Yet another denim trade show is about to set off, this time in Japan: Next year, on March 4-5, 2020, the Denimsandjeans format will expand to Tokyo and will be located at the Sunshine City building complex.
Sandeep Agarwal, the man behind the show, has brought Denimsandjeans to places such as Dhaka, Bangladesh, Bangalore, India and most recently Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. So why does he see opportunities to launch an additional show in Japan?
“Japan has been one of the most inspiring places for the denim aficionados to go to. It is also a place where we can see how the traditional means of production have been preserved and perfected over decades. Denim is one of the most favorite apparel for the Japanese customers and in spite of high Japanese costs, a decent amount of production still happens there. We all have a lot to learn from Japan and I think a show in Japan will inspire companies to bring out their best to showcase to Japanese customers and also to visitors from around the world,” Agarwal states.
Accordingly, running under the theme #DesignedInnovation, Denimsandjeans Japan aims to present high-end denim products: “It has been always been a big draw for designers all over the world who travel there for inspiration and for some it’s a must visit at least once a year. Well known manufactures like Kaihara, Japan Blue and Kurabo are leading the local denim industry in terms of production of fabrics while brands like Momotaro, Sugarcane, Evisu, Okayama Denim, FDMTL, Kapital Global, etc. lead in terms of local brands,” he says.
Still, Agarwal knows about the challenges of the Japanese denim market: “This market is not for all, the prevailing narrative of price sensitiveness all around the global while buying a product fails here and it has many valid reasons–quality and design are the biggest ones.”
He is aware that Denimsandjeans Japan will rather attract a small number of exhibitors and visitors: “We are looking at creating a niche show where we can aggregate the best innovators in the denim and related sportswear industry to showcase latest products to discerning local and international visitors. This show will not only be catering to the domestic Japanese market but also to international designers.”
According to Agarwal, Denimsandjeans Japan has received a “decent number of confirmations” of exhibitors so far, all in all he is “expecting over 40 companies from all around the world” to take part, among them “Artistic Milliners, TCE Denim, Prosperity Textiles, VAV Technologies, Soorty and Tonello”.
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