting better as we are educating it. Acting sustainably at this moment means that we need the industry to do less bad. That’s all we’re asking for at the moment. And then we build on that progress. Within the next five years, the goal is to surpass this stage so that we no longer have to educate the industry and persuade it to become sustainable; instead, we need to ensure they are inherently sustainable from the beginning. This way, improvement won’t be an afterthought but rather a primary consideration right from the start.“
Muchaneta ten Napel, Founder & CEO –
Shape Innovate, CCI Taskforce for UN
“The mood in the market is good. The development of 3D production is a big topic in the industry – especially on the first day of the show we noticed this in the operation at our stand, which we were very satisfied with. On the second day it could have been a bit more crowded. The potential of 3D manufacturing is so great, even companies that were still sceptical a year ago now see the need for it,” says Fabian Grünwald, Key Account Manager at Assyst, pleased about the industry’s increasing openness to technology.
For the second time, the show-in-show THE SOURCE took place on 18 and 19 July as an integrated area of MUNICH FABRIC START and rounded off the MUNICH FABRIC START ecosystem in the direction of apparel manufacturing. Around 60 selected apparel manufacturers showed their product and service lines in Hall 8 of the Dampfdom in Motorworld and thus directly adjacent to the MOC and the Zenith area.
“I’m here for the first time. It’s good, with a nice environment. It is not packed, but I’m satisfied.”
Renee Chen – CW Fashion International Inc
“Overall, we draw a positive conclusion. We had less new contacts, but all important customers were here. In comparison to the other trade shows we visited within the last weeks this is the best event.”
Mohan Sundaram, General Manager – Compass Tex
Hard Facts & Figures
On a total of 42,500 square metres, MUNICH FABRIC START in Munich brought together the fashion and denim industry in eight areas – Additionals, Per4mance, ReSource, Fabrics, Design Studios, BLUEZONE, KEYHOUSE / Sustainable Innovations and THE SOURCE. Over 1,100 collections from around 900 international suppliers to the textile and apparel industry were presented by internationally renowned exhibitors such as Algaeing, Assyst, Cadica, Calik, CNC, Denim Authority, Isko, KBC, Kurabo, Liberty, Lisa, Naveena Denim, NDL, Orta, Royo, Saitex, Sharabati, Sorona, Takisade, Tessuti, WeNordic and Yünsa.
With a total of 10,800 visitors from 56 countries – most of them from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey as well as China, but also from Japan, New Zealand and the US – from relevant brands and retailers, including Adidas, Akris, Anna van Toor, Armedangels, Baldessarini, Betty Barclay, BMW, Brax, Calvin Klein, Calida, Cambio, Camel Active, Comma, Drykorn, Escada, Esprit, Gerry Weber, Holy Fashion Group, Hugo Boss, IB Company, Inditex, Katag, Lagerfeld, Living Crafts, Lodenfrey, Luisa Cerano, MAC Mode, Marc Cain, Marc O’Polo, Mey, More & More, Murkudis, Olsen, Olymp, Orsay, Otto, Oui, Peek & Cloppenburg, Puma, QVC, Riani, S. Oliver, Schumacher, Seidensticker, Strellson, Talbot Runhof, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Tailor and Uli Schneider among others, the number of visitors was slightly down overall in a competitive market environment.
Looking to the near future, MUNICH FABRIC START is now focusing on three important dates that have already been fixed: firstly, reVIEW Autumn.Winter 24/25 will take place for the first time at Motorworld on 13 and 14 September 2023 – and thus covers the previous time period of MFS and BLUEZONE – offering the industry a late ordering date in Munich as usual. Only ten weeks later, preVIEW will take place on 28 and 29 November 2023, offering a first opportunity to order the Spring/Summer collections for 2025. Finally, the industry will gather again for MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE from 23 to 25 January 2024.
FURTHER VOICES:
“MUNICH FABRIC START is indisputably important for us. We get an overview here and see what’s special. We actually always find what we are looking for. Specifically, we look for alternatives to cotton. But the show is always an important date for me to maintain long-standing contacts and exchange experiences.”
Marion Heinrich, Head of Purchasing Fabric – MAC
“The show was a super mix of interesting lectures and panels, talks with initiatives, with start-ups in the Innovation Area in KEYHOUSE and exhibitors at BLUEZONE and MUNICH FABRIC START. We just talked about it in the team: many of our problems have been solved because we have found the solutions for them in the past two days. In particular, we were interested in topics around sustainability and 3D fabrics.”
Sabine Franke, Fabric Specialist Fabric Management – Bon Prix
“80 years of Manteco – we are celebrating our anniversary year. We took this as an opportunity to look in our archive and to develop materials that unite the present, future and past – always under the aspect of sustainability, of course. Customers no longer just want to see new fabric developments from us as weavers, but also a story and a concept for it. Storytelling, sustainability and prices – these are the three main topics that everything is about.”
Emiliano Bertoli, Sales Manager – Manteco
“This is our first time at MUNICH FABRIC START and it is the right show for us. Everything is super organised, clear and we had VERY good conversations. Customers approach us specifically because they are looking for bamboo and there is also a great demand for products produced in Europe. From a leading children’s car seat manufacturer to suppliers of sailing clothing and medical products to young designers – the mix was very good and perfect for us as a start-up for high-performance fabrics.”
Sabine Bahner, Product Manager – Visbatex
“The mood here is always good. We like to come here every summer and winter – to sort fabrics, meet suppliers and find out about upcoming trends. It’s a pity that the Asian exhibitors aren’t represented as much anymore.”
Ivan Paglialunga, Senior Designer Tailoring – S. Oliver BLACK LABEL WOMEN
“For me, bio-based materials are the future. But it is also clear that we could not live in a world where products are only made of bio materials.”
Aniela Hoitink, Founder – MYCOTEX by NEFFA
