Textiles live on stage: the ‘Innovative Apparel Show’ is a new event to be staged by Messe Frankfurt during Techtextil and Texprocess. It gives the exhibitors and visitors at both these trade fairs the chance to experience innovative textiles and new processing technologies live. In addition, four universities and schools of fashion design will present their pioneering designs in the foyer of Hall 5.1/6.1 and in Hall 6.1.
“We are not staging a fashion show in the classic sense; we just want to provide visitors and exhibitors at both trade fairs with an unconventional platform where they can both find inspiration and exchange ideas. Its ultimate aim is to articulate the bridge between Techtextil and Texprocess so as to bring to life the union between technical textiles, non-wovens and other flexible materials and the processes through which they are turned into garments,” explains Olaf Schmidt, Messe Frankfurt’s Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies.
The ‘Innovative Apparel Show’ combines two elements of the programme in one event. Firstly, there is a catwalk show in the foyer of Hall 5.1/6.1. Secondly, the universities and schools of fashion design will present their garments and explain both the technologies and the materials used to make them. As things stand at present the first ‘Innovative Apparel Show’ will feature a total of around 30 garments. “We will see experimental jointing technologies, very interesting functional materials or potentially new forms of garments,” adds Prof. Dr. Anne Schwarz-Pfeiffer, who is responsible for coordinating the project at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences.
Four universities and colleges of fashion design are taking part in the ‘Innovative Apparel Show’:
- Frankfurter School for Clothing and Fashion
- Niederrhein University (Department of Textile and Clothing Technology)
- Luzern University of Applied Sciences and Arts
- West Saxon University of Applied Sciences of Zwickau
The event runs for around 30 minutes and will take place a total of seven times, twice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and once on Thursday. The South African show producer, Kevin Oakes, will be presenting the show in English and doing the choreography.
For the whole duration of the trade fair there is a special display in Hall 6.1 to present the garments the colleges have made. The presentation area is divided into three clear themes. ‘High-Tech-Fashion, ‘Creative Processing’ and ‘Functional Materials’. All visitors also have the possibility to cast a vote for an audience prize, which will be presented at the last show on the Thursday of the trade fair.
