Texhibition Istanbul Concludes with Strong Visitor Growth and Industry Confidence

From 10 to 12 September 2025, Texhibition Istanbul once again confirmed its role as one of the key international sourcing platforms organized by İTKİB Fuarcılık A.Ş. in collaboration with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association (İTHİB). With 524 exhibitors across 5 halls on 42,850 sqm, the trade fair attracted 24,148 visitors. Among them, 7,021 international visitors represented Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North Africa, North America, and other regions, underlying the show’s expanding global reach. Compared to March 2025 the visitor figures increased 6,7% in total, 3,1% for domestic visitors and 16,9% for international visitors.

Texhibition Istanbul proved the strength of Türkiye’s textile sector, the world’s 5th-largest exporter, and emphasized the country’s role as a fast, flexible, and sustainable sourcing hub for the global fashion and apparel industries.

“Texhibition Istanbul has strengthened its place in the global calendar by increasing international interest every year. It showcases the production power, sustainability vision, and innovative approach of the Turkish textile industry on the world stage. As the world’s fifth-largest textile exporter, Türkiye makes a difference in global markets with high-quality woven and knitted fabrics. Texhibition Istanbul has become one of the strongest reflections of this success. This year, once again, it became the meeting point for international buyers.” Fatih Bilici, Vice President of ITHIB and Chairman of the Fair Committee

Exhibitors

Texhibition Istanbul once again highlighted the full spectrum of the textile supply chain across five halls – from knitting in Hall 4, polyester, viscose and acrylic in Halls 5 and 6, cotton, wool, linen, printing and denim in Hall 7 to embroidery, lace, accessories and yarns in Hall 8. Packed aisles and lively business activity underscored the fair’s role as a growing international trading hub.

Exhibitors praised above all the diversity of markets represented in Istanbul. Toraman Textile emphasized that in times of global turbulence, differentiation

through value-added products is essential – and Texhibition provided the right stage to gain new customers and expand networks. Kasar Dual Textile pointed to a noticeably more dynamic atmosphere than in the previous season, with B2B meetings driving fresh momentum thanks to buyers from Italy, USA, Germany and many other countries.

The professionalism of the organization further enhanced the fair’s international profile. First-time participant Nyn Askı turned meetings with buyers from the Middle East, France into direct orders, while established companies such as Antik Dantel reported that the event exceeded expectations, proving indispensable for connecting with buyers from nearly every region of the world.

Texhibition Istanbul thus confirmed its international impact: not only as a showcase of textile diversity, but above all as a business hub where markets, people and opportunities converge.

Blue Black Denim – The Creative Core of Texhibition Istanbul

In Hall 7, the Blue Black Denim area stood out as a dynamic showcase of Türkiye’s denim strength. Leading names such as Bossa, İskur, Isko, Kipaş and Orta came together—over twenty-four brands in total—to present their newest fabrics, sustainable technologies, and designs. Exhibitors emphasized the value of Texhibition’s international reach and the high quality of professional encounters. Kipaş Textiles is one of Türkiye’s largest and most diversified textile groups, operating across the entire value chain from yarn to fabric and ready-to-wear. With a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and high-quality production, Kipaş supplies leading global brands and continues to strengthen Türkiye’s position in international textile markets. İSKUR, one of Türkiye’s leading integrated textile manufacturers, renowned for its innovative fabric development and sustainable production capacity, highlighted that the diversity of buyers and the B2B meetings were “very beneficial and productive,” bringing positive momentum to the industry even in challenging times. ISKO Denim pointed out that the fair “exceeded expectations,” enabling connections with new customers from the Middle East and Europe, and underlining the importance of hosting such a strong sourcing platform in Türkiye during a global slowdown.

Türkiye’s denim sector plays a vital role in the global market. In 2024, the country’s denim fabric exports increased by more than twelve percent, reaching a value of around USD 273 million. At the same time, denim clothing represented nearly USD 730 million in Turkish ready-to-wear exports, underscoring its weight within the nation’s textile and apparel industry. With this performance, Türkiye has consolidated its status as the world’s third- largest producer of denim garments, figures reflect not only strong export dynamics but also the country’s growing influence as a global hub for innovation, quality, and sustainable production in denim. The Blue Black Texhibition Trend Area provided deep insights into the future of denim: experimental surfaces, burned or melted effects, glossy lacquering, and cyanotype-inspired patterns illustrated how imperfection can evolve into an aesthetic language. Meanwhile, All Denims offered interactive workshops, giving visitors the chance to experience new techniques and approaches first- hand.

The strong presence of Türkiye’s leading denim producers at Texhibition underscored the country’s dual strength: heritage combined with innovation. With sustainability, design excellence, and global competitiveness at its core, the Blue Black Texhibition area confirmed Türkiye’s position as one of the world’s true denim powerhouses.

Connecting Markets, Creating Deals: The Power of B2B at the Fair

The B2B meetings emerged as one of the most vibrant hubs of the fair: around 100 exclusive sessions brought together international buyers and brands, resulting in intensive order placements. Participants traveled from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, the USA, and Vietnam – a powerful display of global market presence. Among the renowned companies were About You, Hugo Boss and Rabe Moden from Germany; Asos, Burberry, John Lewis, Me+Em and Next from the United Kingdom; Guess from Italy; Alexander Wang, Aimé Leon Dore, Faherty, Fanatics, LT Apparel (Adidas Kids), Patagonia and Revolve from the USA; Scalpers and Juan Vidal from Spain; POM Amsterdam and The Sting from the Netherlands; Studio F from Colombia; as well as key buyers from Saudi Arabia including Alshiaka, Brands Concept Company (Louzan), Lomar, Al Hattami and the Richy Group. This impressive line-up of global players underscored the fair’s role as a powerful business bridge and highlighted the immense potential of its exclusive networking format.

Innnovation Hub, Trends Lab and ReValue Stock Hub

In the Innovation Hub at Texhibition Istanbul, the creativity and forward- looking spirit of the Turkish textile industry came vividly to life. The future of textiles truly happened here: from smart fabrics to advanced material technologies, the Innovation Hub was the place where groundbreaking ideas turned into reality. Curated by Arzu Kaprol and Filiz Tunca the space showcased the latest advancements in textile engineering, digital production, and sustainable solutions. Among the highlights were Colourself Cotton, a self- dyeing cotton that dramatically reduces water and energy consumption;

Biodegradable Pleats, elegant pleated textiles that are fully compostable; and striking materials such as Wavy Plush with its distinctive textured surface or Vegan Bioglitter, offering sparkling effects without harmful components. Other innovations included the double-sided Vismara scarf, versatile thanks to its refined construction, and high-tech yarns like Umorfil, which merge performance with comfort. With hemp applications also on display, the Innovation Hub presented a compelling spectrum of forward-thinking developments that underlined Türkiye’s role as a trendsetter in global textiles. Art and fashion also converged in visionary exhibits: the Arzu Kaprol X MoMA dress, first showcased at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 2011, and the spectacular “Breath of Waves”, a deep burgundy taffeta dress at the intersection of design, concept, and kinetic art. Here, a specially integrated component shifts in color and light, evoking the fluid movement of waves. This creation—born from the collaboration of Arzu Kaprol Design, conceptual artist Burcum Türkmen, and kinetic sculptor Server Demirtaş—transforms technology into organic motion, turning the garment into a living surface and immersive experience that blurs the boundaries between clothing, art, and innovation.

With this unique mix of visionary textiles and artistic exploration, the Innovation Hub made clear: Turkish textiles are not only synonymous with quality, but also with innovation that inspires and sets global trends.

The Texhibition AW26-27 Trends Lab approached fashion not just as clothing, but as a cultural and technological journey that speaks to the individual’s inner world. Curated by the Istanbul Moda Academy (IMA) — one of Türkiye’s leading fashion education and research institutions, renowned for shaping future design talent and pioneering innovation in the textile and apparel sectors — the innovative face of knit and woven fabrics was explored through four main themes, each offering visitors a multi-layered field of discovery. Mindscape fused science with intuition, using organic fibers, recycled yarns, and calming textures to evoke mindfulness and serenity.Beatroots returned to nature and cultural heritage, blending cotton, linen, and natural dyes with surfaces echoing stone, earth, and plants, where traditional craft met digital design. Soul-utions put technology at the center: smart textiles, multi-layered structures, and light-responsive fabrics turned fashion into a sensory experience. Royal Hippie celebrated small luxuries and emotional connections with soft textures, nostalgic patterns, and craft-inspired details. Presented in the Knit section (Hall 4) and Woven section (Hall 5), these curated selections embodied Texhibition’s vision of fashion as a manifesto of healing, sustainable luxury, and aesthetic innovation.

With the ReValue Stock Hub, Texhibition Istanbul introduced a forward- looking platform that tackles one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: textile surplus. By showcasing high-quality leftover fabrics and materials, the hub created new opportunities for designers, brands, and manufacturers to integrate existing resources into fresh collections. It turned stock into value – promoting circularity, creativity, and responsible sourcing as key pillars of the future textile economy.

Texhibition and Blue Black Texhibition seminar program -

Shaping the Future: Knowledge, Trends, and Innovation on Stage

The Texhibition seminar program proved to be as inspiring as it was forward- looking, building bridges between creative visions, technological innovation, and sustainable strategies. In the main Texhibition Istanbul series, WGSN trend expert Tamara Cloé Leguía opened with exclusive insights into the AW 2026 trends, followed by high-profile panels addressing key topics such as biomaterials and artificial intelligence as well as digitalization, carbon footprint reduction, and financing models. A special highlight this year was the first edition of “Zoom on Fashion Trends”, where fashion expert Anna Maroncelli provided sharp insights into upcoming style directions and market developments. Contributions from research, craftsmanship, and industry – from peace silk to advanced software solutions and investment strategies – showcased the many perspectives shaping the textile industry’s future.

Running in parallel, Blue Black Texhibition offered its own distinctive program dedicated to denim, covering the full spectrum of creativity and innovation in the sector. Seminars on denim trends and denim culture, panels exploring the dynamics of the U.S. market as well as washing technologies and sustainability, and an interactive workshop format brought designers, brands, and producers into close dialogue. The series concluded with a visionary session on digitizing Anatolian textures, which strikingly combined tradition with innovation in denim design.

Altogether, the seminar program merged expertise, inspiration, and networking – further cementing Texhibition Istanbul’s position as a platform actively shaping the future of the textile and denim industries.

Market outlook and Global Impact

Texhibition demonstrated how Turkish manufacturers are responding to changing global conditions with cost optimization, digitalization, efficiency gains, and AI-driven innovation. Sustainability remained a defining theme, with exhibitors showcasing eco-friendly fabrics, resource-efficient production, and circular solutions in line with EU Green Deal requirements.

Türkiye’s textile industry is among the world’s leading players, ranking as the 5th largest producer and exporter with a 3.5% share of global textile exports. Generating approximately USD 78 billion in annual production – USD 45 billion in textiles and USD 33 billion in apparel – the sector covers the entire value chain within the country, from cotton cultivation to final apparel manufacturing. With integrated production capacities, strong logistical advantages at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and annual exports of USD 12 billion, Türkiye is well positioned to expand further.

Ahmet Öksüz, President of ITHIB, concluded: “Texhibition once again demonstrated the innovative strength and global competitiveness of the Turkish textile industry. With its international reach and sustainable focus, it has established itself as a key meeting point for the global market.”

Next dates:
Istanbul Fashion Connection: February 4-7, 2026 Texhibition: March 4-6, 2026