TexItalia Bows Out of L.A.
TexItalia, the exhibition of Italian textile mills sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission, will not be exhibiting at the April 15–18 run of the Los Angeles International Textile Show at the California Market Center.
Rumors that the show would not return circulated among the exhibitors at last season’s show, but Italian Trade Commissioner Aniello Musella stressed the importance of West Coast business for many of TexItalia’s mills.
“For us it’s very important to be on the West Coast,” he said at the time. “On the East Coast, we have [the Premiere Vision Preview textile show]. We cannot cover and be in contact with the American distributors and importers just on the East Coast.”
Although the ITC confirmed that TexItalia was not exhibiting this season, Musella was traveling and unavailable for comment by press time.
A few TexItalia mills will return this season, including button resource Bottonificio B.A.P., and fabric mills Duemilagori Spa and Neoseta/Mectex, showing alongside the rest of the textile show exhibitors on the CMC’s 13th floor. And there are several Italian mills that do not participate in TexItalia who are returning to the show, including Tessile Group Inc., which represents Euromaglia, and Miroglio, which has a West Coast showroom in the CMC.
One year ago, TexItalia partnered with the French exhibitors in the French Pavilion to show side-by-side in the CMC’s Fashion Theater.
The French Pavilion, organized by Espace Textile, will return to the Fashion Theater this season with 10 or 11 French mills. Among the mills are Deveaux, J.B. Bernard, Bel Maille, Henitex, Sprintex, Goutarel, Broderies Guegain, Dentelles Sophie Hallette, FTF Nodis and Soieries Chambutaires.
Phil Fox, whose Los Angeles–based agency, Fox Fabrics, represents several European and Asian mills, will be showing his lines out of his office at 127 112 W. 9th St., suite 326.
Fox’s Italian mills include Efilan, s.r.l, Emmeci, s.p.a., Emmetex, Gommatex Jersey, Inwool Jersey, s.r.l., Manifattura Pacini Nello,Manteco s.p.a - Mantellassi Compagnia Tessile, Migotex, s.r.l, Montebello, s.r.l and Seterie Argenti.
Fox was very complimentary about exhibiting at TexItalia but said he was not pleased with the Los Angeles textile show overall.
“I get my 30 or 40 really good clients [at the Los Angeles International Textile Show], but then I get 60 clients that are a waste of my time—the people who want 100 yards,” he explained.
Fox said he plans to host his own exhibition of European textile mills next fall.
“We saw the success Andrew Olah had with Kingpins,” said Fox, referring to the organizer of the New York–based invitation-only denim show Kingpins, which has held two successful West Coast editions over the last year.
Fox plans to include about seven of his “best mills” with a total of about 25 European suppliers. He’s looking for a downtown location such as the Standard Downtown or the top floor of the Transamerica building, and he’s researching the best-possible scheduling for the show.
“For the big hitters, the timing of the L.A. show is a little late,” he said, adding that he’s looking at the second or third week of October.
For more information about Fox’s planned show, call (213) 489-1727 or e-mail philfox@foxfabrics.com.
—Alison A. Nieder
