Diverse sourcing is a necessary industry trend and investors see Egypt as the next denim production hotspot.

One Italian denim mill that saw a boom and then bust as the denim industry’s fate evolved with the rise of jeans and the introduction of free trade

As the two-year mark approaches and stakeholders push for more, UFLPA’s effectiveness depends on who you ask

At the heart of SFI’s operations lies a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and reliability through experience.

Our system partnership bans harmful practices and fosters a commitment to broader social and environmental responsibility

The B Corp certified leader producing premium denim fabrics and garments presents new concepts across two booths, each with its own unique features to explore.

Vertically integrated fabric manufacturer Textil Santanderina partnered with Ananas Anam to develop new sustainable pineapple fiber-based products.

Jerome Dahan, founder of Citizens of Humanity and 7 for All Mankind, on the thrill of building brands and the bewildering state of the market.

The heart of denim in Egypt focuses on maintaining facilities, training and services at a world class level

Keeping the numbers up while making an impact in high fashion and sustainable production, leading denim and flat fabric producer Sharabati shows how it is done.

Through a flexible business model and a stable sourcing location, the trouser supplier enables retail partners to execute on small-order, quick-turn strategies.

A denim mill committed to continuous improvement across a broad spectrum of environmental goals.

Many of the denim industry’s 2025 sustainability commitments are not aging well. How can we accelerate ahead of 2030?

The Turkish denim mill leans into innovation to accelerate denim’s movement toward responsible production.

Denim Dudes’ Shannon Reddy shares what insiders love most about the city that never sleeps.

Mills are diversifying through owned operations overseas— which comes with both opportunities and challenges

Why Transformers Foundation says the industry’s misguided approach to reducing emissions is pitting brands against suppliers—and putting the planet in jeopardy

t’s a big one for Kingpins as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, as well as 10 years in Amsterdam. Plus, we head back to China in May. There’s a lot to celebrate and it seems especially fitting that we’re ushering not only the year of the Dragon, but the year of the Blue Dragon.

Looking for information about the global cotton market? We’ve compiled it for you. Everything from a ranking of the largest cotton-growing nations to the average farm size around the world to how much organic cotton is grown — it’s all here at your fingertips.

More than 700 visitors representing more than 300 companies from 17 countries turned out to brave the chilly January weather for Kingpins New York at Pier 36/Basketball City.

Industry leaders reflect on their 2023 wins and their aspirations for the year ahead

Despite shrinking orders, the trims market is under pressure to deliver verifiably sustainable product that wows—at increasingly competitive prices

Inflation is the latest factor pushing living wages further out of reach—how will the denim industry respond?

How minimum wages, which are up on paper, have tumbled in priority in practice

The NYC show is in two days! Kingpins Show is happening Jan 24-25, 2024 at Basketball City. Meet our new exhibitors.

How merchants are dealing with inflation, inventory and an influx of negative news heading into 2024

One wonders incredulously while life costs more than in the 80s, how on earth prices are so much lower today for denim fabric?

As the denim industry looks ahead to 2024, the winners will be those that are laser focused on the tiers, silhouettes and product attributes consumers are responding to most.

Emessa Denim expands to the U.S. market with a commitment to employ new ways to achieve greater sustainability.

Sapphire Mills stands out as a true Fabric and Apparel Powerhouse that seamlessly weaves together style, sustainability, and innovation.

In its landmark 70th year anniversary, ORTA’s newest collection is leading the way towards 100% regenerative eco-bold denim.

Discover bluesign® Denim, your roadmap to a less impactful, more responsible industry.

Artistic Milliners expands on its proven track record of sustainability initiatives in clean energy, organic cotton, and regenerative agriculture at the Kingpins show.

We’re heading back to New York this month and hope to see you there! The Kingpins New York seminar program and exhibitor roster are now live!

In 2019, my friend Scott Morrison made a pilot for what he hoped would be a series of shows about jeans. I called Scott recently to talk about it.

Three years after their 2020 report on ethical behavior in the supply chain, Transformers are exploring what has changed and what hasn’t.

Vivian Wang, Kingpins Managing Director & Global Sales Manager, takes a look at what’s on the horizon in 2024.

All of us at Kingpins want to share the very sad news of the passing of our own Miguel Sánchez.

We will be back in New York City for the Jan. 24 – 25, 2024 run of Kingpins Show at Pier 36 / Basketball City.

We’ve just wrapped our pop-up event in Hong Kong. We had a fantastic time and we loved seeing everyone turn out. Check out the images here.

Kingpins founder Andrew Olah is in a contemplative mood about the state of the world at large and how we want the future to unfold.

Discover Denim Dudes latest report for the SS25/26 season comprised of 4 stories, Future Atelier, Embody, Low-Key Flex & Resurgence.

Transformers has updated their 2021 report: “Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation” with the latest data from ICAC, Bayer Crop Science, and the FAO.

The Amsterdam show is next week! Kingpins Show is happening Oct. 18 – 19, 2023 at the SugarFactory.

Did you hear the news? We’re headed back to Hong Kong to host a special Pop-Up event on Nov. 6 – 7, 2023, at The Mills Fabrica. Then we’re back in New York City Jan. 24 – 25, 2024 at Pier 36 / Basketball City.

Denim Dudes’ Shannon Reddy shares what insiders love most about Europe’s denim capital.

The demand for deadstock is clear – and our new collection demonstrates just what’s possible with these excess materials.

How artificial intelligence is poised to transform denim design—as well as the role of the designer.

The U.S., EU, and the U.K. imported $10 billion of jeans in 2022, 10% lower than pre-pandemic levels.

The short-term prognosis is not good, but concrete developments will hopefully translate into tangible benefits.

We hope Kingpins Quarterly will be something you like to read, visually, viscerally and intellectually (VVI).

How denim is balancing inflation against its ESG goals—and who’s paying the price

Once regarded as the denim world’s unrivaled European capital, Amsterdam has faced challenges recently, raising questions about the future of the Dutch denim industry.

Brands that want to build loyalty and repeat business must improve how they interact with shoppers after they complete a purchase.

Thanks to the U.S.-China trade war, forced labor concerns in the Uyghur region and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, nearshoring finally has the potential to maybe, possibly take hold. And Mexico could be a big beneficiary.

These days, internet-enabled devices and virtual assistants are fairly commonplace — most people are familiar with voice-enabled GPS navigation. Founder Andrew Olah shares some intriguing news about a new piece of technology tailor-made for our industry in this month’s Founder’s Letter.

Podcast hosts Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala, of the All Consuming podcast on BBC Radio 4, look at the longstanding appeal of blue jeans. They talk to a number of diehard denim heads and come to the conclusion that denim is forever.

Thank you to the Wall Street Journal for making this video — we’re calling it Xinjiang cotton for dummies — anyone can understand the issue now.

Join us in Amsterdam on October 17th! Whether you’re at the helm of sales, scouting for a global brand, or a sustainability guru, the tides of legislation are changing, and you’re at the heart of it.

It’s a fairly universal opinion that travel is more enjoyable if you aren’t lugging around a giant suitcase. In this month’s founder’s letter, Andrew Olah shares a story about an interesting new test project run by Japan Airlines and how it connects to the overconsumption in the apparel industry.

So much denim (and denim-adjacent) news to share, from investigations into the history of indigo and the economic benefits of an old (and well-made) pair of jeans to a look at the next frontier for denim and news about an investment in an eco-alternative to petroleum pigments.

The results from the cotton transparency poll in last month’s founder’s letter are in. They are surprising and bode well for our industry’s future. His message can be found here.

On July 18, Kingpins and Messe Frankfurt together announced that we agreed to sell a minority share in our company to Messe Frankfurt, organizer of Texworld and many other trade fairs.

Is There a Carcinogenic Substance in Your Jeans? How Worried Should We Be About Aniline in Denim?