Survey of the European Yarn Fairs for Spring/Summer 2011

摘要

2009 was a difficult trading year for European spinners. The industry had already downsized as a result of competition from Asia, and in 2009 it was hit further by a loss of export sales and low demand from the Italian fabric sector. Furthermore, mergers and rationalisation occurred because of falling demand stemming from the global economic downturn. Inevitably, the industry's poor fortunes have affected the European yarns fairs. Exhibitor numbers are down and visitor attendance is falling. As a result, the organisers of the fairs have been forced to look at ways of broadening their appeal and safeguarding their future. Expofil, held in Paris, France, has become firmly established as part of the larger Premiere Vision fabric fair. At Pitti Immagine Filati in Florence, Italy, a small fabric fair, Prima Modatessuto, organised by Prato Trade, was running alongside the main yarn fair for the second time. Exhibitors at this fair were drawn from mills based in the Prato district of Italy. There are signs, however, that the decline in business is bottoming out. Customers at the fairs for the spring/summer 2011 season were said to be giving more positive signals and showing interest in new ideas. Fine cotton yarns of the highest quality are, as always in summer, the staple for yarns for spring/summer 2011. But there is notable interest in cotton/silk blends, which provide a softer and more lustrous look than pure cotton. Yarns for knitwear with a silky sheen and luminosity can also be produced from viscose—either pure or blended with other fibres. As a result, demand for viscose is continuing to revive. One strong trend for the spring/summer 2011 season is a method of colouring yarns in such a way that they have a laundered or "delave" look. As a result, fabrics made from these yarns appear to have been fashionably faded or sandwashed. The technique can also be used to give a casual look to all kinds of yarn, including soft cottons, linens and silks.