After the cancellation of the physical edition of Kingpins Amsterdam, Kingpins24, a new digital version of the trade show, took place on April 22 and 23. Through a nonstop live-stream conference it featured a vast program of webinars, video-presentations, surveys, interviews and comments. As the formula was successful it will be replicated in June 2-3, as a substitution for the recently canceled Kingpins New York show.
The two-day session infused optimism and made the denim community get together nearer than ever, despite the difficult time. The digital event broadcasted 75 companies involved in an over 100 appointment-follow-up meetings including 200 videos for a total of 22 hours of broadcasting. And for those who missed a talk or want to recall some segment almost the whole program will be visible until May 8 here.
“Thirty days ago we were mourning for the cancellation of the Amsterdam show, but we also thought: ‘As many had planned to organized a conference why don’t we go entirely digital and bring the whole trade show online?’ And so we did that,” explained Andrew Olah, president and founder, to Sabine Kühnl, editor-in-chief, SPORTSWEAR INTERNATIONAL, within an interview focused on Kingpins’ present and future evolution, also part of this edition’s broadcasting.
Hosting companies, personalities, insiders and experts were Olah and Vivian Wang, managing director and global sales manager. They involved the participants asking opinions about hot topics such as post-COVID19, facing the cancellation of orders, devising how consumer behaviors will change and many other topics. “Think of us as Spotify. Click on content you find interesting and skip the things you are not interested in,” explained Olah.
TRENDS AND NOVELTIES
Among newest trends for f/w 202-22 some aspects are must-have for the future. Many companies believe in a return to the ’80s with authentic denim aspects, marble effects and other evident surface effects, though obtained by using carefully sourced materials which are less polluting, incorporating less hazardous chemicals or more innovative and higher performance fibers. Another great comeback is black in different many shades. Both trends are dominating the season and especially seen through collections by Bossa, Iskur, Cone, Prosperity, and Tejidos Royo.
ECO-FRIENDLYNESS RULES
After the COVID-19 spreading more and more companies are focused on developing products and solutions caring for the environment.
Many companies have started offering denim enhanced by bio-based and biodegradable stretch. Among them Candiani Denim announced the launch of its natural-origin biodegradable stretch Coreva denim (also read here).
The Lycra Company is betting on developing its stretch Lycra Ecomade Fiber as part of its Planet Agenda platform offering, among others, Lycra T400 EcoMade fiber that contains 50% recycled PET and 18% derived from corn.
While black denim is a must, companies are also studying new technology that avoids polluting when producing it. Tejidos Royo developed Dry Black, as a follow-up of its Dry Indigo technique that uses a dyeing foam that needs practically no water.
Hemp is also a key topic of the season, though especially Cottonised Hemp, a special hemp that has gone through a process that softened the material and gives it a look and feel as cotton. It can be blended with Refibra, polyester and Lycra, as achieved by Naveena Denim NDL. Among other companies using Cottonised Hemp there are Cone Denim, Iskur and US Denim.
HIGH-TECH IS THE FUTURE OF DENIM
D-Chronicle Denim is a special collection by Bossa in collaboration with Fibertrace aimed to provide transparency and traceability to everybody, from farm to end-users. This system makes it possible to read and detect special organic made pigment embedded during fiber or yarn production. Each special pigment can reflect indifferently an invisible light and special readers can read the pigments and detect their concentration number. This way one can detect if there is a fabric or fiber is a Fibertrace material or not. All this information can be sent sent from the reader to a Fibertrace blockchain platform and each material and product story can be safely kept. This system can also collect information on, for instance, a specific cotton was grown or ginned. One can also keep track information on that piece of clothing and can be read by manufacturers, brands and end-users via an app on a smartphone.
THE SOFT SIDE OF DENIM
Naveena is launching Miyabi, a fleecy soft touch denim using special material obtained from a Mitsubishi Rayon acrylic paste that provides a soft touch and warming effect. Also new is its Spiral Soft Denim obtained without using any chemicals but through a special spinning technique. And Artistic Milliners is betting on its Buttery Soft family of soft touch denims.
Also Kingpins Transformers ED, the annual educational conference, took place via livestream webinar on April 24 and focused on key aspects related to creating and producing eco-friendly jeans. The educational session hosted Andrew Olah, Kingpins Show/Transformers Foundation; Mariette Hoitink, House of Denim/ Denim City/Jean School; Moshin Sajid, Endrime; Miguel Sanchez, Davilan; Michael Kininmonth, Lenzing; Jacob Krzysko, Dystar; Denise Sakuma, The Lycra Company; Alberto De Conti, Rudolf Group; Maurizio Morosini, Tonello; Alberto Candiani, Candiani Denim; Tony Tonnaer, Kings Of Indigo; Frank Michel, ZDHC Foundation; Sanjeev Bahl, Saitex.
Check our selection of quotes from the two events. You can read them shortly here.
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