#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2019-03-14

Premiere Vision Paris has been a high-performing edition

By welcoming 53,156 visitors from 127 countries at its latest edition, Premi?re Vision Paris illustrated the strength of its leadership and influence on the global creative fashion industry. It's 70%-international visitorship - still unsurpassed in the sector - is particularly notable for its high quality, demonstrating the show's robustness in the face of strong political and economic uncertainties in world markets.

This impressive performance was nonetheless marked by a slight decline in visitor numbers (-2.3% vs. February 2018), a direct consequence of the market's jitteriness in light of the impending exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union. British fashion brands and buyers are playing it safe as Brexit edges closer, solidifying fears and slowing down decision-making. This is evidenced by a significant 16% decline in British visitors, which alone accounts for two-thirds of the decline in attendance at the show.

A hub of inspiration, business and experiences, Première Vision fully fulfilled its role as catalyst for the creative fashion sector throughout the three-day show, with, among other successes:

A selective, transversal offer up by 3.3% vs. Feb. 2018, presented by 1,782 exhibitors.
Highly acclaimed fashion information for spring summer 20. Developed by the Première Vision fashion team, the fashion forums along with the Trend Tasting seminars were all very well attended.
An enthusiastic response to the Première Vision Marketplace, now being adopted by industry professionals as a complementary tool to enhance their sales development and communications. The physical implementation of the Marketplace deployed at the show was a resounding success. Buyers from major international brands and exhibitors clearly expressed their excitement. Launched last September with the weavers' collections, the digital platform integrated tanners in February. Denim-makers will go online next May, followed by accessories and components manufacturers in September 2019.
The success of the Wearable Lab as a true hotspot for meetings was confirmed by a 3rd edition with non-stop attendance. With start-ups, innovative materials, embedded technologies, a forward-looking exhibition, expert conferences and more, the space dedicated to Fashion Tech was steadily busy, confirming that technological innovation is central to the sector's priorities.

70% INTERNATIONALVISITORS

This edition, 53,156 visitors from 127 countries came to Première Vision Paris to discover the latest innovations in materials - yarns, fibres, fabrics, leathers, textile designs, accessories - and manufacturing solutions tailored to the development of their spring-summer 20 collection.

This premium visitorship, above all 70% international, is also diverse. This is true in terms of their size - ranging from independent designers to international groups, including small and medium-sized companies - as well as their positioning - luxury houses, medium and high-end fashion and accessories brands, mass retailers - and markets - clothing, leather goods, shoes, fashion jewellery, and more.

Beyond the usual and natural fluctuations in international visitor contingents, the decline in attendance from the United Kingdom appears to be a sign of market distrust in face of the impending challenges related to Brexit.

The Top 5 visiting countries remain unchanged in comparison with February 2018. China enters the top 10 in 9th place, Belgium moves from 10th to 8th place, and Japan moves down a place, dropping to 10th place in the ranking.

Visitors to Première Vision Paris are primarily European - 76% of attendees.

France leads with nearly 16,000 visitors. French visitorship saw a slight increase (+1%), and held steady despite a still fragile internal economic environment. This demonstrates the indispensable nature of the show for French brands, which are among the most important in the sector.-

In second place, Italy had 5,985 visitors (11% of attendees), followed by the United Kingdom which, with 4,466 visitors (8% of attendees), maintains its 3rd position despite a significant decline in its visitor base (-16%), due to uncertainty over Brexit.

This trio is followed by Spain (3,215 visitors), Germany (1,828 visitors, 3% of the total), and Belgium (1,478 visitors).

9.5% of professional visitors came from Asia.

Visitors from Asia rose by +8%, buoyed by China which enters 9th place in the top 10 with 1,451 visitors. Next comes Japan, a leading buyer of fashion and creative textiles, with 1,421 attendees, and South Korea, a market for innovative and creative fashion, with 883 visitors. -

With over 1 996 visiteurs, North America registered a rise in its attendance.

The United States, the leading country in North America, posted a +6% increase in visitors, with 1,695 attendees, followed by Canada and its stable 300-person visitorship.-

Turkey maintained its position as the 5th ranked visitor-country.

With 2,689 visitors, this key country in the sector saw a 6% drop in attendance, directly tied to the country's economic and political instability.

UPCOMING PREMIÈRE VISION SHOWS AROUND THE WORLD

Première Vision Istanbul, Istanbul Congress Center, March 20-22, 2019
Made in France, Carreau du Temple Paris, April 3-4, 2019
Première Vision Designs, New York, Metropolitan Pavilion, April 9-10, 2019
Denim Première Vision, Superstudio Più Milan, May 28-29, 2019
Blossom Première Vision, Carreau du Temple Paris, July 2-4, 2019
Première Vision New York, Pier 94, July 16-17, 2019
Première Vision Sport, Oregon Convention Center Portland, USA, August 14-15, 2019
Première Vision Paris, Paris Nord Villepinte, September 17-19, 2019

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.