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The first edition of the year at Munich Fabric Start kicked off yesterday. Portuguese companies Bloomati and MMRA gave T Jornal a preliminary assessment on Wednesday, highlighting differing dynamics depending on positioning and target markets. Both are participating under the Sustainable Textile & Apparel From PORTUGAL project, promoted by ATP – Associação Têxtil e Vestuário de Portugal.
MMRA described a quieter first day, with the morning of the second day already showing more activity and some relevant contacts. Bloomati reported that the fair is progressing as expected, with a steady flow of inquiries, noting a significant share coming from Canada, a market the company has been strategically developing.
“We’ve noticed that a large portion of contacts is coming from Canada, which makes us very happy. Today we are focusing on meetings with existing clients, mainly from Germany and the Netherlands,” said Rui Moreira from Bloomati’s commercial department.
For MMRA, Patricia Andrade, commercial manager, emphasized the company’s seasonal focus on organics, going beyond conventional organic cotton. “Visitors are not looking for standard organic cotton, but other alternatives, such as cupro,” she explained. The company is also presenting more structured jerseys and jacquards with relief patterns, complemented by a brighter colour palette in line with the fair’s theme.
The materials used in MMRA’s knits include kapok, linen, alpaca, cashmere, silk, bamboo, banana fibre and pineapple fibre, reinforcing the commitment to natural and sustainable inputs. For 2026, the goal is to create new structures and strengthen positioning with high-end clients.
“2026 is a year to keep pushing, winning new spaces and customers while raising quality even further. We are considering new fairs, including The London Textile Fair, later this year. Despite the challenging global context, we remain resilient and confident. We still believe in the value of trade fairs, particularly this one, which has been relevant for our trajectory. The location in recent editions has been good, and we still have one more day of work ahead,” she concluded.
Also at the fair, Carvema Group’s brand is focusing on viscose and derivatives such as bamboo, lyocell/Tencel, modal and micromodal. The portfolio includes jerseys in various structures — jersey, rib, and interlock — highlighting a premium micromodal and silk blend. “Touching this knit evokes sensations that few compositions can match,” the company notes, adding that two Italian terry fabrics developed in 2025 were also submitted to the fair’s forum.
Bloomati additionally benefits from media attention following ISPO Munich, where it won the prestigious ISPO Textrends Award in the Base Layer category. The award recognized the JER.073.0369 jersey as Best Product — an innovative knit made from 85% micromodal and 15% silk with a special Young Skin Aloe Vera finish, praised for exceptional softness and sustainability.
Meanwhile, Munich Fabric Start organizers have announced that the summer edition will be held one week earlier than initially planned. The sourcing fair is scheduled for 14–16 July, a decision intended to better align with international order development cycles.
“Starting a week earlier is an advantage for the industry. It creates more room for planning, development and decision-making,” said Florian Klinder, Managing Director of Munich Fabric Start, in a statement.