The international fabric trade show remains a set date in the trade fair calendar. The positive, motivated and ambitious mood of the trade show with inspiring new products, innovative contents and future-oriented themes has also been transferred to the industry: More than ever, especially in addition to intensive discussions, especially about raw material and energy prices, buyers, product managers and designers in Munich showed a desire for something new.

With its 50th edition from last Tuesday, 30 August to Thursday, 1 September, Munich Fabric Start has confirmed its role as one of the most important European fabric shows and leading business platforms for the fashion and denim industry.

With this anniversary, Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH not only celebrated the comeback of Munich Fabric Start and the international denim trade show Bluezone after the formats of the past seasons had been adapted for Covid reasons, but also its growth with the biggest event in its history. In total, the approximately 900 exhibitors from 40 countries showed around 1,500 collections on a total exhibition area of 45,000 square metres; around 2,500 square metres more than at the last pre-Covid edition in September 2019.

Within the general trend in the trade show and event sector, Munich Fabric Start also re¬corded a corresponding decline in the number of visitors compared to pre-Covid times. With 14,200 visitors, the number was down, which was to be expected considering the continuing travel restrictions and reservations, especially transcontinental, as well as the structural changes to be observed in the fashion industry.

Nevertheless, the quality of the buyers, designers and product managers present was convincing, which was also confirmed by the exhibitors. Mostly companies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland came to Munich, including Adidas, ArmedAngels, Baldessarini, BMW, C&A, Cinque, Comma, Drykorn, Ecoalf, Hallhuber, the Holy Fashion Group, Hugo Boss, Lagerfeld, Laurèl, Mac, Marc Cain, Marc O‘Polo, Nike, Peek & Cloppenburg, Riani, s.Oliver, Schumacher, Strellson, Vaude, Windsor or Zalando.

The Netherlands remained an important visitor group with companies such as Calvin Klein, Claudia Sträter, Expresso Fashion and Scotch & Soda. Also strongly represented with their teams were the Scandinavian region with visitors such as Selected / Homme and the Bestseller Group as well as brands from France and Italy, including Calzedonia, Diesel, Giorgio Armani or Lacoste.

„Uniquely, not different“

At both Munich Fabric Start in the MOC and Bluezone, the organisers further expanded their successful show-in-show concept: In the Design Studios in the light-flooded Atrium 3, 60 leading international fabric designers, print and pattern developers came together; Keyhouse and Catalyser brought together technological, sustainable and aesthetic innovation drivers at the intersection of fashion and denim; the completely new format “The Source“ was fully booked at its premiere with around 65 exhibitors and provided answers to the increasing demand for manufacturing and nearshoring in the newly opened Hall 8 directly opposite the MOC.

Price discussions versus desire for something new

In Germany, Europe‘s most price-sensitive market, almost every discussion at the show was about finding approaches to maintaining price points on the one hand and not sacrificing quality on the other – a balancing act in times of rising energy prices. "In fact, I have to say that our discussions are not so much about trends and innovation – even though we receive a lot of encouragement there, of course – the main topic is the price. This is also reflected in the fact that customers are increasing their direct cooperation with us suppliers. They gratefully take advantage of any support and look to us for one thing above all: solutions to current challenges," says Barbara Hoechel, Managing Director, Balli.

Visitors encountered innovations in all areas of Munich Fabric Start and across all steps of the value chain. Many innovative raw materials were on show that are either recycled, recyclable or biodegradable – for example from Wastea, Piñatex and Incalpaca. Processes are also becoming more innovative: the many examples of highly efficient innovations to be discovered ranged from waterless dyeing to oxygen-based finishing to AI-driven processes – as seen at Muze, Wiser and Tejidos Royos. In addition, fully digital dressing and design options played an increasingly important role. "The physical and digital worlds are increasingly merging, also in the fashion sector. The virtual space is unleashing unimagined power. We truly believe that the digital future is limitless," comments Sedef Uncu Aki, Managing Director of Orta, on the perspectives opening up in the virtual space.

Omnipresent: Sustainability

One topic at almost every stand was sustainability: "We had two super days. We had 55 customers at the stand, 40 of them good existing customers from Hugo Boss to Walbusch to Trachten. Clearly, everything to do with sustainability is in demand. Now even those who have always laughed about the topic are coming“, confirms Gerhard Leitner, Managing Director, Getzner Textil.

In the dedicated presentation area Sustainable Innovations, curated by Simon Angel, visitors were able to discover 6 particularly thought-provoking and inspiring innovations in Keyhouse: from Biotic – fabrics grown from micro-organisms – by Studio Lionne van Deursen to a leather alternative made from flower waste by the project Flower Matter by Irene Purasachit and wearable muscles by Soft-Robotics.

In addition, the Lecture Centre of the Trend Seminars attracted many listeners to Keyhouse. The panel discussion on "Energy, the silent but huge raw material and key resource in denim” with Alberto Candiani, President of Candiani Denim, Talha Khan, Executive Director of the Pakistan Environmental Trust, Johannes Stefan, Commercial Director Europe, Americas, Turkey/ Africa/CIS at Lenzing Group as well as Yucel Bayram, Sales & Marketing Director Kipas Holding and moderated by Andrew Olah, Founder Transformers Foundation, attracted special attention.