The international fabric trade show MUNICH FABRIC START came to a close. Together with THE SOURCE, BLUEZONE, and KEYHOUSE, it remains one of the most important fabric shows for the European fashion industry. In a challenging market environment, the organizers once again succeeded in bringing together key decision-makers and leading industry experts in Munich on January 21 and 22, 2025. 625 international exhibitors presented around 1,200 collections, showcasing the latest fabric trends and material innovations from the leading suppliers of fabrics and trims for SPRING.SUMMER 26.
MUNICH FABRIC START & THE SOURCE: “Highly Professional Research“
FLORESCENCE: The seasonal key theme of MUNICH FABRIC START describes the phase in which plants reach their full bloom and is used as a general metaphor for the process of blossoming. It can refer to new ideas, the unfolding of creativity, or even one’s own personality.
FLORESCENCE is divided into five trend themes: Betterverse, Unorthodox, Inventing Paradise, Fragile, and Lasting, which Volker Orthmann and Katharina Majorek as o/m collective and part of the MUNICH FABRIC START trend team, have described in their trend forecast for SPRING.SUMMER 2026 as follows:
“The new trends address the courage for innovation while simultaneously celebrating the fascination with timeless beauty. They explore how artificial intelligence and new technologies can influence and improve our relationship with the body, nature, and fashion. At the same time, the associated impact on information and consumer behaviour is questioned and confronted with a critical attitude and individuality. The contrast between strength and fragility, romance and modernity forms another key focus, reflecting current moods and translating them into fashion aspects. The final concept emphasizes classic elements, which, through new interpretations, cleverly link the future and the past.”
“Two action-packed days of the trade show have come to an end, and we draw a cautiously positive conclusion. We received good feedback from both visitors and exhibitors: we are focusing on the right topics and, with our various show-in-show concepts, bringing together the key players to develop new market strategies and drive forward innovation topics.“
Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director MUNICH FABRIC START
“The market is ambivalent. There is a desire for something new, but not everyone is willing to take risks. With strong leading themes like FLORESCENCE, THE CORE, and TECHKNOWLEDGE, we aim to break through this hesitation, provide a pool of inspiration, and create impulses that encourage bold decisions.”
Frank Junker, Creative Director & Partner MUNICH FABRIC START
Ambivalent market: security mindset versus desire for new ideas
In a price-sensitive, cautious environment, consumer behaviour resembles a careful blossoming: “Customers know exactly what they want—at what price and for which product. They are conducting highly professional research. Over the two days, they have a tight schedule, leaving little time to look around. Customers are focused on safety,” summarizes Oliver Schnitzler, Founder & CEO of LOOMSEVEN agency, with collections like Almodo, Eusebio, Pontetorto, SMI, and Tessilgodi, reflecting the current situation. Everything that is easy to understand and not too extravagant works, which is also confirmed by Michael Berner, CEO of Berner and Sohn & Fabric House agency, with collections like Altinyildiz, Arché, Infinity, Lanificio Fratelli Balli, and Pontoglio: “It’s moving away from plains and becoming more decorative again. Linen blends set the tone. Jerseys are also in demand for Summer 2026, but only if they are special. Customers are uncertain about prints: What is a modern pattern? Muted, washed-out, and delicate designs are currently doing well with us. The market is very tense and extremely price-sensitive. Therefore, one has to create attractive offers.”
“We particularly liked the innovative fancy items with embroidery, eyelet embroidery and voile as well as shimmering effects on plain fabrics. Light, flowing, feminine fabrics in powder shades will also be important for summer,” says Annette Schrewe, Head of Design at Betty Barclay. Fancies were also the first step for Drykorn: “We started with the Fancies. I can already say something about that: we looked for modern florals and natures as well as graphic designs and have already found them. We have seen interesting new ideas. This is very important to us,” summarizes Angela Kunst, Head of Product and Design.
BLUEZONE: Love & Attention
The next evolution of denim: At BLUEZONE in the Zenith Area, around 70 international denim mills presented their latest developments for denim and sportswear. The key theme THE CORE focuses on trends such as Collab Now, Deconstruct & Reconstruct, Phat Flavour, Green Minimalists, and Second Hand Trends. We will delve into the fusion of tradition and technology of denim creativity and innovation. Here, a new energy of sustainability, fabric innovations, industry trends, insights into the ever-evolving denim market, and cutting-edge processes arise to shape denim’s next evolution techniques. “We live in an abundance market, which means, conversely, we must be braver than ever, instead of freezing in fear. Brands need to be desirable. They must evoke love. It’s all about love & attention. Creating Lovemarks is not just a task for brands, but for all players along the value chain,” said Tilmann Wröbel, BLUEZONE trend researcher and owner of Monsieur-T Denim Lifestyle Studio. Collaborations like ISKO x bluesign, Evlox x Lamosa, Lycra x C&A, and Sharabati x Sashiko Denim are just some of the many ways to evoke emotions. This focus on emotion was also emphasized by Hans-Peter Hiemer: “Technologies need emotion,” stressed the Style3D/Assyst CEO in his presentation. 3D and AI are the solution to translating ideas into consumer needs within a digital product cycle from design to distribution.
Join in, try out, inspire. This is what a successful collaboration looks like, and how to engage people, as demonstrated by the Denim Masterclasses of ENDRIME® X BROTHER X ISKO™ X COATS, led by denim designer and lecturer Mohsin Sajid, whose workshops were very well received.
When it comes to awakening and stirring emotions, David Shah is the one to do it. In his keynote “Quantum Fashion” about the philosophy of design, the trend forecaster and publisher created a bridge between political and economic constraints, rich and poor, old and young, as well as cultural clashes, design accidents, and highlights. He also misses the feel-good factor of fashion and warns against quantum fashion, which only speeds up the cycle even further. Innovations outpace themselves. Perhaps we should look more to the past than the future. Exnovation instead of innovation? Shah provided the fascinated audience with many thought-provoking insights.
Activator KEYHOUSE
“Good in talking, not in doing“, was David Shah’s harsh criticism of everything related to sustainability. And many market participants share this view. This makes what happened at KEYHOUSE all the more exciting: mass-market meets startups and innovators. Integrated into BLUEZONE, KEYHOUSE was not only a focal point but also an activator. Over the course of two days, exactly the right people came together here: large fashion brands with high volumes were engaged in intensive conversations with pioneers and innovators. How can textile-to-textile recycling become scalable for the mass market? Which sustainable material developments, processes, and techniques provide new alternatives? Which new technologies bring not only efficiency but also emotion? These were some of the central questions that exhibitors and visitors addressed, not only during the lectures but also at the exhibition stands.
“BLUEZONE and KEYHOUSE together in one hall is the perfect match. The synergies are amazing. From the core of BLUEZONE, the sustainable innovations spread out into the industry. We are the pearl with BLUEZONE as its shell, at the heart of the industry,” summarizes Simon Angel, the curator of the forum.
“As a denim designer, I visit BLUEZONE to look for the latest trends, fabrics, materials, and innovations. The trend areas are fantastic because they showcase how innovations like laser treatments, washes, and styles can be implemented. We always attend BLUEZONE, as the trade show is also important for networking.”
Anna Weber, Designerin Denim & Flats, Luisa Cerano (Visitor)
“We have fixed appointments with ISKO and Bossa – everything else we do spontaneously. The Kesselhaus has always been nice. Now that all the companies are gathered in one hall, it feels like there’s more going on.”
Sabine Schweneker, Design HAKA, MAC (Visitor)
“The KEYHOUSE is the best. It’s great for the customers to get inspired and see lots of examples. We are doing our best to promote textile to textile recycling and encourage brands to get ready. The big players need to get more familiar and need to think in a bigger picture. We need to get beyond capsule collections to drive the infrastructure forward.“
Hélène Smits, Head of Business Development & Partnerships, LOOPER Textile Co. (Exhibitor)
Over the course of the two days, more than 50 high-profile trend forecasters, pioneers, and well-known industry experts discussed the central topics of the industry in around 50 talks and panels across three stages. The comprehensive trade show programme was rounded off by the MUNIQUE NIGHT. Approximately 1,200 guests ended the first day of the show with drinks, snacks, networking, and music.
After two days of the trade show, the textile exhibition closed with a 4% increase in visitors compared to the last MUNICH FABRIC START. Among the brands present on-site were designers, product managers, and buyers from adidas, Aigner, A Kind of Guise, Akris, Alberto, Alpha Jeans, Angels, Anna van Toor, Armedangels, Atelier Gardeur, Baldessarini, BASF, Best Secret, Betty Barclay, Black Palms The Label, Brax, BMW, Bogner, Bugatti, Burda, C&A, Calida, Calzedonia, Carhartt, Cecil, Ceres, Cinque, Comma, Coop, Digel, Drykorn, Escada, Gerry Weber, HEAD Sport, Herrlicher, Hessnatur, Holy Fashion Group, HSE, Hugo Boss, IB Company, Joop!, Lagerfeld, Lanius, Lodenfrey, Luisa Cerano, MAC, Marc Aurel, Marc Cain, Marc O’Polo, Mey, More&More, Olymp, Oui, Pangaia, Peek & Cloppenburg, Prada, Riani, s.Oliver, Schoeller, Schumacher, Seidensticker. The visitors came from 58 countries, with the majority located in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as Italy, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, the UK, and Portugal.
MORE QUOTES FROM VISITORS:
“For our collection, we are specifically looking for new denims at BLUEZONE and have found some great innovations. At MUNICH FABRIC START, we were inspired by prints for new basic items and jacquards to elevate our standards.”
Andrea Sefl, Product Management Womenswear, Atelier Gardeur
“We’re looking for things that are innovative and will move us forward fashion-wise. The trade show here in Munich is one of the most important denim platforms for us. Here, we get a great cross-section of exhibitors we work with. MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE are important trade shows and a strong local institution.”
Michael Seiter, Head of Denim, Holy Fashion Group
“We were particularly impressed by the innovative fancy items with embroidery, eyelet stitching, voile, and shimmering effects on solids. For the summer, light, flowing, feminine qualities in powder tones will be important. We also really like vibrant royal blue. The colour worlds in the trend forums at MUNICH FABRIC START were really well executed. However, the prints are still not quite right for us. What we’ve seen so far was too light, too romantic, too playful, or childish. We need them to be clearer and more easily understandable.”
Annette Schrewe, Head of Design, Betty Barclay
“For Spring/Summer ’26, we are focusing on muted pastels and neutral tones. We are looking for new blends of viscose-Tencel-linen or viscose-linen. Many high-quality collections are not even available yet. The trade show scene is shifting more and more to Milan, which is unfortunate for us. In terms of timing in collection development, we are so early that we don’t even have the chance to go to Milan.”
Birgit Kastner, Head of Design, Marc O‘Polo
MORE QUOTES FROM EXHIBITORS:
„All natural fibres like cotton-linen with viscose work really well. For the German market, with stretch – because they are still doing tight trousers. In this case it’s cotton-linen-nylon mixes. New and innovative are shiny laminées or lurex prints on linen. We had two successful days with clients like Hugo Boss, Windsor, Cambio, Luisa Cerano, Riani, Brax, MAC and Baldessarini, just to name a few.”
Simone Bellucci, CEO, Bellucci
“Our customers value our product because it‘s from Europe. They are especially looking for organic and recycled qualities in cotton and polyester. We launched a new Beachwear and Sportswear collection. In these times, it is important to be able to offer the right qualities in combination with stock and service.”
Marc Puigderrajols Bassols, Sales Team, Tejidos Rebés
“How can materials be returned to the cycle, and how can they remain in the cycle? These are the central questions that many still lack answers to. With our rings, sliders, hooks, and buckles, we offer a solution. They are made from a sustainable bio-based material that is both compostable and recyclable. Despite this, the products are extremely durable and washable. Our modular, repairable buckles in neon yellow are a big hit, as well as our lingerie series.”
Sarah Jankowsky, COO & Co-Founder, Valupa
“We are pleased because important customers like Marc Cain, Gardeur, Peter Hahn, and the workwear provider S-Gard attended. However, it has been rather quite overall. Particularly in demand for SS 26 are silicone labels in neon pink and orange, neoprene emblems with embossing, and grosgrain straps with silicone lettering, preferably in a turquoise/blue palette.“
Heike Taubeneck, Sales Representative, Bornemann-Etiketten
“We offer a huge assortment, so picking out individual trends isn’t easy. If I have to choose, I’d highlight these three: tie-dye, purple as a strong trend color, and large-scale patterns. The first day of the trade show went very well, while the second was quieter. Overall, we’re satisfied. However, we would prefer if the trade show continued to run over three days.“
Dennis van Os, Sales Representative, Nooteboom Textiles
“The trends are diverse: Calm Minimals in shades of blue with a Riviera vibe – small-scale and easy to interpret – are a big hit. At the same time, oversized, colorful, arty prints with lots of yellow are in high demand. Stripes remain a key trend, now with a hand-painted, retro flair. We’re also showcasing animal prints in bold contrast colors as well as boho and
cowboy-inspired designs. There’s a lot of talk about florals, but the question is, which flower? Orchids? Abstract, brushed flowers with textured backgrounds? Multicolored or two-toned? Opinions on this vary quite a bit.”
Elisa Ostländer, Designerin / Inhaberin, Lica Design Studio
“Printed florals in great variety – that’s what Liberty is known for like no other. There isn’t a clear trend, but our theme ‘Floral Rebellion,’ featuring abstract floral prints from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, is gaining traction. These work best in bold colors, but also in more understated tones. Stripes remain important as well. All of our key customers were here, especially the classic shirt providers like Seidensticker and Olymp, as well as Drykorn.”
Mats Buschjost, Junior Sales Manager, Fashion & Friends für Liberty
“We launched our new project ‘Manifattura Italia – where else’ here. This season was primarily about showcasing the collection for the first time, understanding what customers need, and assessing the project’s potential in the German market. Germany remains very price-sensitive, and customers are cautious when it comes to trying something new. The concept is solid, and the German market is tough – which is exactly why we wanted to kick things off together with MUNICH FABRIC START.”
Luca Balugani, Owner, Bureau 31 für Manifattura Italia – where else
“The market is very tense and extremely price-sensitive, so you need to create tailored offers. For instance, we’ve included the Turkish manufacturer Palmiye for the third season now – highly innovative and super successful. We are incredibly satisfied with MUNICH FABRIC START – I can honestly say that everyone was here.”
Michael Berner, CEO, Agentur Berner und Sohn & Fabric House
THE NEXT TRADE SHOW DATES FOR AUTUMN.WINTER 26/27
MUNICH FABRIC START, BLUEZONE, KEYHOUSE & THE SOURCE
02 + 03 SEPTMEBR 2025
MOC & Zenith Area Munich
Discover more industry-changing innovations at our upcoming trade shows:
Additionals Trends Spring.Summer 26 – Part 8
20. January 2025
Trims and packaging are branding items we shouldn’t take for granted – they are a signature that transforms the ordinary into the unforgettable.
SPRING.SUMMER 26 FABRIC HIGHLIGHTS & MATERIAL NOVELTIES – PART V
19. January 2025
Their philosophy,“Drawing art with threads, conveying emotions through embroidery,” ensures every product is not just visually stunning but also deeply meaningful.
The Source Collection’s News at MUNICH FABRIC START
19. January 2025
Neutral sand mélange and off-white jacquards set a sophisticated tone, while soft yarn jersey pieces bring effortless comfort.
Additionals Trends Spring.Summer 26 – Part 7
18. January 2025
Whether haptic or visual - it's all about contrasts, which in combination provide impulses and demand new ways of thinking. Perfect for brands that want to make bold statements!
Kantamanto Social Club
17. January 2025
The mission of Kantamanto Social Club is clear: to empower communities in the Global South. It aims to shine a spotlight on communities, particularly those whose circular and regenerative practices have been undervalued for too long.
Curiosity, Courage and Craftmanship
17. January 2025
The projects I selected this season challenge us to rethink everything from raw materials to end products and production processes, whilst emphasising on sustainability as an ongoing dialogue.
Cartoon – Fashion for courage, joie de vivre and self-realisation
16. January 2025
Welcome to Cartoon - your invitation to a life full of courage, joie de vivre and self-realisation!
The Source Collection’s News: EAST
16. January 2025
Fashion is not only about following trends, but also about expressing your creativity and personality.
KEYHOUSE NEWS – PaperTale
15. January 2025
Whether you’re exploring product traceability, seeking to streamline compliance, or driving sustainability, PaperTale provides the tools to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.
Additionals Trends Spring.Summer 26 – Part 6
15. January 2025
From timeless luxury to durable workwear solutions, each collection reflects their commitment to responsible sourcing and innovative design.