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With 200 companies present, MODtissimo 55 showcased Portugal as a responsible and respectful industry, a “second skin” increasingly sought after by the major European and international fashion brands. A mandatory presence for some, a true meeting point for others, there are many brands and companies that guarantee that many of their customers already prefer to meet them at MODtissimo than at any of the major fairs in the sector.
“Customers like to come here, we see a lot of people from abroad. They always come to visit the fair and it has become normal for us to arrange meetings”, describes José Armindo Ferraz, Inarbel CEO, present at the fair with Dr. Kid, the children’s fashion brand that owns 200 multi-brand stores across the country, and it’s present in 24 markets around the world.
José Santos, a commercial agent for Mário Batista, which represents several international brands in Portugal, also notices his clients’ appetite for travelling to MODtissimo. “It is an important fair and there are customers who already prefer to find us here. They don’t go to the major international fairs because they feel that this is the best place to contact us ”.
Chosen as the motto for this 55th edition, the “feel” theme also inspired the textile and fashion industry to feel the good vibes, which ended up dominating the event. Over the two days of the fair, which took place on the departures floor of Porto Airport, a strong connection with international platforms was found once again.
“It is the biannual meeting of the Portuguese industry, but it encompasses a big range of geographies”, highlights Manuel Serrão, CEO of Associação Selectiva Moda, organizer of the event. Germany, Holland, Russia and Spain were some of the most represented delegations, in addition to visitors from places like the United States or the Far East.
An example was the Japanese company Takihya, which brought a group of several buyers to Porto Airport. “We were present at Première Vision Paris and Milano Unica, and now we are closing the prospecting season here in Porto. The fair doesn’t have the same size, however the quality of the fabrics, the finishes and the fitting is very good among Portuguese exhibitors ”, stresses Taishi Nakagawa, Takihya buyer, who was in Portugal looking for fabric suppliers for fashion collections.
Miguel Porfírio, AICEP delegate in the Netherlands, even points out “a paradigm shift” in relation to the oldest textile show on the Iberian Peninsula. “Mouth to mouth marketing is very important, and more and more companies are contacting us and asking for information about MODtissimo. Nowadays, they take the initiative ”, he explains.
Private label manufacturers and fabric suppliers are what Europeans are looking for the most. “Portugal is a leader in the green trade, in ecological production. The European brands trust the Portuguese producers”, says Carlos Figueiras, a member of AICEP in Germany. “When they arrive, the first thing they ask is for environmental certifications, such as GOTS”, adds Miguel Porfírio.
Responsible production is truly MODtissimo’s big theme. “The expression ‘Feel’ serves as a motto for the idea of Portuguese textiles as a second skin, which maintains the sustainability concerns and transparency in the processes”, concludes Manuel Serrão, the person in charge of the fair.