In a few days, the time has come: the international Fabric Trade Show MUNICH FABRIC START is in its starting blocks. From 18 to 20 July 2023, in addition to business and networking, there will be extensive trend information for Autumn.Winter 2024/25 including the most important material trends, innovations and technologies.
With an extensive event program, panel discussions, inspiring keynotes and exciting trend lectures, MFS promises not only a glimpse into the future of fabrics, but also a comprehensive edutainment experience. An overview of the program highlights.
From color and fabric trends to relevant innovations and the latest technologies: MUNICH FABRIC START will bring together the fashion and denim industry in Munich from 18 to 20 July 2023, on 42,500 square meters divided into eight areas and showcasing over 1,300 collections from around 900 international suppliers of the textile and apparel industry.
With a focus on trend research, sourcing, information and intensive exchange, the trade show expects over 14,000 visitors from 58 countries and accentuates Munich as the central meeting point for the European fashion industry. A special highlight of each season is the edutainment part, which is seamlessly integrated into the trade show and features top- class lectures, panel discussions, keynotes, inspirational talks and trend presentations.
“Only two more weeks to go until international experts, creative minds and visionaries from all over the world will come together. With our extensive lecture program and intensive exchange opportunities, we create an inspiring space for knowledge transfer and networking,“
says Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director of MUNICH FABRIC START about the upcoming events at MOC, KEYHOUSE, the BLUEZONE & THE SOURCE.
“We are looking forward to Munich once again transforming into one of the central hubs of the fashion industry. Together we will experience an unparalleled show that will drive the industry forward,“
says Frank Junker, Creative Director & Partner of MUNICH FABRIC START
Two days with around 35 items on the agenda, more than 50 speakers – this is what visitors can expect on the stages at the Trend Lectures in KEYHOUSE, Hall 5 & the Seminar Zone of BLUEZONE in Hall 7:
All about trends
The fact that MUNICH FABRIC START is an important source of inspiration for colour trends and material innovations is also reflected in the program. Muchaneta ten Napel, Founder & CEO Shape Innovate, CCI Taskforce for UN, will show which technological and aesthetic developments can be expected in the next few years in the Mini Lecture “The Textile Industry: What to Expect In The Next Five Years.”
A new era of textiles is on the horizon, with breakthrough technologies, changes in consumer behavior, even more digitalization, the use of innovative materials and the megatrend of sustainability, which is not losing its importance.
Karin Schmitz from the Trend Forecast Institute Peclers Paris also makes this clear in her trend presentation. The Women’s Fashion Trends for AW 24/25 revolve around the anchoring of sustainability and creativity and the related question of how the industry can meet the challenges of the time.
Because: changing values in dealing with gender identity, body ideals and responsibility for our planet are visible in all themes. Carola Seybold, Head of Global Key Accounts – PANTONE LLC/X Rite GmbH, will give a keynote speech on how colors can contribute to the emotional involvement of consumers.
Supply chain knowledge with the Hessnatur Foundation
The textile supply chain still faces very many environmental challenges: water pollution, high emissions, waste. In the Educational Session “Promoting the Circular Economy – in 6 Loops with Application Models in the Textile Supply Chain”, Rolf Heimann, Board Member & CEO of Hessnatur Foundation shows application-related possibilities how and where companies can start in their supply chain to promote circular products and processes.
The legal requirements for corporate due diligence and how these can be integrated into corporate practice and the supply chain will be answered by Maximiliane Tilch, Sustainability Consultant at Hessnatur Foundation, in the session “Supply Chain Screening – In 7 Steps to Successful Implementation of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG)”. Why the processes are so difficult in the first place will be discussed by Susanne Pass, Managing Director of DTB, Ralf Hellmann, Managing Partner at Dibella, Thomas Böschen, Managing Director of TEXAID Beteiligungsverwaltung Deutschland GmbH and Rolf Heimann in the panel “Hurdles of the Circular Economy – TAKE – MAKE – RECREATE”.
No future without innovation
Jasmien Wynants, Sustainable Fashion & Sustainability Manager at Xandres, Marco Mantellassi, Principal Chief Executive Officer at Manteco, Carl Tillessen, Trend Analyst at the Deutsches Mode Institut and Muchaneta ten Napel will discuss “Textiles 2023: Rethinking the Thread that Binds Us” in a panel about the multi-faceted nature of textiles in 2023, focusing on: the rise of fabric innovation, the importance of sustainability, the many complex challenges and opportunities related to textile waste and recycling, and the latest technological advances to highlight actionable steps toward a more sustainable textile industry.
Sustainable Innovations Curator Simon Angel and Nicole Espey of BiotexFuture will point out which material solutions of the future can add value to a sustainable and circular industry in their Key Conversation, “Future-oriented Sustainable Material Developments”. Creating new revenue streams, offering unique experiences and revolutionizing physical retail: the Open Connector platform offers various potentials for the fashion industry – which exactly, Frederik Timour, founder of the Fashion Innovation Center and Muchaneta ten Napel discuss in the workshop “Revolutionise or Perish: Exploring the Open Connector, A Potential Lifeline for the Textile Industry”.
The i-Mannequin project, implemented in the context of the RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE program in Greece, revolves around the future of 3D digital garment models. In the panel “Meet ‘i-mannequin’ – How digitization, rapid prototyping and parametrization of 3D garment models affect the garment industry”, Dr. Nikolaos Bilalis, professor at the Technical University of Crete, Dr. Evridiki Papachristou, Researcher at CERTH, Michael Kaseris, Ass. Professor at International Hellenic University, Eleni Samara, Account Director at Beetroot Design Team, Thanos Papadimitriou, Director at DIMIS GROUP and Panos Sofianos, Denim Curator at BLUEZONE talk about the research, design and further development of the potentials in 3D digital creation.
BLUEZONE
20 years of BLUEZONE are to be celebrated this summer – among other things with a full supporting program that revolves around the blue planet denim. Tilmann Wröbel will give a deep dive into the various BLUEZONE denim trends from Generational Baggys to Nope Indigo to Unbleached Nature.
Ruedi Karrer, whose Jeans Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will present an insight into “50 Fades of Ruedi” in a Denim Talk.
In the panel discussion organized by the Transformers Foundation, Danijela Cafuta, Sustainability Manager at Lenzing AG, Rashid Iqbal, Executive Director at Naveena Denim NDL, Ilishio Lovejoy, ESG General Manager at Simple Approach, and Kim van der Weerd, Intelligence Director at the Transformers Foundation, will present “A supplier’s guide to key sustainability legislation in the EU, US and UK”. Advances in the supply chain also play a key role in denim: what meaningful decarbonization opportunities look like to advance the denim supply chain will also be discussed by Kim van der Weerd and Maria Cristina Pavarini, Senior Editor of The Spin Off in the panel
“Decarbonizing Denim: The Denim Supply Chain Speaks Up.” Why traceability is key to realistically achieving sustainability and how Europe’s responsible cotton farming and fiber recycling could help the industry become faster and greener, explain Piero Turk, Chief Designer at Envelope srl, Jordan Nodarse, Denim Designer at Bossa, Mohsin Sajid, Creative Director at ENDRIME, Romain Narcy, Partner Strategy and Innovation at EREKS and Denim Curator Panos Sofianos in the Innovation Talk “NEWTOPIA – Reconstructing The Jeans of the Future From Scratch”.
The event program at MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE offers multiple interfaces between Denim, Sourcing and the Fashion World. On the day before MFS, July 17, 2023, the DMI Fashion Day will also take place at MOC. The entire lecture program is currently updated daily on the MUNICH FABRIC START website.
Last but not least – let’s get the party started: the MUNICH FABRIC NIGHT will take place on 18 July 2023 from 6.30pm in front of the Motorworld at the Zenith Area, opposite the MOC feat. Jon Basel | DJ Crew Geschwister Schall. You are warmly invited!
