Brands and retailers visiting Kingpins New York at Pier 36/Basketball City (January 21-22) discovered a highly curated selection of exhibitors representing the most innovative companies in the international global denim supply chain.

Attendees included representatives from large retailers and brands, as well as designer labels such as American Eagle Outfitters, Alexander Wang, Calvin Klein, Coach, Karl Lagerfeld, Kontoor Brands, Levi’s, Marc Jacobs, Nili Lotan, Rachel Comey Studio, Rag & Bone, Ralph Lauren, RTA and Washington Roberts.

In all, 584 attendees from 275 companies browsed among nearly 70 exhibitors, including mills, manufacturers and suppliers from the global denim industry.

“We’re excited to see new companies discovering Kingpins, along with familiar faces returning after time away,” said Kingpins CEO Vivian Wang. “We knew attendance might look different this season as brands navigate economic uncertainty, but the purpose of the show hasn’t changed. Kingpins is about storytelling, fresh ideas and bringing the global denim community together in a meaningful way.”

Among the show highlights was The Lil Denim Show’s installation showcasing the recent work of Laurence Wei, designer at New York-based General Experiment. Wei’s collection, In Hopes to Die Like Mold, tells a deeply personal story about “shared moments, fragmented memories, decay, and emotional erosion” inspired by Wei’s own experience watching how Alzheimer’s affected his grandfather.

Another new initiative was S|STYLE – Denim Lab, an installation curated by Giorgia Cantarini, featuring designers working with Kering which owns brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, McQueen and Brioni. S|STYLE project designers experimented with advanced dyeing, washing and regenerative cotton solutions provided by Kering’s Material Innovation Lab (MIL), in collaboration with PureDenim and Tonello.

The Vintage Showroom’s Doug Gunn returned to the show with an installation exploring the influence of artist Jackson Pollock on fashion over the years. In a Denim Talks seminar, Gunn tracked the artist’s connection to the fashion industry dating back to his work’s first appearance in American Vogue in 1951.

Also returning to the show was Be Disobedient’s Ana Paula Alves, who led the Denim Forecast: From URL to IRL seminar tracking the macro trend drivers influencing consumer behaviour.

“Over two focused days, the show connected high-caliber exhibitors, forward-thinking conversations, and ideas that challenge the status quo,” Wang said. “This year, we put even more energy into Denim Talks and new initiatives designed to encourage creative, outside-the-box thinking about what’s next for the industry.”

In the Denim Talks seminar lineup Cotton Inc.’s Jennifer Lukowiak led a discussion about the evolution of cotton with a trio of industry experts, including Avalo’s Tricia Carey, Artistic Milliners’ Katie Tague, Supima’s Buxton Midyette and Tonello’s Alice Tonello.

New innovations in dye technology were discussed in a panel led by consultant Dana Davis in conversation with Dr Fuchao Xu, from Chloris, Dustin White from LabDenim and Jeffrey Erhard, from Shreenika.

“My focus is on keeping Kingpins a place where the industry feels inspired, supported and ready to move forward,” Wang concluded. “We’re here to lead the conversation and help our community shape what comes next.”

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