The Munich Fabric Start with Bluezone, Keyhouse and individual showcases presented by around 1,000 international suppliers of fabrics and additionals successfully introduced the Spring.Summer 21 season from February 4-6 in Munich. Approximately 18,400 international trade visitors were offered a broad spectrum of collections with innovative product and trend statements.
For the first time, the Munich Fabric Start closed with a slightly declining number of visitors, due to the worrying news about the rapidly spreading corona virus in China and because of the overlapping trade fair days with Milano Unica. Nevertheless, the three days of the fair were fully used in a professional business atmosphere. The number of visitors could be kept at a high level despite the difficult general conditions resulting in Munich Fabric Start to close with a minus of 7 per cent compared to the previous year for the very first time.
“The Munich Fabric Start has shown very clearly that this fair format is convincing as a strong industry platform in times of changes and major challenges. Thanks to the professionalism and sovereignty of all those involved, the necessary responsibility to approach the reorientation of the market constructively and in a solution-oriented manner has been created. We have experienced this willingness in numerous discussions with exhibitors and visitors during the three intensively used days of the fair. We therefore feel confirmed in our current and future orientation,” said Sebastian Klinder, managing director Munich Fabric Start.
“We enjoy the relaxed atmosphere here in Munich. All the important suppliers are on-site, so we can work excellently. The main topic is of course sustainability and the correspondingly wide range of natural materials such as linen as one of the favourites for summer 21. There are also very innovative jerseys, bondings and neoprene knittings as new and exciting materials,” said the design team of Boss Women.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Munich Fabric Start. The Bluezone and Keyhouse, in particular, were eye-opening for me and I was very impressed at the number of suppliers working with innovative new technologies and methods to produce in more sustainable ways. It was a great showcase of sustainable innovation and it was very inspirational to speak with so many experts on such a key topic. I left both motivated and educated, with a lot to share back into my work,” said Theresa Austin, advisor Akojo Market, co-founder Paris UIUX, LVMH Group Digital.
The guiding theme ‘Thrivability’ met the current mood of the industry, in which future-oriented entrepreneurial spirit meets enthusiasm and a changing understanding of values.
In Munich, it became very clear that the era of sustainability is currently determining all talks and discussions in the textile industry. The tenor seems unanimous: The industry is on the right track and now it is time to take responsibility, turn information into action and create transparency.
“The largest portfolio of sustainable products is on display here in Munich. Such a broad spectrum in this density cannot be found anywhere else. All major suppliers are on-site. In addition, there is an excellently staffed accompanying program of panels and discussion rounds. The acceptance of sustainable topics is increasing all the time, which is a very positive development overall. This is also reflected in the competent awards for articles in the ReSource Area,” said Claudia Lanius, owner of Lanius.
The different aspects, innovations, collaborations and communication concepts were also the focus of the numerous well-attended side events at Keyhouse, the ReSource Area and Bluezone.
“As a trade fair organiser, we also see ourselves in the role of an impulse generator with a potentially corresponding reach. Therefore, we attach particular importance to a qualitative and varied supporting programme which, thanks to international experts, offers an insight into current innovation topics, problems and solutions and thus forms the basis for transparent knowledge transfer,” said Frank Junker, creative director Munich Fabric Start.
Right at the start on Tuesday morning, trend forecaster David Shah addressed precisely these challenges in his enthusiastic keynote ‘The 10 Design Pillars of Design’. The publisher and CEO of View Publications drew scenarios of new retreat possibilities and the search for structures and simplicity in times of digitalisation and diversification.
The panel discussion on the subject of ‘Future Textile Supply Chain’ with international experts also provided new thought-provoking impulses on how the textile chain can be transformed through sustainable solutions and networking.
“The textile value chain is currently being radically rethought. Every company has to deal with these impulses and develop individual concepts. One thing is certain: in the future, too, only those companies will be successful whose fashion fascinates and who act in an economically sensible manner.
Digital processes, decentralised production, smaller batches, shorter lead times, comprehensive transparency and new circular business models – it remains exciting to see which of these developments are scalable and when. One thing is certain: now is the right time to develop principles for dealing with the new perspectives for your own company. In view of these fascinating prospects, a 90-minute expert panel on “Future Textile Supply Chain” is just enough to scratch the surface of the new possibilities,” said Alexander Vogt, Kern Consulting.
Knowledge, transparency, quality, responsibility and communication influence the current multitude of product and process innovations. Linen, both pure and blended with cotton, is the big favourite for the season Spring.Summer 21. Other material innovations were super-stretch silk, recycled polyester, Ecovero-Tencel linen, Naia and Cupro fibre blends or hemp textiles – the constant reference to natural fibres and surfaces was clearly visible.
The theme of Li Edelkoort’s exclusive trend seminar underlined this statement. In her two-hour ‘Green Wave’ lecture, the internationally renowned trend expert presented her interpretations of Spring.Summer 21.
The denim industry is facing new challenges, which the Blue Community faced as an optimistic and international community at Bluezone under the Ecoism theme. The strong network of over 100 major international brands and numerous denim experts was looking for answers to a conscious consumer approach and a growing interest in ready-made solutions that offer future-oriented products, state-of-the-art technological processes and complex functionalities.
Current topics that determine the denim market were discussed in depth in lectures and international panel discussions. The Rivet 50 Talk on the topic of ‘2020 Vision’ on the first morning of the fair gave an outlook on companies, technologies and fashion in the next decade. One of the key statements highlighted the changing demands of consumers – stationary retail can only survive with new concepts, such as offering sustainable fashion, vintage, and repair stores under one roof. This is precisely why the denim community must move closer together.
“Ecoism – I love the concept, the slogan, the theme of this year’s Bluezone. It’s about green innovations, which must be visible and tangible, and about consumers who are better informed than ever before and are looking for a new way of consuming.
We, as the Blue Community, are responsible for a massive change that will transform what is considered a “polluting” industry into a green model based on sustainable innovation and circularity. Denim can be seen as the most popular, ‘democratic’ and perhaps ‘invasive’ fabric ever made on the planet – and we, the Ecoists, want to change denim to become the representative flag for this revolution,” said Alberto Candiani from Candiani Denim.
The think tank of Munich Fabric Start offered concrete approaches for a future-oriented textile and fashion industry. Information, transparency and interaction stand for an inspiring network of innovative projects and sustainable collaborations.
“Munich Fabric Start’s advanced platform, Keyhouse, has been paving the way into the future for some time now, connecting innovators and the industry. The innovation space, which brings together game changers and pioneers, successfully gives traditionalists in the textile industry a glimpse of the future. Keyhouse provides the space for superstars of fashion technology to present new technologies, sustainable developments, expert workshops and trend seminars. I would easily describe Keyhouse as the ‘Department of Innovation’ for fashion companies,” said Muchaneta Kapfunde, founding editor-in-chief FashNerd.
In her keynote speech ‘Rethinking the business of fashion’, Muchaneta Kapfunde called for a rethinking within the fashion industry. The change is possible and necessary due to the influence of digitalisation and technology. Examples of fundamental changes are block chain transparency, compostable packaging, on-demand solutions and the production of textiles based on dairy products.
In the panel discussion of Sportswear International, international experts discussed how automation, digitalisation and localisation will change the global fashion market and what impact these new standards will have on CSR issues and sourcing structures.
Once again, the Sustainable Innovations Area at Keyhouse curated by Simon Angel, received great attention. He emphasised above all the openness of the visitors to the complex topics, to new materials and material extraction. He said that particularly pleasing was the willingness to exchange ideas, form networks and thus strengthen the community of all those involved within the textile and fashion industry.
“The Keyhouse has a unique energetic atmosphere with very inspiring visitors. Especially exciting was the great interest in holistic sustainable concepts that go into depth. So, the industry is definitely on the right track,” said Chandra Prakash, founder & CEO, Cocccon.
The future of the textile industry was not only discussed in the seminars and lectures – the Munique Moods party on the first evening of the fair also provided an opportunity to strengthen the community and exchange information. Around 1,500 guests gathered in an elaborately staged and specially built palace tent.
First insights into the collections of the Autumn.Winter 21/22 season will be provided by the VIEW Premium Selection on July 14-15, 2020. The next Munich Fabric Start will take place from September 1-3, 2020; the Bluezone on September 1-2, 2020. The dates for Spring.Summer 22 have also been announced: the Munich Fabric Start will take place from January 26-28, 2021 and the Bluezone on January 26-27, 2021.
