The 57th edition of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, held from 15 to 17 September 2025 at the Parc des Expositions in Paris, brought together more than 7,000 buyers and 1,300 manufacturers from 35+ countries over its three days.

Organiser Messe Frankfurt reports that major attendance remained from Europe’s largest markets –  France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany – and overall attendance increased by 25% compared to the July 2024 edition. This confirmed the validity of a strategic move to September in order to adapt to the evolving needs of fashion brands.

For the first time, the show achieved an almost perfect balance between textiles at Texworld Paris and finished garments and fashion accessories at Apparel Sourcing Paris in terms of exhibitors numbers.

“This evolution reflects the response of buyers to brand constraints,” explains Julien Schmoll, marketing and communication director at Messe Frankfurt France. “The ongoing consolidation in the sector is pushing brands to expand their collections and diversify their offerings without necessarily managing production themselves, or even, in some cases, the design process. They’re looking for suppliers who can deliver turnkey collections – creative, high-quality products in both large and small quantities and at attractive prices that align with margin goals, especially in the mid-range and premium segments.”

Europe’s leading sourcing offer

With 1,300 companies from 35 countries, Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, including Avantex, stands as Europe’s leading sourcing platform for textiles and apparel. Among major international players, some are clearly aiming to strengthen their business presence in Europe, which is now considered a more stable market than others.

Hong Kong-based Wing Ka Shing is one such company. Specialising in the manufacture of knitted jumpers from its factory in DongGuan, China, more than 80% of its business is with US-based brands. The company is now looking to expand its business in Europe and thus avoid the taxes imposed on products entering the United States, and secured several promising leads during the three-day event, especially with Spanish sourcing teams.

This edition also placed a strong emphasis on near-sourcing players, with notable participation from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. On-site at the Near Sourcing Hub, Soames Rudowski, CEO of Portuguese knitwear manufacturer FashionTeam, met buyers looking for local production.

“We had excellent conversations with French and Spanish brands looking for reliable partners who can offer high quality, fast turnaround and responsiveness,” he said. “Buyers don’t come to us for the price, they come for the service”.

Avantex Paris

As a laboratory for innovation in sustainable fashion, Avantex Paris brought together around thirty players working on technological solutions in three complementary areas – the HUB (solutions and services), the Designer HUB (design studios and agencies) and ReSources, which brought together four companies selected by TCBL (Textile Clothing Business Labs), a partner of Avantex.

Over three days, the event also hosted a particularly packed programme of conferences, round tables and debates led by international players on key themes – market trends, prospects for AI, circularity, natural materials and new consumption models.

 A highlight was the Bio Fashion Innovation Day which showcased the most advanced projects related to bio-based materials, local production and eco-design solutions. Finally, the Econogy Tour, offered by Messe Frankfurt as part of the Texpertise Econogy initiative, allowed visitors to discover a selection of companies from among the hundred or so exhibitors committed to a verified CSR approach and listed in the Econogy Finder.

Innovation and sustainability took centre stage at the 2025 Avantex Fashion Pitch, where the jury awarded the top prize to GoldenEye Smart Vision for its pioneering artificial intelligence-based textile quality control system. By refining the detection of visual defects in fabrics, this digital solution not only raises quality standards and boosts customer satisfaction but also streamlines production and cuts raw material consumption, marking a significant step forward for smarter textile manufacturing.

A special prize was also presented to Green Worms, an inspiring Indian micro-enterprise that has developed a local waste collection and recycling network. Beyond its environmental impact, the initiative creates sustainable jobs for women from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, turning waste management into a driver of social progress.

www.texworld-paris.fr.messefrankfurt.com