MUNICH FABRIC START
Solid Trade Show. Optimistic Mindset.
CLOSING REPORT
MUNICH FABRIC START | BLUEZONE | KEYHOUSE | THE SOURCE
A solid trade show. An optimistic mindset. That sums up the outcome of MUNICH FABRIC START. After three days, the Munich textile fair came to an end yesterday, Thursday, with the integrated show-in-shows BLUEZONE, KEYHOUSE and THE SOURCE. MUNICH FABRIC START concluded with a stable visitor frequency compared to the previous event. Around 1,000 collections from international fabric and accessory manufacturers showcased their colour and material trends for Spring.Summer 27 at the MOC Munich. High-quality fabrics and accessories met international denim expertise and forward-looking innovations along the entire textile value chain.
“Conclusion? Solid! We are very satisfied with this result. There is no denying that we are operating under difficult economic conditions. In times like these, it is even more important to be a reliable platform for exhibitors and visitors that brings together the key players in the market. We have succeeded in doing this. The main theme, PLEASURE, focuses on an optimistic mindset. This was also clearly reflected at the trade show.”
Florian Klinder, Managing Director MUNICH FABRIC START Exhibitions GmbH
Trends Spring.Summer 27: Set Opposites
‘It’s a time of radical change. A lot of people are in a mood of pessimism. They want to stay at the status quo. Cowardness is our problem. ‘Polite Fashion’ is a result.‘ trend forecaster David Shah from View Publications provokes the audience in front of packed stands on the STAGE. This makes it all the more important to take countermeasures. ‘We are operating in a difficult environment, in difficult times. In the fashion industry, this is currently unleashing an incredible amount of creative energy. It’s about creating a positive counterbalance,’ said MFS trend experts Volker Orthmann and Katharina Majorek from o/m Collective as they began their trend presentation ’PLEASURE – Colours, Fabrics, Styling (Wo)mens Key Trends for Spring.Summer 27.’ After a long period in which fashion trends were dominated by pragmatism and neutrality, the focus is now on the future. With the overarching theme of ‘PLEASURE’, MUNICH FABRIC START presented this trend development in a modern way and brought it to life for visitors. With themes such as Cinematic Colours, Every Day Pop, Cultural Power and Sunny Nonchalance, Karin Schmitz from Peclers Paris also focused on optimism, fun and confidence.
Colour, Prints and Textures as Fashion Drivers
In terms of fashion, the new season marks a turning point towards conscious renewal. Optimism, pleasure and creativity are the prevailing themes. This is clearly reflected in the approximately 1,000 collections from international fabric and accessory manufacturers. Colour, prints and texture are the key drivers of the season. ‘We are in a phase of change. What will tomorrow bring? That is the overriding question. Colour is important here. There has been little colour on the market. That is now changing,’ says Schmitz from Peclers Paris. Annette Schrewe, Head of Design at Betty Barclay, observes ‘more courage in colour’ in the collections, complemented by neutrals with interesting surface textures. ‘The new fluid, transparent, flowing fabrics are beautiful, especially for blouses. The season is fun,‘ Schrewe continues. Eveline Rammler, Women’s Wear Purchasing at s.Oliver, describes: ’Awnings, pinstripes, floral and naive paisley prints, alienated animals – these are emerging as the dominant themes in prints for us.‘ Gamze Camuzcuoglu, Sales Manager von A.P.C. points out: ‘Bright blue and white, fluidy animal prints, blurry orientals, florals border designs, geometrical designs, irregular geometrics and pyjama stripes – these are the best in fashion trends for us.‘ ‚We are looking for new products that speak our language. We also see pastel colours and light prints for the evening. Light, transparent chiffons, structured organza, prints with picturesque flowers, bohemian – that’s new for us. Dark brown and burgundy remain. Brown was a huge hype. Now it’s all about toffee and camel combined with pink or light yellow‘, says Heike Schaible, Product Management, Vera Mont. In terms of surfaces, haptics and texture are coming to the fore. ‘The themes of the moment are materials that can be experienced haptically. Materials that appeal through tactile structures,’ emphasises Majorek from o/m Collective. Thoshikiko Kanatani from Stylem underlines: ‘The highlights of this season are special finishes, lots of textures and crease and pleat effects.’ For many visitors, MUNICH FABRIC START once again proved to be an important trend compass. ‘We were in Milan beforehand and saw a lot there. Now it’s time to finalise the colour concepts and developments for spring/summer. In Munich, we can see where things are heading in just one or two days. We get a lot of inspiration here and the trade show is great for trend research. The trend areas are extremely beautiful. Simply superb!’ said Xenia Haumer, Creative Concept Lead, Riani.
Price, Margin, Consumption
‘The magic word is margin. Issues such as hand feel, quality and finish are completely secondary for the German market at the moment. There is a lack of appreciation for high quality,’ laments Mladen Pototschnik, Sales, Albini & Thomas Mason. He points to a further increase in price sensitivity and also sees the trade show development as an indicator that ‘the German clothing industry is struggling.’ Eser Kaygusuz, Sales Head at Yünsa, takes a similar view: ‘The mood in Germany is tense. Price sensitivity is high and consumer sentiment is poor. This is evident not only in the textile sector, but also in the figures for the automotive industry. Nevertheless, the first day of the trade show was not bad at all. Many important customers such as Seidensticker, Hugo Boss and Digel were already there.‘ Despite the challenging conditions, the trade show was used constructively by exhibitors and visitors alike. ’It went better than expected. Milan was so strong that we didn’t think it would be as good again in Munich. The quality of the customers was REALLY good. Toni Dress, Brax, Bugatti, Betty Barclay and Vera Mont – to name but a few,‘ says Thomas Buschjost, owner of the Fashion & Friends agency. Many customers would ’put the issue of price aside for the time being‘ and concentrate first on ’finding beautiful new things.‘
Compliance, AI and Circularity
In addition to trends, regulatory requirements such as the Digital Product Passport, digitalisation, AI and circular models were among the key topics covered in the extensive programme of presentations. ‘It’s not all about costs and optimizing. A major topic should be, how to translate policies into sourcing and how to achieve compliance with data consistency.‘ underlines political advisor Muchaneta ten Napel from Shape Innovate. During the three days of the trade show, she discussed topics such as these with numerous renowned experts on the panels. Round tables, talks and presentations highlighted the significant pressure for change that the industry will face from 2026 onwards. ‘There is no playbook. Every brand is working differently. I don’t have the feeling the industry is well prepared yet.‘ according to Leila Abu el Hawa, Advisor and Head of Product at Elizabeth Scarlett, when it comes to the Digital Product Passport.
KEYHOUSE presented new applied technology and system solutions. The focus was on transparency, trust and the transition to a circular economy – from strengthening resilient, circular processes to market ready innovations. Highlights included a new technology for smartphone-based authentication of fakes or originals from Original-ID, as well as Trove’s take-back system for resale and recycling, which was presented for the first time. ‘This is our response to the scarcity of raw materials,’ said Janis Künkler, Managing Director of Trove Europe. Research-related projects that take a cultural, sensory and systemic approach to sustainability were once again curated in the SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS Forum. Participants included Marie Vilay with the projects ‘To Read a Pattern’ and ‘A Bindle’, Materia Futura by Alessia Pasquini and Beatriz Sandini, and ‘Threaded Protocols’ by Floor Berkhout. Another trade show innovation with the highest sustainability standards: the collaboration between Dirt and Loads Collection with the first Demeter-certified textile collection. This is the first time the Demeter standard has been applied to textiles – with the prospect of it also being used for clothing in the future. ‘This is a real milestone,’ emphasises Lea Mahlke from Dirt, a new exhibitor in the RESOURCE Area.
BLUEZONE: Imperfect – Perfect
For Spring.Summer 2027, BLUEZONE presented a multifaceted denim look combining urban austerity, functional minimalism and sensual opulence. Sustainable materials, handcrafted details and innovative surfaces highlight the value of the material as well as individuality and emotion. Denim expert Tilmann Wröbel from Denim Lifestyle Studio Monsieur-T. describes a key trend in his lecture ‘The perfect time
for denim imperfection’: ‚For the denim industry the actual trend embraces the opposite: the idea of imperfection. Not too polished, not too perfect. Isn’t imperfection exactly what denim is about?‘
Innovative material developments and resource-saving, circular production processes were also at the forefront of BLUEZONE. ‚We are introducing Evogeny – our supreme denim collection – and a special capsule we specifically developed for the German market with a focus on stretch technology and comfort. Revo-Su with a water-free approach and eco conscious innovations in general are very important for us. Re/essence is all about natural colours.‘ Marketing Manager Selen Baltaci lists the new products for Spring.Summer 27 from Calik Denim. Whether Berto, Bossa, Calik, ISKO, Orta, Sharabati, Tejidos Royo or Troficolor Denim Makers – BLUEZONE once again brought together the majority of the most important international denim manufacturers. Philipp Walendy, Managing Director of Alberto, emphasises the clear advantage of BLUEZONE over other events: ‘Everyone is here, around 95% of our suppliers. We don’t have that anywhere else. BLUEZONE no longer has the usual lifestyle feel and is now more of a working trade fair, ‘but we are here to work,’ says Walendy, speaking for many.
Room for New Solutions
Clearly structured and efficiently bundled: the new arrangement of the eight areas in the MOC strengthens exchange, creates greater visibility and promotes synergies. What has changed: sustainable sourcing with RESOURCE has been repositioned and is now located together with ADDITIONALS in Hall 1, in the immediate vicinity of THE SOURCE. At the interface of design, technology and sustainability – BLUEZONE and KEYHOUSE, including SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS, are located in the highly frequented area in Hall 2. The DESIGN STUDIOS are now even more centrally located in Hall 4. They are adjacent to the large FABRICS area, which continues to be spread across Halls 3, 4 and Atrium 3. The clear structures provide orientation and space for new solutions.
FURTHER QUOTES:
‘We are here for one day, mainly because summer is not as important to us as winter. We always
spend two days there. We were also in Milan, but here in Munich we are now focusing on
specific commissions with European weavers.‘
Thomas Beller, Head of Design Sportswear, Digel
‘We are on the road purchasing fabrics for Drykorn and talking to our suppliers about orders
and delivery dates. We discuss samples and check that everything is going smoothly. We are
travelling with a large team. By splitting up, we can attend lots of appointments and talk
to lots of suppliers.‘
Kim Laura Müller, Purchasing Outer Fabrics, Drykorn
‘We are very satisfied. We always invest heavily in new projects, such as our current cross
industry collaboration with paper manufacturer Gmund. Innovation, circularity, sustainability and
high quality – GMUND and Manteco share the same values. Last year, we collaborated with
Liberty. Our customers really appreciate this. We are busy all day long.‘
Simona Gonfiantini, Key Account Manager, Manteco
‘Yesterday was very good. We usually expect 25 to 30 customers at MUNICH FABRIC START.
On the first day alone, we had 20 appointments. Customers love our collection. We have been
coming here for many, many years. Even though things are going well, it would be nice to meet
some new customers as well.‘
Meltem Iliman, Board Member & Sales, Elyaf
