Kingpins Amsterdam: Two Days of Innovation + Community
More than 1,000 visitors from more than 500 companies from more than 40 countries turned out for the Oct. 15-16 run of Kingpins Amsterdam at SugarFactory. Attendees included representatives from brands and retailers including Givenchy, Balenciaga, Max Mara, Veronica Beard, Hugo Boss, Karl Lagerfeld, Levi’s, G-Star, Armedangels, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Kuyichi and Kings of Indigo.
“When I walked through the show floor, I didn’t just see exhibitors and visitors — I saw a community,” said Kingpins Chief Executive Officer Vivian Wang. “People from different cultures, generations and perspectives came together with one shared purpose, to move our industry forward with honesty, creativity and heart. The world is changing fast, but this show reminded me that when we stand together, we don’t just adapt to the future — we shape it.”
Among the new show features was Made in Espaňa, which focused on Spanish innovation in textiles, design, technology and chemistry. Participants included Tejidos Royo; Pinter Group; Jeanologia; Asutex; Textil Santanderina; Recover™; and Tintes Egara. Several exhibitors collaborated on capsule collections, including Jeanologia x Textil Santanderina x Pinter and Asutex x Royo x Tintes Egara x Pinter Group.
“Our Made in España project demonstrated exactly that community spirit,” Wang said. “It was more than a showcase, it was a celebration of passion, craftsmanship and collaboration — proof that when we believe in something together, we can create something meaningful for everyone.”
“The Made In…” series debuted earlier this year with Made in Japan. This season, Made in Japan expanded with more mills and manufacturers; a timeline of important events in Japanese denim history; and an exhibition of rare archival denim pieces from several Japanese denim makers. Participating companies included Doctor Denim; ICE; Ideablue; Japan Delivery Service; Kurabo; One-Any; Rainbow Textiles; Shinohara Textiles; Showa; Kaihara Denim; Kunosen; Kuwamura; and Nihon-Menpu.
Also returning with an expanded footprint was Jeanius Hub, Kingpins’ destination for innovation and discovery. Exhibitors included Tejidos Royo; Pinter Group; FibreTrace®; Chloris Biochem; CIRCULOSE®; LaundRe UK; Care Applications; LAB Denim; and Material Exchange.
The Gallery, Kingpins’ space highlighting the latest, directional fabrics and trims, also grew to include new developments from denim factories, chemical suppliers and fiber producers.
