If you are starting a sustainable fashion brand, you need to be familiar with fabric trade shows.
Trade shows are known for bringing together some of the best supply chain partners in the world. That is because not just anyone can exhibit in a trade show. Exhibitors need to apply and be approved.
The nice thing about textile trade shows (that the black hole of google can’t do) is that they pre-vet suppliers for you. You know that the people there are serious about long-term business growth and are definitely looking for new customers.
This is the place, wher eyou can meet you future long-term partners, learn a lot about fabrics, touch it, see it, get fabric swatched, direct contacts and after going home, choose the ones you love.
Trade shows are also full of industry experts, panels and educational opportunities. So, it’s a great place to come and learn.
Here is the list of the most important trade shows in Europe:
- January 25-27, 2022
- New York, Javits Center
- Visit website
Experience the latest apparel in-person and virtually at the largest sourcing event on the East Coast. A place of inspiration for designers, buyers and industry professionals.
Apparel Sourcing New York City continues to create opportunities to support the textile sourcing community by connecting global manufacturers and suppliers to the US market.
- 22-24 February 2022
- Milan, Italy
- Visit website
“LINEAPELLE is the most important international exhibition dedicated to leather, accessories, components, synthetics, and models for footwear, leather goods, garments, and furniture.
The fair system represented by LINEAPELLE and its connected “niche” events showcases the high quality of the exhibiting companies, with their outstanding style and customer service.”
- 11-12 January
- London, UK
- Visit website
” The London Textile Fair is the first industry show of the season, showcasing pre-collections from 500, mostly European, exhibitors.
The show takes place twice a year in January and July and it is now the biggest textile exhibition within the UK and one of the largest in Europe. In response to the need for a dedicated trade exhibition in London, the show has developed into a quality event, attracting the most influential buyers and designers from the major high-street retail stores as well as independent designers and buyers from their contract manufacturers.”
- 16-17 March 2022
- One Marylebone, London, Nw1 4aq
- Visit website
“Since launching in 2002, Textile Forum has cemented itself as London’s premier sourcing event for luxury fashion fabrics, now presented over two floors at our prestigious venue One Marylebone.
The textile trade shows attract fabric buyers from major fashion retailers and brands, established independent design businesses and start-ups, tailors, craft shops, seamstresses and costumiers.
Visiting companies include: Elvi, Goose, L.K.Bennett, Mint Velvet, Nike, Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Osman Studio, Mulberry, Pearce Fionda, ASOS, The National Theatre, Jenny Packham, Sassi Holfod, Janet Reger, Radley And Co, Hemyca, Jonathan Saunders, E. Tautz, Ashley Williams, Christopher Shannon, Marvel Studios, Jasper Conran, Anna Valentine, Louis Vuitton, Merlin Entertainments, Coco de Mer, Cath Kidson, Arcadia and John Lewis.”
- Online
- Visit website
“Welcome to ReSOURCE – the sourcing platform for environmentally friendly and responsibly produced textiles and accessories. With the required growth in sustainable fashion, our goal is to guide and support the future of innovative material development and ethically correct manufacturing.
Discover more than 3,000 ReSource articles! New materials, designs and qualities that digitally support you in creating your collections.”
- Dates to be confirmed
- Paris, France
- Visit website
“As a true business accelerator for the global fashion industry, Première Vision aims to:
Capture creativity at its source, to decrypt it, and summarise coming trends to offer inspiring fashion information throughout the year. Take the pulse of global business and share it with industry professionals, thanks to a selective offer and differentiating services with high added value.
Raise the awareness of professionals regarding industry challenges by providing the larger picture and concrete answers for the future of creative fashion: Smart Creation (eco-responsibility), Wearable Lab (fashion tech), training, support for young talent…
Connect the market’s players, both in person and on-line, at its trade fair and on the web thanks to the industry’s first marketplace launched in September 2018.”
- 17-19 July, 2022
- Olympia London, UK
- Visit website
“Taking place alongside ready-to-wear fashion trade show Pure London, Pure Origin is the UK’s only fashion sourcing textile trade show to bring every element of the fashion supply chain together in one location.
Pure Origin is a convenient and cost-effective route to market for numerous suppliers and manufacturers both from the UK and around the world, not to mention a key source of inspiration and education for its visitors.”
- 7-9 February, 2022
- 7-9 February, 2022
- Visit website
“This event brings together, twice a year in Paris, around 1500 exhibitors from the fashion industry. It offers professional buyers from all over the world a sourcing platform with a wide variety of products ranging from basics to the most creative and qualitative.”