European Textile Show Draws Contemporary Crowd
The fifth edition of European Textile Rendezvous featured an abridged lineup but drew a mix of better, contemporary and denim designers to the show, held Oct. 7–8 at The Standard hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Organized by Ghita Ferro, the West Coast representative for New York–based Renovazio LLC, the show featured 17 collections, including prints, suitings, novelties, buttons, scarves and belts.
The show is typically co-hosted by Los Angeles–based Fox Fabrics, but owner Phil Fox decided to bow out this season because the show fell too close to other textile trade shows. (The Los Angeles International Textile Show was held the week before, and GlobalTex ran the week after European Textile Rendezvous.) Renovazio also hosts a similar but larger event twice a year in New York.
Among the companies that turned out in Los Angeles were 7 For All Mankind, Guess? Inc., Trina Turk, Black Halo, David Meister, BCBG, Bebe, Rock & Republic, Apolis, Vince, Joie, Joe’s Jeans, Plaid, Current Elliot, Idol Radec, Kevan Hall, Ever and True Grit.
“We had people showing up at 9 a.m., even though we didn’t open until 10,” Ferro said.
Several of the exhibitors were showing collections with a range of price points. That was the case for Alberto Fabbri, who represents Warp & Weft srl, based in Prato, Italy. Fabbri was showing W&W’s three lines, the high-end Black Label ($8–$18), which is designed and made in Italy, the mid-tied Green Label ($5–$10), which includes knit fabrics made in Italy, and the more-moderate Red Label ($4–$7), which is designed in Italy and manufactured in China in a mill owned by Warp & Weft.
Fabbri was also testing the reaction to an Italian leather belt collection at the show.
Similarly, Caverni & Gramigni, also based in Prato, brought its high-end silk print collection, as well as its City collection, a more-moderately priced line of basics made in China.
“We work with Chinese weavers and an Italian finishing mill in China,” said Caverni & Gramigni’s Andrea Caverni. “It’s not a Chinese product.”
Other mills showing included Tessitura Taiana Virgilio, Yunsa, Fynlab, Mario Cucchetti, Amor Tessuto, Gentex, Ellebi, Lanificio Bisentino, Metalbottoni, Linea Tessile Italiana, Draplane, Lanificio, Fortex, Cotton Lab, Cotonificio Bonomi and Lanificio Mannelli.—Alison A. Nieder
