New date, new venue, new offer... The Texworld Evolution Paris trade fairs, held from 3 to 5 July in Hall 1 of the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles, ended on a very positive note. Bringing together more than 1,350 exhibitors from 27 countries, the show was hailed for the breadth of its offering, confirming its position as the largest event in the textile and clothing market. The association with Curve Paris and Interfilière Paris, lingerie products and accessories fairs (Hall 5, 2-4 July), has offered buyers an unprecedentedly broad fashion platform in the heart of the French capital.

A renewed visitor experience

This edition, "more Parisian than ever" - also marked Texworld's 25th anniversary - was also noted for its renewed design and the quality of the experience offered to visitors: a new T- Club space redesigned to encourage business exchanges, a revamped scenography at the entrance to the show and in other areas such as the Trend Forum or the Agora, and a concierge service were all praised by visitors and exhibitors alike.

In terms of visitor attendance, the breakdown by country of the 6,800 visits counted over 3 days (including 200 from Interfilière) reflects, once again this year, the anchoring areas of European distribution: France leads the way (18% of visits) ahead of Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Germany. In terms of product offerings, this highly international edition confirmed the major balances between the Asian sourcing zones - as demonstrated by the strong Chinese presence, just 6 months after the reopening of the country, as well as Korean and Taiwanese - Indian and Mediterranean, with, once again this year, a highly visible Turkish offering.

Most of the buyers questioned welcomed the decision to locate the show downtown Paris, which simplified access to a show that was particularly eagerly awaited: in this period of inflation, collection managers tend to redirect their long-term sourcing strategy towards Asia or the Mediterranean region for restocking. Texworld is unique in terms of what it has to offer," says one of the three Spanish buyers from a distribution group who came to Paris together. In two days, we can build 70 to 80% of our collections, by mixing fabric choices for creations that will be made in Spain or Portugal, but also finished products, which we will have made in Indonesia according to our specifications".

"Year zero" for Texworld Evolution Paris

This session reveals the changes taking place in a global market that is reorganising itself, and for which the offering must be adapted. “The fashion world is increasingly challenged, with consumers - and therefore buyers - becoming more demanding in terms of price, quality and durability, explains Frédéric Bougeard, President of Messe Frankfurt France. We have to do more to attract our visitors and meet their expectations. That's why we've decided to renew our offer, in a new venue with new services, to 'whet the appetite' and make the visit more efficient. Eventually, we'll certainly have to go one step further, and offer our buyers a sharper selection of manufacturers. We are working on this with our partners, and it will be visible at the next edition, from 5 to 7 February in Hall 7 at Porte de Versailles", specifies Frédéric Bougeard.

Sustainability, an increasingly visible challenge

A growing number of supplier countries present at the show are incorporating sustainability as a central element of their approach, and are moving fast on this issue. This key topic has been highlighted in the aisles by the sustainable sourcing itinerary, which enables visitors to easily identify several hundred certified companies. This year, a number of Pakistani and Taiwanese manufacturers have joined forces to promote these aspects with a highly specialised range of products, such as that of Pakistani company Cresent Bahüman Ltd – present on the Sustainable Pakistan pavilion – which recycles the indigo waste generated by its dyeing processes to dye jeans and T-shirts sold by Pull& Bear (Inditex). Also worth noting: Wynist Retail Solutions, one of the 6 companies in the Taiwan Eco-Textiles Collective pavilion, has developed an upcycling process that produces shop displays (found at Uniqlo and Lululemon) from fabric scraps and used clothing.