Some changes are happening for Kingpins and Kingpins24. By October 20, Kingpins Exchange, a new online marketplace, will debut. The new website originates from a recently signed partnership with Material Exchange, a Swedish company working with some of the world’s most important retail apparel and footwear brands to analyze, optimize and digitize their material sourcing and development processes.
“The agreement with Material Exchange represents the next step in the process to complement Kingpins’ successful in-person events with new digital solutions,” explains a note released by the show. “A digital platform for denim mills will allow Kingpins exhibitors to showcase their textiles to denim brands year-round. Kingpins is looking for ways to create greater opportunities for business and build new ways for brands to conveniently source denim fabrics from Kingpins’ exhibitors. The goal is to provide denim brands with tools to be able to source denim and denim related fabrics instantly, view detailed product data online and help buyers make informed decisions about the materials needed for product design and creation process.”
Andrew Olah, founder of Kingpins Show and Kingpins24, explains: “Kingpins Exchange will work as the show’s online denim marketplace and digital denim showroom platform with the aim to serve our community’s supply chain sourcing need. Kingpins24 will be the place where we gather to share ideas, innovation, inspiration and education and it will be fluid in its format.”
“The abbreviated format is a departure from the multi-day, eight-hour livestreams of previous Kingpins24 events and is a response to the Kingpins community voicing interest in shorter, bite-sized events alongside the more full-scale Kingpins24 seasonal events,” continues Olah.
The previous editions of Kingpins24 took place in April and June 2020 and gathered a total of 4,000 denim industry professionals and registered more than 38,000 views of on-demand content.
“Kingpins continues to explore digital ideas and opportunities and we are excited to collaborate with Ani on Kingpins24 Canada. As a Canadian it is refreshing for me to be able to shine a spotlight on my homeland–which rarely features in conversations about denim but is home to a lot of interesting and engaged denim players,” Olah adds.
Topics for Kingpins24 Canada will range from new models of business, to future-proofing brick-and-mortar retail and circularity in denim design. Brands and designers joining will include the godfather of denim Adriano Goldschmied; designer and consultant Malin Ekengren; Denim Dudes’ Amy Leverton; Brandon Svarc of Naked & Famous; Kelly Drennan, founder of Fashion Takes Action; Philippe Cantin, senior director of Sustainable Innovations and Circular Economy at the Retail Council of Canada; and Sabine Weber of Sustainable Strategies & Solutions. Wells, Olah and Vivian Wang, Kingpins Show’s managing director, will act as hosts of Kingpins24 Canada.
Kingpins24 Canada will go live at 12PM Eastern / 9AM Pacific on September 22. Videos and content from Kingpins24 Canada will be posted to the Kingpins Show YouTube channel after the event has concluded.
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