FROM PORTUGAL SHOWS PORTUGUESE QUALITY IN PV PARIS

Divided into four distinct areas – FABRICS, YARNS, SMART CREATION, and MANUFACTURING – it is with the usual vitality that Portuguese companies return to the splendid international fabric fair in Europe, PV PARIS, to reveal the novelties and trends proposed for the Autumn-Winter 23/24.

As usual, one of the main highlights of the Portuguese presence goes to the FROM PORTUGAL Trends Forum, which chose a sustainability theme for this edition. "A landscape of a natural and abstract camouflage brushed by a palette where the associations of warm greens, pigmented with dark and neutral, illustrate the ambiguous and invigorating nature”, describes Teresa Pereira, designer at CITEVE and curator of the forum that will bring together some of the best Portuguese products. “The quality of eco-responsible materials stands out in the different areas of yarns, fabrics, knits, and prints that combine quality, fashion, modernity, and ecological responsibility”, she adds.

Participating uninterruptedly in PV PARIS for 21 editions, it is with good prospects, including the new date of the fair – which usually took place in September –, that LEMAR returns to Paris. “The last edition in February was very positive. We hope that the new early date will be a factor that helps buyers and designers to organize themselves more timely and, ultimately, allow a better flow of inquiries and orders”, defends Flávio Dias, head of the export department of the Guimarães company.

With a collection focused on the principles of circularity, LEMAR “as happened in the last edition, works hard to guarantee and expand the quality of the offer, with a focus on fabrics that it produces from scratch with sustainable or recycled fibers always certified”, goes further Flávio Dias. The company already has several meetings scheduled, and the focus is to develop contacts with the company's traditional markets – France, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, United States, and Japan – as well as with buyers from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Maghreb. “These are markets that have been growing exponentially”, concludes the head of LEMAR's export department.

Considering PV PARIS “a very important fair and the largest in the sector”, Lurdes Sampaio returns to the Parisian fair to present several novelties. “These are new sustainable fabrics from our RFIVEPROJECT project, in addition to other sustainable proposals with mixtures of natural, biodegradable, and recycled fibers in intimate or simple mixtures”, advances Maria Sá, manager director of the company. Lurdes Sampaio also considers that “this new date forced the anticipation of the new winter 24 collection” which forced the first phase of adaptation, “with less time for the production of the new collection and forced the readjustment of new procedures in the design department and production”, she concludes.

On the eleventh participation, Acatel presents a package filled with novelties, especially in sustainability and the circularity of products. “Our entire collection is made from sustainable substrates, such as organic cotton, Tencel Lenzing, E*Retrace (a combination of waste from the Impetus group, and other blends, such as linen, viscose, polyamide, cotton, and with Fibretace technology, already presented in the previous collection). The novelties to know are two capsules called “Healthcare” and “Sportswear”, which in addition to having sustainable natural bases, the fiber itself already has features. And, to add even more value to the pieces, we added functional finishes with a vegetable or mineral base, which also allows functionality”, explains Susana Serrano, administrator, and CEO of the company. Susana states PV Paris is an “opportunity to show strategy to business groups." Also she recalls that more than designs or substrates, Acatel will “expose offers, and solutions for the partners”, namely customers from Portugal, Spain, France, Australia, Canada, and the USA.

Equally confident, Sidónios PV's participation is “mandatory”, as stated by Leandro Silva, the company's international sales. Sidónios will present “a twist on some basic concepts, unique and exclusive jacquards, new techniques and possibilities and much more”, he reveals. As for the new dates, Sidónios sees them as positive, especially for the brands “since many of them would already have a large part of the sourcing carried out in September, and the fair would only be to close some pending projects. So we have the opportunity to discuss and work on collections and developments with more time and, in fact, help from the beginning”, concludes the company's international sales.

For the second edition to participate in PV Paris is Anbievolution, which considers “the participation in PV one of the best investments made in marketing as it is the largest fair at the European level”, states André Andrade, from the company's commercial department. Anbievolution also intends to expand the international sales area “to countries like USA, Canada, and South Korea. Moreover, the increase of sales volume where we already operate (France, Italy, Spain, and Germany) is a goal”, he concludes.

Magma Têxtil is also relatively recent at PV Paris, returning to Villepinte for what will be its third participation. “As newcomers, we had a very positive response from customers. Perhaps a greater turnout in the first edition, given our location, compared to the second. Changing the dates for us resulted in a procedural acceleration to finish the collection. (...) We expect it to be a fair with the normal turnout, to which PV Paris has accustomed us”, defends Joana Guimarães. “In this collection, we focus on eco-friendly fibers, and our concern is on product circularity. We seek to use ecological and biodegradable fibers, whether natural or synthetic. We work with the collection to respond to small market niches, and we value the quality of our products to promote the longevity of the pieces created”, Joana Guimarães also reveals the novelties that Magma will present in Paris.

In the spinning area, expectations for this edition of PV Paris are equally relevant, according to Filasa's opinion. “In this collection, as usual, we will maintain our ideals of environmental, social, and economic sustainability (...). We highlight the yarn blended with bamboo charcoal and soy. Bamboo charcoal comes, as the name implies, from the fast-growing bamboo plant, and the carbonization process is in a closed cycle, thus not releasing any harmful product into the environment. This fiber is antibacterial, biodegradable, deodorant, radiation-protecting, soft and comfortable. Soy-blended yarns are resistant to UV rays, are antimicrobial, have a cashmere-like feel, have an absorption rate compared to cotton, and have tensile strength”, describes Sara Leite, from the marketing department.

In the manufacturing area, the outlook is also positive, namely for the company Anjos & Lourenço, which is participating in PV Paris for the third time. “The feedback is positive. And if the current situation were different, certainly we would be better off. In our opinion, the date does not bring major changes, only logistics”, they say in a statement. With an attentive eye to the classical European markets and the USA, the clothing company Anjos & Lourenço essentially bets on organic/recyclable products and natural dyes.

In an absolute debut at PV Paris, Spring will travel to the French capital to expose “a strong offer in terms of shirts (...) and to present novelties, mainly in tailoring”, explains Regina Martins from the commercial department. The company has as a priority the intention to attract customers from Central Europe, in “an unavoidable event in the textile industry, essential for any company in the sector to be able to develop its strategy at an international level.”

The participation of Portuguese SME companies in PV PARIS is an initiative of Selectiva Moda and ATP – Associação Têxtil e Vestuário de Portugal, 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.