Associação Selectiva Moda vania@selectivamoda.com
Cookies help us offer our services. By using this website you are agreeing with our Cookie Policy. Learn More

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: PORTUGUESE TEXTILES PRESENT AT THE LONDON TEXTILE FAIR

Fábrica Tecidos Vilarinho, Fitecom, Lemar, LMA and Troficolor Denim Makers are the Portuguese companies that make up the FROM PORTUGAL entourage, which together with the Portuguese companies Adalberto and Paulo de Oliveira will be present, on March 22nd and 23rd, in another edition of The London Textile Fair, at The Business Design Center – Islington, in London, England.

With thirteen participations already in the bag, Troficolor Denim Makers says once again “yes” to the London Textile Fair, as it considers “the United Kingdom, especially England, a relevant market with a strong connection to Portugal, and where several and diversified internationally recognized brands are headquartered”, explains Ana Maria Magalhães, export sales manager. “The physical fair is always more desirable, it allows to show the product and its potential, customers can touch the fabrics, and that is very important for them to project their creativity”, she concludes.

Regarding the collection to be presented in London, Ana Maria Magalhães highlights the range of fabrics with environmental responsibility – in fact, more than 60% of Troficolor Denim Makers’ products are already sustainable. The manager also highlights a new and exclusive concept, ECODENIM, “ready-to-wear denim articles that don’t require additional processes after the garment is made, significantly reducing the water and energy waste”.

Thanks to scheduled meetings with British buyers, Adalberto, for whom the latest edition of the fair exceeded expectations, is very optimistic about this trip to London. “The last edition was better than we expected, considering we were still being affected by Covid-19. We had the opportunity to meet new customers, and we have already reaped some results from this investment”, says Tâmara Martins. Despite regretting the postponement of the London Textile Fair from January to March, Adalberto believes “we can still find new business opportunities, and strengthen our presence in the British market”, especially thanks to the company’s Summer 2023 collection, with sustainable raw materials and finishes.

With a somewhat similar experience, and many meetings already scheduled, Lemar has been participating in the London Textile Fair consecutively for over a decade. “This event is mostly visited by customers from the United Kingdom, and the English market is traditionally very strong for Lemar”, reveals Flávio Dias, from the Portuguese company's export department.

We hope to meet old friends and make new contacts. The market adjusts naturally, and we have an active part of the new reality”, adds the head of the export department at Lemar, who, as in the last editions, focuses on expanding the range of fabrics produced from scratch with certified sustainable or recycled fibres.

Travelling to London to unveil a whole new concept related to natural fibres, LMA hopes “above all to review customers, consolidate the market, growth in terms of turnover, and reposition the company in the added-value segment”, states Bárbara Lopes. “The English market has always been a good market for us. We have many customers in England, and unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the various restrictions of the last two years, it has not been possible for us to visit them, and consolidate our commercial relationship. The London Textile Fair is a great opportunity to do so”, she adds.

As for novelties, Bárbara Lopes says that LMA just wants to sharpen the customer’s curiosity with “a little of what will be our trend: natural fibres! A New Fashion Concept”, she says.

The participation of Portuguese SME companies in na LONDON TEXTILE FAIR is an initiative of Associação Selectiva Moda and ATP – The Portuguese textile and Clothing Association, which aims to promote the internationalization of Portuguese companies in the fashion area. The “From Portugal” project is co-financed by Portugal 2020, within the scope of Compete 2020 - Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization, and Lisbon 2020 - Lisbon Regional Operational Program, with an eligible support amount of €6,648,794.78 , of which €3,735,305.80 come from the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund.
Financiamento