"The 5th Avantex Paris show, held from September 18-21, 2017 at Le Bourget, Paris, attained its goal of uniting players from fashion and innovation under one platform that provides a wealth of information, shows foresight and brings about positive change in the industry. Fashion brands, retailers and designers attended Avantex going beyond the stage of simple curiosity."

The 5th Avantex Paris show, held from September 18-21, 2017 at Le Bourget, Paris, attained its goal of uniting players from fashion and innovation under one platform that provides a wealth of information, shows foresight and brings about positive change in the industry. Fashion brands, retailers and designers attended Avantex going beyond the stage of simple curiosity.

“Avantex Paris proved to be the place where players from ready-to-wear and luxury goods were able to meet the providers of innovative, technological solutions. The variety and complementary nature of exhibitors, the daily meetings at the round tables with experts, the focus on innovative materials offered by the MateriO’ forum, the video wall, the workshops and the first session of the Avantex Fashion Pitch are all factors injecting effective and convincing stimulus in an extremely active international network for technology and fashion,” explained Michael Scherpe, president, Messe Frankfurt France.

Extensive technical textile on display

The event demonstrated the extensive range of technical textiles and finished technological products, alongside R&D projects of start-ups, who came to test their concepts in interactions with potential customers. For example, Taiwan’s Creative Tech Textile for example, which develops complex fabrics (fibres from plastic bottles and oyster shells for example) while observing style and trends. “‘Our fashion goal has been met,” said their representative Lucy Hsiao after meeting a good number of firms.

Material was the star, since the Parisian materials library matériO’, one of the trade show’s partners, presented latest developments for clothing and accessories. Future prospects forum showed supple wood-based fabrics, frog skin and fish skin leather, leather from innards, conductive fabrics, wearable sculpture and many other talking points. To & Guy showcased a revolutionary process for stylists and designers to position and test motifs on a product in 3D without needing to know every detail of the pattern.

Institutional participation

Omar Cherkaoui, Member, ESITH cluster and school, remarked, “If Morocco is chiefly considered as the country for sub-contracting, the presence of the Moroccan Technical Textiles Cluster C2TM at a trade fair like Avantex, which is dedicated to innovation, has helped to make people take a second look at what the country has to offer. Some 30 professionals showed a clear interest in our collaborative and innovative approach.” Colleges and schools, breeding grounds for tomorrow’s fashion, are delighted with the numerous contacts they made throughout the four days: Ensad Paris, the Hochschule Albstadt Sigmaringen and Chongqing University from China were able to present their research and work by their students.

Avantex Fashion Pitch, the ambitious competition held via the WiRATE platform and organised by the trade fair, rewarded start-ups that offered solutions that are representative of the segments at the show and whose products and services won the most votes. Torq Labs won the prize for Clothing & Accessories with a range of lightweight leggings for sports that help to prevent knee injuries. Pyratex, in the Material & Components category, won admission and a listing in matériO’ for its collection of fabrics in natural fibres that have beneficial effects for the skin and body. Reflect, in the Prototype Studio category, won a prize for a dedicated item in the Magazine Modelab.

The Agora at Avantex Paris, apart from the Fashion Pitch, hosted eight lectures and round tables on diverse subjects, from development of functional fabrics to the digital era, new patterns of behaviour on social media, procurement and standards for electronic textiles etc. Agora also organised the Wall of Avantex with a programme of videos about the products and projects that mix innovative technology and fashion.