14,420 visitors from 104 countries and 845 exhibitors from 27 countries gathered from 16 to 19 September for the 33rd Texworld show. The overall number of visitors remained stable compared with the show in September 2012.
A healthy rise in numbers, in double digits was registered from the Iberian Peninsula, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and the United States. The services offered Texworld and the quality of products from exhibitors go a long way to ensure the loyalty of buyers. The influence of the Trends Forum and installations by designers provide inspiration for style agencies, studios from throughout the sector and international schools as well as professionals.
The appeal is having an impact and the charms of the show leave an impression on visitors. Christophe Guillarmé, a designer at the label of the same name, attests to this: “I have been faithfully returning to Texworld for years. Where my collection for evening wear with its sense of couture is concerned, I work with numerous suppliers from the show, in particular for silk and embroidery. You find some very fine silks at Texworld for mid-range and high-end categories. As a whole, you sense an increase in more upmarket products and the Trends Forum offers a wealth of variety, with very clear strategies.”
As Gareth Kingsley, a buyer for Dewhirst, emphasises: “The new structure with the segments has proven to be very successful. As we buy different ranges for a variety of international companies, Texworld is an excellent platform with its very diversified programme. What is more, exhibitors are very responsive and now make quality a priority.
The efforts of the organisers to boost creativity within the exhibition, to select the best products and to ensure that different ranges are there alongside each other, are bearing fruit. The show is flourishing and is valued because it delivers solutions and services that are relevant for international buyers, major retail chains and designer labels who have been attending for the last 17 years.
Japan is posting growth again thanks to signs of recovery in its economy. France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Turkey are stable. Germany and Scandinavia have registered a drop. Brazil, after a sharp double-digit rise in 2012, is faltering: a consequence of the tricky economic situation. As far as buying is concerned, the recovery in the United States and Japan appears to be giving the market confidence, judging by the activity at the stands, as confirmed by the exhibitors.
“We have worked hard these four days and have forged very promising new ties with British and French designers. We also have plenty of new and interesting contacts to respond to as soon as we return home” explains Anand Goenka from Aspara Silk, who has attended the show for eight years. It appears that buyers are less timid and are more willing to place firm orders; “yes, the large purchase volumes of prints certainly mark a break with the more functional buying of the past few seasons. It seems that buyers preferred to place orders immediately in order to put the crisis behind them,” he replied.
