MADE IN PORTUGAL DOWN TO THE LAST STITCH
Première Vision Paris, the French capital’s trade show for yarns, fabrics, accessories, manufacturing, leather and design will open its doors from 16 to 18 February. Portugal will be represented by an impressive delegation of 24 companies supported by Associação Selectiva Moda, reflecting the excellent health of the Portuguese textile industry and explaining the lively pace of exports.
At a time when the figures for textile exports in 2015 – the strongest year since 2002 – are already known, the Secretary of State for Internationalisation Jorge Costa Oliveira will visit all of the companies attending Première Vision at the invitation of ATP, the Portuguese Textile and Apparel Association, on 16 February.
Portugal will enjoy a strong presence at this edition of Première Vision Paris, with 24 Portuguese companies supported by Associação Selectiva Moda under the From Portugal internationalisation project, exhibiting an extensive portfolio of products ranging from fabrics, yarns and accessories to knitwear and clothing.
At Première Vision Fabrics, A. Sampaio& Filhos, Albano Morgado, Cotex, Fitecom, Joaps, Lemar, Living Colours & A Fiandeira, LMA – Altecno, Luíz Azevedo&Filhos, Lurdes Sampaio, NGS Malhas, Sidónios Knitwear, Tintex and Troficolor, will unveil the latest creations “made in Portugal” for the 2017 Spring/Summer season.
New developments in lace featuring innovative combinations of geometric and floral patterns, plenty of sheen and textured materials created by application of foils, and intentional blending of fibres are the main highlights of the collection to be presented by Cotex Laces, inspired by the colour trends for Spring/Summer 2016/17. «We chose this trade show because it is the most international event of its kind, bringing together every segment of the ready-to-wear and lingerie markets – our target – besides serving as an interface between the most important countries of the fashion world. This is Cotex’s second time at the event; our goal this year is to secure the loyalty of clients acquired at the last edition, seek out new segments (from haute couture to mass distribution), expand our network of contacts and agents in various countries, and build our presence. We intend to become a permanent fixture of the show, recognised for the distinctive quality and innovation we offer in the lace sector and raising Portugal’s profile as a country with enormous potential in relation to this most noble of materials», explains Milena Raposinho, coordinator of the company’s export division.
With its sights set on Spring/Summer 2017, Lemar will exhibit a collection comprising plain, striped, checked and printed bath fabrics, as well as fabrics for bags, backpacks, shoes and meshes for various purposes. «Our main objective is to forge new contacts, but we also hope to welcome existing clients and boost business volumes», says Fátima Silva, an assistant manager at the company.
Meanwhile, Luís Azevedo & Filhos will present a joyful and daring collection defined not just by its colours – primarily lively tones such as red and orange – but also by its striped and jacquard fabrics. In contrast to this collection, it will also exhibit a knitwear range featuring natural tones and materials including silk and linen. «At this new edition, we will continue to pursue our plan, as in previous years, of expanding our company and adapting to both the European market and those of America and Asia, where we are represented by our agents. We have great expectations from the trade show, given the growing popularity of our products and our ongoing strategy of focussing on the international market», says Sílvia Azevedo, a manager at the company.
For its part, NGS Malhas offers a panoply of solutions boasting a variety of finishes and structures, with a particular emphasis on its collection of cottons, refined blends and fine gauge fabrics. «Première Vision Paris is an event which brings together a wide range of different clients, and we intend to consolidate our presence in this market», says Sara Pinto.
Tintex’s Summer 2017 collection features highly fashionable knitwear expressing a duality of concepts, feels and appearances, in dyed whites and natural tones, vibrant tones combined with neutral or dark summer ones, or vintage nuances and colours. «At the fore will be Tintex’s new product range in the field of technology for mercerisation of stretch textiles and coating technology, besides organic and eco-friendly lines (Tencel/Lyocel). The highlight will undoubtedly be the presentation in PV Paris of our latest functional knitwear creations for the 17/18 sports, athleisure and activewear market, which won awards at ISPO Textrends» says Dolores Gouveia, a designer at the company. «This is our second participation at this fair. The September 2015 edition surpassed our expectations in terms of the number of new contacts, clients and potential clients, and we hope this summer edition will be equally productive, making a major contribution to the goals we have defined for ourselves», she adds.
In the Première Vision Yarns sector, Filasa and Inovafil will be presenting an innovative portfolio.
Portuguese company Inovafil is certain to impress with a collection designed to exploit the lightness and transparency of fabrics with a set of injected and multicount yarns. «In light of its capacity to attract buyers in the clothing and fashion industry from all over Europe, attending this fair is a logical decision for a company seeking to showcase its enormous potential in the sector. We are confident that our visitors will appreciate our collection, enabling us to boost sales in the clothing sector and achieve our goal of 15% growth during 2016», says Pedro Martins, international sales director.
The Portuguese delegation will be represented at Première Vision Accessories by Haco Etiquetas and Idepa.
Woven, adhesive, PVC, high frequency and resin labels and woven labels produced using shuttle looms are among the highlights brought to the event by Haco. «Première Vision is a leading international fair; given that Haco is a global company with a presence in all markets, there is no way we would pass up on this opportunity to present our collections and innovations. Our expectations from the fair include market consolidation, strengthening of commercial ties, increased business volume and new clients», says Marco Grieshaber, a director at the company.
Clothing manufactured in Portugal will be well represented at the event by Orfama, in the Knitwear Solutions segment. The company intends to cultivate the contacts made in previous editions. «It is the sixth time we are attending this fair. The first five visits were a success, so we decided to keep going in order to boost client retention. The fair is oriented towards clients which fit our intended profile, i.e. those looking for products which stand out for their design and quality, and who appreciate the fact that our items are made in Portugal. Besides, we will also be presenting the new collection to existing clients, providing them with a hefty dose of inspiration to help them develop their own collections, which will undoubtedly set us apart from the competition», says António Cunha, the company’s sales manager.
At Première Vision Manufacturing, Portugal will be represented by A.J.Gonçalves, António Manuel de Sousa, Marfel, Oliveira & Silva and Raith Têxteis.
A newcomer to the event, António Manuel de Sousa will present its collection of ties, bow ties, handkerchiefs and other men’s and children’s accessories for the F/W 16 and S/S 17 seasons under the VANDOMA and TUBE brands, in addition to promoting its Private Label. «We have always regarded Première Vision Paris as a key trade show, and we are very confident in our debut», said Ana Sousa, a manager at the company.
Ten other Portuguese companies will also exhibit at this fair: Adalberto Estampados, Gierlings Velpor, Paulo de Oliveira, Penteadora, Riopele, Somelos Tecidos, Tessimax Lanificio, Teviz by Polopique, TMG Textiles and Irsil.
The participation of the 24 Portuguese companies in one more Première Vision Paris edition is an initiative promoted by the Selectiva Moda Association, co-financed by the EU Structural and Investment Funds as part of the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020 and COMPETE 2020. The FROM PORTUGAL project is made up of approximately 81 international activities which take place in the second half of 2015 and in 2016, covering the entire textile and fashion industry and spread over four continents, with a total investment of over 13 million euros.
