Volume Suppliers Offer More Flexibility
The Mood at the Fair
Renowned for featuring low price and big volume mills, price is more crucial at this show. However even though they target the volume market, these mills are realizing they have to reduce their minimums and many are doing so.
One British visitor was overheard saying that as a supplier to the UK supermarkets (most now offer apparel collections) business nowadays was about “who could deliver to the customer at the lowest price without going bust.”
Compared with Premiere Vision, there was a certain drabness about this show, not so much in the fabrics on offer but in the overall atmosphere of the event. The concept of identical booths line after line is on par with what Premiere Vision offers, but at Texworld there is a complete lack of direction and it is like working a maze, continually getting lost (although top marks for Texworld installing more toilets at the show). Despite the similar concept in booth design, Texworld simply lacks the sophisticated ambiance that Premiere Vision manages to pull off season after season.
It’s no secret that everyone attends Premiere Vision and then swings by Texworld, that’s the convenience of having the world’s textile companies on show in the same city at the same time. While PV caters for the middle to upper market, Texworld focuses on middle to volume.
The fabrics on offer range from basic to some very good creative aspects seen at the South Korean mills, and quality basics from the abundance of Turkish mills attending.
High marks for the trend area, but not for the fabrics on offer. The spectacular presentation ranged from surreal life-size plastic horses with saddles made up of hanging swatches to a surrealistic, fairy tale stand filled with cupcakes, a bit Alice in Wonderland (and complimentary cupcakes for visitors!).
However on closer inspection, certain color and texture trends that we saw at Premiere Vision also featured at Texworld. Mills of distinction included Patex (South Korea) who’s brightly colored Missoni-inspired knits were attracting buyers in droves. Japanese mill Kokka’s classic prints were also hitting the trend for with traditional aspect. Kuzman Textile from Turkey reworked classic cotton woven shirting weights with prints, while yarn dyed stripes featured at Gulcemal Tekstil. Vapory and decorative openwork qualities were on trend at Top International from South Korea, pursuing the light and subtle surface texture required this season.
What we heard at Texworld
- Price is still crucial in this market segment.
- Mills are being forced to reduce minimums.
- Buyers placing order for short delivery for Fall ’12.
- Turkish mills are bullish and pushing their strategic East/West location for on-time delivery and speed to market and price.