Bluezone
Production location Germany: MADE IN GERMANY par excellence
6 textile manufacturers that produce 100% in Germany
It really still exists: the German local textile industry. The manufacturers who produce 100% in Germany. We present six of our exhibitors of the upcoming MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE, who embody MADE IN GERMANY down to the smallest detail.
Onshoring – Nearshoring – Off-/Farshoring?
The answer to this question depends of course on the location of the sourcing partner company. If both your fashion brand and your production partner are based in Germany, this stands for Onshoring par excellence. Because Onshoring describes the choice of a domestic production partner. Short value chains, short distances. While Nearshoring stands for relocation to nearby countries and Offshoring describes outsourcing to more distant areas, mostly outside of Europe.
Let’s look at these six exhibitors from German textile production: Dresdner Spitzen, Frohn HighTex Group, Handel & Diller, Kindermann, Maibom and Mehler Tuchfabrik.
DRESDNER SPITZEN
DRESDNER SPITZEN has stood for quality and elegance from Saxony since 1884.
As a traditional family business with an innovative spirit, the German company develops sophisticated and sustainable lace and lace fabrics, as well as functional knitwear. At the fully integrated production site in Dresden, all production steps are combined under one roof, from design to raw material production, dyeing, finishing and finishing.
With a well-trained team, DRESDNER SPITZEN guarantees the highest quality in all areas. With the Standard 100 by OEKO TEX® and STeP by OEKO TEX® certificates, the top expert proves the long-term implementation of human-ecological product requirements, sustainable and ecological processes and compliance with social working conditions.
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FROHN HighTex Group
FROHN HighTex Group produces fashionable and innovative textiles exclusively at the company’s location in Northern Bavaria, one of the most well-known German textile regions. The third-generation owner-managed company has a network of regional partner companies with first-class trained textile specialists.
Sustainability and resource reduction have been anchored in the corporate philosophy of the FROHN HighTex Group for much longer than this became a core topic of corporate strategies in general. FROHN is well positioned for the future and the fourth generation is in the starting blocks to continue the company with foresight, flexibility and a focus on innovative, functional textiles.
“Our aim is to be one of the best in our industry and we can only do this through our network and a qualitatively optimal supply chain with short distances to partner companies located around our northern Bavarian production site.”
— Wolfgang Frohn, General Manager
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HÄNDEL & DILLER
QUALITY BEFORE QUANTITY
As a family-run company, Händel & Diller produces on the most modern large circular knitting machines at its own location in Balingen-Frommern on the Swabian Alb.
Subject to ecological and social responsibility, fabrics are created here for manufacturers of underwear, home and sportswear or for technical applications. The foundations of success are innovative and creative products, a pronounced customer orientation, good team spirit and a quality awareness that exists across all departments.
“We remain loyal to the southern German production site because local production corresponds to our social understanding and our ecological responsibility. With the know-how of our employees, the existing infrastructure offers quality advantages, the possibility of economical production and the supply of our customers with the highest possible process reliability. We want to guarantee our customers reliable supplies even in times of more complex supply chains.”
— Helmut Diller, General Manager
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KINDERMANN
The Kindermann company, founded in 1885, is one of the last companies in Europe to refine corduroy fabrics at the Leutersdorf production site, making them stable and stretchable lengthwise and crosswise. Knitwear, technical fabrics and traditional workwear fabrics are also finished. Since 2007, one of the most modern processing locations in Germany has been built here and continuously developed.
The woven and knitted fabrics are sourced from sister company Cord & Velveton, also in Leutersdorf.
Kindermann has also been selling fabrics made from certified organic cotton for over 30 years. The company has also been certified according to the GOTS standard for several years.
With on-site production, Kindermann ensures fast and flexible deliveries and short supply chains.
“If we are faster, better and more reliable than the competition, then Germany is definitely justified as a location.”
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MAIBOM
Innovation, ability to deliver, quality and sustainability are the four pillars of the Maibom family business. The daily work is based on these pillars, as is the company’s future direction. The Maibom weaving mill refines cotton outer fabrics in blends for trousers at its Germany location, since cotton outer fabrics can be finished here under the highest quality and most sustainable conditions. Over the last few years, the company has positioned itself much more flexibly and can therefore compensate for seasonal fluctuations more easily.
Digital printing makes it possible to produce “on demand” flexibly and at short notice according to Eco Design standards and to react to certain market trends. Furthermore, the capsule “Made in Germany – woven and finished in Germany” sets new standards – a mixture of organic cotton from Turkey and Tencel is used.
“Only the finishing gives the fabric its special character.”
— Fabian Maibom, Management
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Tuchfabrik Gebrüder MEHLER
As the oldest textile factory in Germany, Gebrüder MEHLER has been focusing on quality since 1644. The family business is now being run by the 11th generation.
From the fiber to the finished fabric and all with a great deal of passion and dedication.
The yarn for loden / cloth is produced in the spinning mill in Forst (Brandenburg) and the fabric is woven and finished in Tirschenreuth (Bavaria).
The clothing and interior fabrics made of pure wool are individual, customer-oriented and certified according to OEKO-TEX, GOTS and IVN.
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We invite you:
Network, get inspiration and establish long-term and professional partnerships.
Discover national and international exhibitors at the upcoming VIEW Premium Selection as well as at MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE. We look forward to seeing you in Munich!
BLUEZONE X KEYHOUSE will welcome you in May
BLUEZONE X KEYHOUSE move to 3 - 4 May 2022
MUNICH FABRIC START in January 2022 cancelled
The last few weeks have been dominated by the finalisation of our upcoming shows. And we are very proud of the current, impressive status: Thanks to the enormous support from the industry, around 700 suppliers from 33 countries are registered for MUNICH FABRIC START, including more than 90 international denim suppliers for BLUEZONE.
At the same time, the very dynamic situation with the ever-increasing measures for events and the rapidly increasing infection numbers all around Europe make it difficult for us to take the next steps to be able to welcome you again in just a few weeks.
It is with a very heavy heart that we therefore feel obliged to cancel
MUNICH FABRIC START Spring.Summer 23 from 25th – 27th January 2022.
BLUEZONE can’t happen in January 2022 as well, but the good news is that we are going to realise a stand-alone denim and innovation concept from 3 – 4 May 2022 on the Zenith grounds in Munich:
BLUEZONE X KEYHOUSE
“As trade fair organisers, in addition to the major economic risk, we also have a high social responsibility. Decisive for this serious decision are various realistic scenarios that could occur in the coming weeks depending on the situation: a very short-term ban on events, further restrictions for events or additional travel restrictions. In addition, of course, the health and safety of all participants is always our top priority. Due to current developments, we unfortunately have no other option than to cancel MUNICH FABRIC START. At the same time, we see a great opportunity in being able to offer a physical platform for denim and innovations in Munich from 3 – 4 May 2022: BLUEZONE X KEYHOUSE. There, you will find an impressive new format in the style of a blue festival with currently over 90 exhibiting denim mills and innovators.”
Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director Munich Fabric Start
STAY TUNED: We look forward to telling you more about our BLUEZONE X KEYHOUSE concept soon & can’t wait to finally reunite the Blue Community in May again!
At the same time, we will of course keep you informed about news and the latest collections from our exhibitors via our M/UNIQUE blog and Social Media & you will soon be able to purchase our trend forecast for Spring.Summer 23.
Now we wish you a nice pre-Christmas season & above all: stay healthy!
Your MUNICH FABRIC START & BLUEZONE team
SAVE THE DATES - NEXT SHOWS
The countdown is on
Only one week to go until MUNICH FABRIC START AW 22/23 & BLUEZONE
The time has come: for months we have been working towards welcoming the textile industry back to a physical show in Munich again. We are all the more grateful to be able to realise MUNICH FABRIC START from 31/08 – 02/09/2021 in the MOC Munich and BLUEZONE from 31/08 – 01/09/2021 on the newly designed Zenith area with an international portfolio of around 1,000 collections.
In keeping with the seasonal title of MUNICH FABRIC START – RISE – you are invited to get inspired, meet long-term partners and finally discover materials live again in their diversity and depth.
“We couldn’t be happier at the moment, because in a few days we will finally bring the textile industry back together in Munich! As organisers, we have literally turned every stone in order to create a safe, creative environment for the industry for efficient work and inspiration. In addition to the high-quality supplier portfolio, we are very proud to be able to offer known and valued services such as free lunch and coffee bars despite the situation, as well as numerous innovations: for example, a newly designed sustainability area ReSOURCE X SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS for sourcing of future-oriented materials, an event program with panel discussions and keynotes with international experts and a BLUEZONE with an 80’s atmosphere which is fusioning with the innovation hub KEYHOUSE.”
Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director Munich Fabric Start
Our priority: your health & safety!
We are aware of our great responsibility and have done everything to ensure that the entire event area is Covid-19 compliant. Of course, our extensive hygiene concept meets the official requirements and even goes a few steps further.
Please pay particular attention to the following 3 points for your carefree, safe visit to the trade fair:
COUNTRY ENTRY & EXIT
Please inform yourself proactively about the travel information for your country to and from Germany as well as about the exceptions for trade show visitors.
“3 SCREENING RULES“: TESTED/ RECOVERED / VACCINATED
Please have a valid Covid-19 test, a recovered certificate or a vaccination certificate to hand upon arrival at the show. Compliance with the „3 Screening Rules“ will be checked daily at screening stations.
FFP2 MASK REQUIREMENT
On the entire exhibition grounds, visitors are required to wear a FFP2 mask.
We have summarised further detailed information for you here, e.g. on the validity of the evidence and travel information:
Now online for you: Brand Search, Hall Plans, Trend Book Sale & Event Program
Our new homepage www.munichfabricstart.com offers complete information: Under THE SHOW, you can now use the brand search and detailed hall plans to research all exhibiting suppliers and showcased collections and plan your show visit. Under VISIT you will find helpful tips on travel, parking and hotels.
The new Trend Book presenting the 5 trend topics of MUNICH FABRIC START as well as the 4 denim trend topics of BLUEZONE is already available for purchase online, the Colour Code will also be available soon after the trade show.
The coal bunker on the Zenith area will be a Covid-19 compliant meeting point for live speeches, panel discussions and networking. The complete overview of the trend presentations, expert talks, panel discussions and keynotes can be found in the event program.
Some highlights are:
- Tuesday, 31/08/21, 30am: NEWTOPIA OR DYSTOPIA – How to design and inspire such a polarised world? Keynote by David Shah, Publisher & CEO View Publications
- Tuesday, 31/08/21, 2.00pm: CLOSING THE LOOP – How circular can the supply chain be? Panel discussion with Adriana Galijasevic, Tricia Carey, Shahar Livne and moderator Sabine Kühnl
- Tuesday, 31/08/21, 3.30pm: THE VISION OF A NEW TEXTILES ECONOMY. Mini lecture by Muchaneta Kapfunde, Founding Editor-in-Chief FashNerd.com
- Wednesday, 01/09/21, 10.30am: DIVING INTO THE BLUEZONE DENIM TRENDS. Trend presentation by Tilmann Wröbel, Creative Director & Founder Monsieur-T. Denim Lifestyle Studio
- Wednesday, 01/09/21, 12.00pm: MATERIAL CHALLENGES – How to make fabrics functional, fashionable and sustainable. Innovations panel by Sabine Kühnl, Executive Editor THE SPIN OFF
MUNICH FABRIC START
Tue, 31/08, 9.30am – 6.30pm
Wed, 01/09, 9.30am – 6.30pm
Thu, 02/09, 9.30am – 4.00pm
MOC Munich
Lilienthalallee 40
80939 Munich
BLUEZONE
Tue, 31/08, 9.30am – 6.30pm
Wed, 01/09, 9.30am – 6.30pm
Zenith Area
Lilienthalallee 29
80939 Munich
Germany
SAVE THE DATES – NEXT SHOWS
VIEW PREMIUM SELECTION
30/11 – 01/12/2021
MUNICH FABRIC START
25/01 – 27/01/2022
BLUEZONE
25/01 – 26/01/2022
Bluezone presents BACK TO THE FUTURE
Bluezone presents their upcoming show theme: BACK TO THE FUTURE
It’s about time to celebrate and come together for the reunion of the season. The entire BLUEZONE team proudly invites all denim professionals to our physical show which aims to bring us BACK TO THE FUTURE: BLUEZONE from 31 August – 1 September 2021 at Zenith Areal Munich. It is the feelgood moment we have all been yearning for, personally and professionally which seemed almost suspended for over a year.
We’re calling this edition ‘BACK TO THE FUTURE’, because despite all obstacles, BLUEZONE will become a safe and lively home for the industry. A physical platform for all denim experts looking for a way back to normal, getting closer to the touch and feel of textiles, products and all senses again. We can’t wait until the blue community comes together again, to meet and celebrate in person. Our future is shaped by the thriving denim technologies, developments and innovation waiting to be discovered at our show. Globally and now at our shows, we are happy to announce that blue denim is back.
BACK TO THE FUTURE returns us to a time when the future is free to be written – a future with a strong desire for blue denim trends, novelties and a feeling of freedom. Where sustainability goes beyond and against greenwashing to envision the denim of tomorrow. The trends reflected at the upcoming edition of Bluezone touch on the reality of our new normal. We are physical fanatics, longing for a reunion that brings us closer and connected than has been possible in almost a year. Fun invigorates our clothes, our lives and our styles. While fashion strives to fulfil the need for inclusive, gender free denim and looks, paired with a new gaming aesthetic. We dive into a new virtual world and spread the importance to integrate, 3D and AI visualisations appear in marketing even while styles of the 1920’s prohibition emerge in rebellious sartorial styles.
This season takes a closer look at the denim market, how we want it to be a and want values we are supporting. Denim is a democracy yet we wonder how cheap denim should go, how far are we going to prove our commitment to sustainability and are we honest in our methods? The crucial issue of greenwashing has given rise to a hatery that scrutinizes and fights for the better treatment and respect of our planet.
All trend themes of BACK TO THE FUTURE will be presented in detail in the trend forum of the upcoming BLUEZONE from 31 August – 1 September 2021 at the Zenith Area Munich. Don’t miss the chance to get inspired for your next collection and to stay up-to-date with all industry novelties!
MUNICH FABRIC START
31/08 – 02/09/2021
BLUEZONE
31/08 – 01/09/2021
C&A opens sustainable production site in Mönchengladbach
The Futuristic Technology behind C&A’s "Factory for Innovation in Textiles"
Fashion retailer C&A has announced the opening of its Factory for Innovation in Textiles (“C&A’s FIT”) in Mönchengladbach, Germany, set for autumn 2021. The state-of-the-art production site will initially focus on manufacturing jeans using the latest digital technologies in a carbon-neutral production site. We got exclusive insights into the automation of C&A’s FIT and can’t wait to share it with you!
The German fashion company is working with scientists from Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, the North Rhine-Westphalia Textile Academy and RWTH Aachen University, as well as pioneering start-up companies, on the new development.
FIT will first focus on the production of jeans. The ambitious plan is to initially produce around 400,000 jeans per year in Mönchengladbach, and later it will be 800,000. The first jeans will be available in stores in 2022.
With this opening, C&A is generating new impulses for the textile industry in the middle of Europe. Besides, it makes the bold statement that sustainable fashion must not be a niche product – which is why this manufacturing site is about production in larger numbers.
Betty Kieß, Head of Corporate Communications Europe C&A, exclusively shares with us some examples of automation used at C&A’s FIT:
- Fully automated pocket setter: A machine that automatically folds and sews the back pocket while the employee only inserts the fabrics.
- Automatic magazine: In the area of warehousing of raw materials, a magazine which automatically stores the materials and returns them to production when required is used. All materials are also digitally inventoried.
- Industry 4.0: All machines are designed for Industry 4.0 and can communicate production data with one another.
- Decorative stitch carousel: The decorative seam is automatically sewn onto the back pocket by a stitch carousel.
Betty Kieß also tells us that they are working closely with the universities in the field of robotics with the goal of eventually using robots to feed parts into the production.
…definitely exciting news coming soon!
As a long-standing visitor to MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE, C&A will of course be back in Munich in autumn to view and order the collections and innovations of our international exhibitors – we can hardly wait to greet our visitors and exhibitors again at our physical fair under the motto RISE allowed to!
MUNICH FABRIC START
31/08 – 02/09/2021
BLUEZONE
31/08 – 01/09/2021
RISE: Autumn.Winter 22/23
Munich Fabric Start presents the new Autumn.Winter 22/23 seasonal theme: RISE
Autumn.Winter 22/23 welcomes a new world of connectivity. The guiding theme and dedicated focus for the upcoming edition of Munich Fabric Start celebrates and perpetuates the meaningful connection to unite the industry under the seasonal title ‘RISE’.
A reality bound by a global pandemic stirs the industry to reinvent itself once again. New perspectives bring us closer together and give rise to dreams, visions and collections that brighten and uplift our world. Emotion is infused in our future as we seek out joy and comfort with a warmed sense of connection.
Sensitive and in tune with our surroundings, we are in close touch with our haptic senses as we long for connection on many levels. We are reassured by our analog experiences as we explore the feel and the nature of our tactile world. Be it material or emotional, our textiles reflect a kind of lightness, expressing the joy of celebration and party, we let go and are entertained. A collaborative spirit drives our digital world as we network using 3D technology – we excel our visions, planning and design processes to reach new levels.
With RISE, we strengthen what unites us as part of a global thrivability movement. Holistic and transparent concepts, from fiction to reality, guiding a path towards circular economy, from fiber to fiber. We witness the fusion of nature and technology as hemp becomes the new mainspring for natural fibers and materials. Education plays an important role in the development of anti-greenwashing, climate-friendly visions and inclusion of looks, gender and body shapes, as well as new modular models in order to be able to react more flexibly to the market. All of which embrace the growing feelings that less is more, better quality is more.
We define our limits in order to push beyond them. Pragmatic solutions lead us to discover the joy in reduced colours and collection materials. Thinking beyond what was previously possible. We move forward with digitization, enjoying its advantages with a relaxed ease and assurance we ultimately bring us closer with our natural world.
MUNICH FABRIC START
31/08 – 02/09/2021
BLUEZONE
31/08 – 01/09/2021