Kingpins New York: Show Wrap
The Jan. 22-23 run of Kingpins New York drew a mix of well-known retailers and brands to the show at Basketball City/Pier 36, despite the chilly temperatures outside.
About 640 attendees from nearly 290 companies visited the show, including representatives from Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander Wang, Supreme, Marc Jacobs, imogene + willie, Veronica Beard, Todd Snyder, Oliver Logan, Filson,Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Rag & Bone, Carhartt, Coach, Everlane, Kontoor Brands, Macy’s, Scotch and Soda, Spanx, The Reformation, and Urban Outfitters, among others. The show featured 75 exhibitors, including textile mills, fiber makers, machinery makers and other companies in the denim supply chain.
In addition to meeting with supply chain partners, visitors to the show visited The Boxes, Kingpins’ curated installation area focusing on creative collaborations, as well as several initiatives aimed at addressing some of the denim industry’s key issues, including:
Most Sustainable Product (MSP), which elevates new and noteworthy sustainable products and processes from Kingpins exhibitors, and One Denim, a showcase of the vast variety of designs that can be achieved using a single fabrication.
Key Pieces from Inspiring Wardrobes From Around the World is a continuing project, highlighting the stories behind items from the personal collections of denim creatives. Another returning initiative is Future Fit Forum, curated by Michelle Branch (Markt &Twigs, Inc.), and supported by Creora™ by Hyosung. FFF is dedicated to exploring what denim fit could look like in the future through the eyes of denim designers from around the world.
New initiatives included:
Tonello Denim Renaissance: the Art of Italian Luxury, an installation featuring original designs that combined Italy’s luxury heritage with Tonello’s state-of-the-art technology.
The Denim Institute & Museum “Denim Archives,” a Los Angeles-based non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving denim’s history while also creating a learning center to teach innovation, promote eco-friendly technologies, and uphold ethical principles.
An installation and fashion presentation by emerging designers from the Hong Kong Design Institute.
Trend agency BeDisobedient, which presented “New Denim Perspective,” a look at the macro and micro trends shaping the denim industry. Led by trend forecaster Nahuel Lombardi, the wide ranging discussion looked at key drivers and influences on current and emerging denim looks.
Both Key Pieces and Future Fit Forum featured an accompanying panel discussion in the Denim Talks seminar series.
“When you think about a better future in denim, you think about finish and fiber and energy. But you should also think about fit,” Branch said. “All of the creatives we use for the Future Fit Forum have a passion for making things better. This is an expression of what the future could be.”
Branch was joined onstage by Natashia Lunt, designer of Natashia, an upscale and upcycled collection, who will be participating in the next FFF at Kingpins Amsterdam, along with Triarchy’s Adam Taubenfligel, among others.
Other seminars included:
“Innovative Materials – From Lab to Loom,” led by Tricia Carey and featuring Rebecca Geppert from Refiberd, a technology company tackling textile waste using AI-based hyperspectral imaging to accurately identify material composition; Jennifer Thompson from Colourized, a machinery company that uses pigments to color yarns with dramatically less water; and Mark Ix, from Advance Denim, who discussed the company’s Blue Loop system that uses a membrane separation technology to remove and reuse indigo during the dye process.
“We truly are in an age of innovation in our industry,” Carey said. “Most are centered around decarbonization. It’s a very exciting time.”
There were also plenty of opportunities to get hands-on during the show, with workshops for natural dyeing presented by Panther Denim and hand mending presented by Hay Tay Embroidery. Check out highlights at @Kingpins_Show and take a look at the show photos HERE.
