The fourth edition of the Texhibition sourcing fair in Istanbul took place from September 13th to 15th at the city’s exhibition center near Ataturk Airport. All three days were lively and the trade fair was well attended – according to official figures, 7,000 visitors were recorded on the first day, of which 5,000 were from Turkey and 2,000 from abroad. A total of 20,000 visitors are spoken of, which would be slightly more than the 18,525 visitors in March.
Since the first edition in March 2022, participation in the trade fair has increased steadily – despite the effects of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria at the beginning of February, the March edition recorded 50 percent more visitors than at the premiere a year earlier, but slightly less than the second edition in September 2022, which attracted more than 20,600 visitors.
Turkey is the second largest supplier of textiles to the EU and the fifth largest globally and ranks seventh in global cotton production. Textile exports reached a value of 6 billion US dollars (around 5.64 billion euros) last year.
Expansion of the text inhibition planned
At the current edition, more than 440 manufacturing companies exhibited knitwear, woven goods, denim, yarns, printing and accessories in three well-attended halls on around 13,000 square meters. Knitwear predominated, followed by woven goods, denim, prints and accessories.
Unfortunately, yarn manufacturers were somewhat left out, which should change with the next edition in March 2024, according to Fatih Bilici, President of the Texhibition Committee and Vice President of the Istanbul Textile Export Association İTHİB: “We expect 500 to 600 exhibitors and will provide two more halls.”
This means that Texhibition is constantly increasing in terms of exhibition space: while it started with one hall at its premiere, it was able to fill two halls for its next edition and three halls in 2023. Yarn manufacturers in particular should benefit from the expansion.
The timing remains
However, the date at the end of the international trade fair calendar remains the same. Even though most buyers and exhibitors have already visited the major international trade fairs such as Premier Vision in Paris or Munich Fabric Start, Istanbul remains the last stop for those who are still looking for something for their collections.
“July is too early as the collections are not ready yet. “Many people are also on vacation,” says Bilici, explaining the choice of time. And who knows, if Texhibition actually develops into the most important textile trade fair in the world, as the organizers are planning, then this could certainly influence order behavior at previous textile trade fairs.
The exhibitors seem satisfied with the timing and the steady flow of visitors, which brings them orders. “You meet people who really want to do business,” sums up Elif Beğen, export manager at Migiboy, Turkey’s largest fabric manufacturer. “You can reach customers very quickly and meet interesting customers,” adds Beğen. 90 percent of Migiboy produces for export and even the goods sold locally end up out of the country sooner or later.
New Trend Area brings together fabrics thematically
An enthusiastically received innovation was the Trend Area in Hall 5, the aim of which was to create awareness of sustainability. The eight different areas helped visitors quickly find what they were looking for: glitter fabrics in the “Lumino Noctis” area, digital prints in “Digital Uprise”, natural fabrics and calming structures in “Serenity”, recyclable fabrics in “Eco Revolution” , ethical, vegan and environmentally friendly fabrics at “Vangard Movement” and “Environmental Activism”, traditional to innovative fabrics at “Reconceptual Beauty” and fabrics that address healing, meditation and self care at “Mindful Escapes”.
Each fabric sample was marked with a note about its composition and the manufacturer, along with its stand number. Accessories such as buttons, zippers and the like that matched each area were also highlighted, including vegan clothing labels.
Sustainability is not yet fully developed
There was little sign of sustainability – apart from a large poster at the entrance with the trade fair’s theme “United for Climate in Textiles”. No events, campaigns or information delved into the topic. At second glance, the trend area presented above revealed many mixed fabrics, many of them with petroleum or plastic-based materials, even among the materials advertised as sustainable or even vegan. What is produced is what is in demand and what sells.
The exhibitors also confirmed this. Even if the demand for sustainable products is high, as Beğen from fabric producer Migiboy confirms, saleability still comes before sustainability. “We tried a hemp collection two years ago, but the fiber length was shorter and less satisfactory,” recalls Besim Özek, head of strategy and business development at Bossa, one of Turkey’s largest integrated textile companies.
In addition, the fiber was relatively hard and recycled fibers have limitations when it comes to dyeing. Pure white, for example, is not possible. According to Özek, consumers should be educated so that they understand what sustainable fibers, fabrics and textiles can and cannot achieve.
More sustainable mono-fabrics or sustainable alternatives such as hemp or nettles do not meet the high demands – for example with denim – and are therefore discarded after a few trial collections. For Özek, who is also a farmer in addition to being a member of the İTHİB board, it is important to start from the ground up: with regenerative agriculture, for example. “This is the future, more than organic cotton,” explains Özek. “It’s good for the soil and the yield.”
Oguzhan Kuz from denim producer and retailer Haseller agrees. For him, the company’s “Raw Dreams” line, which uses fewer chemicals and water, is more sustainable than the company’s “Less is more” line, which uses hemp, linen, Tencel, recycled polyester and organic cotton.
What’s next?
Although it appears from the outside that the impact of the earthquakes has been mitigated, textile and cotton centers around the hard-hit Marash area continue to struggle. Even if the production facilities may not be physically affected, their workers – some of whom are still homeless, displaced or living in tents – are certainly affected. The same applies to the supply chain and the allocation of raw materials. But business continues and orders must be fulfilled.
“Some people forget very quickly and push you a lot,” says Seyda Zümrütoğlu. However, the sales and marketing manager for Europe at Kipas Holding, one of the largest fully integrated production facilities in Europe, is quick to add that the good partnerships with key customers who have been supplied throughout the period have been maintained. “We are about 90 percent recovered and more stable than last year.” She also reports that newer buildings with the latest technology were not affected and that a new dye house will replace an old one, which will be completed in about two years .
The next edition of Texhibition will take place from March 6th to 8th, 2024.
FashionUnited was invited to attend Texhibition in Istanbul.