TRADE SHOWS

Large Asian Contingent Populates Texworld USA Despite Tariff Threat

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An installation put together by embellishment expert Jana Platina Phipps greeted visitors to Texworld.

NEW YORK—Tariffs and the threat of a trade war with China have been making headlines. But did they make an impact at the Texworld USA trade show?

“It’s definitely a hot topic,” said Show Director Jennifer Bacon at the international textile sourcing platform held at the Javits Center.

“It was the same thing when President Trump got elected,” Bacon said. “There’s a lot of talk.”

In spite of that, “it’s business as usual,” she said. “We still have to source goods from somewhere. Right now, it’s primarily Asia.”

Indeed, of the approximately 840 exhibitors from 19 different countries at the July 23–25 show, half were from Asia, with more than 350 from China.

If tariffs were imposed on textiles from China, “it [would be] basically about a 16 percent addition,” Bacon said. “Importers are saying, ‘Well, we’ll have to pay it.’”

Designer Anthony Manfredonia with Natasha Enterprises, a Manhattan manufacturer that does everything—from pattern design to the final product—believes this will help his business.

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The Texworld trends area showcased inspirational colors for the upcoming seasons.

“With the tariff wars, more people are looking to us for manufacturing and for servicing,” said Manfredonia, who reported he has seen an increase in inquiries from potential clients in recent months. “Costs are going to go up with the tariff wars. So everyone is trying to figure out if it might be more cost-effective to come back to America.”

Natasha Enterprises was among the half-dozen companies from the New York area in Texworld USA’s “Local Loft,” which spotlighted local manufacturing.

Also exhibiting in the “Local Loft” area was Daniel Kohn, owner of Aetna Shirt and On Call Medical Coats, both made in the same factory near Baltimore.

Customization and specialization are the keys to staying competitive for Kohn’s lab-coat business. “Say you have a doctor who’s a runner. She’s 5 feet, 6 inches tall and very lean. We’ll customize it,” Kohn said, creating a made-to-measure lab coat with details such as longer arms and a tapered waist, plus high-quality fabric and finishing. At $120­–$190, it’s about 10 times the cost of a mass-produced lab coat. “But doctors don’t care because it’s still the least expensive equipment in their office,” he said.

As with last season’s show, the exhibitors on Texworld USA’s “Resource Row” spotlighted emerging technologies and trends. “How can we use technology to make better fashion?” asked Sylvia Heisel, creative director of the 3-D printing and design company Heisel.

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An exhibitor talks with buyers at the show.

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Several seminars at the show covered topics including trademark law, sustainability and consumer attitudes.

Heisel has created prototypes and high-end garments, such as a 3-D-printed mini-dress made entirely from biodegradable plastics. Her ultimate aim is to utilize 3-D printing with recyclable, biodegradable materials to create sustainable fast fashion.

“You could get a 3-D-printed T-shirt, then recycle it, and it could be composed into new 3-D-printed T-shirts,” with little or no waste, she said. “That is the inspiration lens. The technology exists to make that but not at scale yet.”

In the meantime, “companies are embracing 3-D printing on accessories, custom buttons and hardware on bags,” she said.

This echoes Bacon’s view of sustainable fashion. “It’s not there yet in terms of the price point,” she said. “But over time, we’re going to get there.”