Kingpins Moves L.A. Location, Lands New Sponsor
Kingpins, the boutique denim sourcing show produced by New York–based fabric agent Olah Inc., is moving to a new location for its upcoming Aug. 3–4 run. Most recently held for several seasons at the Smog Shoppe in Los Angeles, the Kingpins show will now be held at 1025 E. 16th St. in downtown Los Angeles. The August show will feature exhibitors such as Copen, Denimatrix, Kurabo Japan, Denim-Tech, Tavex Corp., Rainbow Textile, Prosperity Textile and ACG Denim. The new location puts Kingpins significantly closer to the Fashion District as well as Commerce, Calif., and Vernon, Calif., where many premium-denim companies are headquartered.
Also exhibiting at the Los Angeles Kingpins show, as well as at the sourcing show’s New York edition July 13–14, is Invista—the show’s new title sponsor. Invista, one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers and maker of the Lycra fiber brand, will showcase new developments in its four-way stretch Xfit Lycra fabric technology as well as innovations with Lycra T400 fiber, Lycra elastane and Cordura Denim fabrics at the shows. Xfit has been used by brands such as J Brand, True Religion, DL1961 and Serfontaine.
“With the Lycra fiber brand representing one of the world’s most widely recognized and pre-eminent family of stretch fibers, we are thrilled to have Invista as the sponsor of these shows,” said Andrew Olah, chief executive officer of Olah Inc.
Invista’s sponsorship of the Kingpins shows picks up where rival stretch-fiber maker and former Kingpins sponsor Dow Fiber Solutions left off.
In May, news broke that Midland, Mich.–based Dow Chemical Co. would shutter the Dow Fiber Solutions operations and discontinue making its Dow XLA stretch fiber. XLA, an olefin-based soft stretch fiber, was billed as a good fit for the denim industry, as it could withstand the harsh chemicals and high temperatures used in washing and treating jeans. Brands such as Citizens of Humanity and Paige Premium Denim had incorporated the XLA fiber into their collections. Both Dow Fiber Solutions and the XLA factory, located in Tarragona, Spain, will cease all operations in the third quarter of 2010.
