Giving a boost to the Florida apparel and textile industry, as many as 3,000 attendees and several textile mills and apparel factory exhibitors from 15 countries were registered at the recent Apparel Textile Souricng Miami (ATSM) show. The show also had record attendance with SME brands and boutiques and buyers including the Hard Rock, Disney and others. “ATSM 2019 demonstrated the importance of global trade to the Florida market and cemented itself as the leading Southern US platform for the world’s apparel and textile sourcing leadership – from international trade offices and governments, to private sector and association leaders,” said Jason Prescott, show producer. Gu Xinxin, director of the China-based Changshu Garments Town – a key textile and garment city which brought a delegation of manufacturers to the event – addressed the crowd, reporting there are nearly 10,000 textile and garment producers behind his city’s annual exports of 2.6 billion “Changshu has ports, warehouses and a comprehensive professional service system that includes a complete foreign trade platform, inspection, shipping, logistics, and other enhanced professional services. The garment and clothing accessories industry of East China and the whole national industry use Changshu as the central facilitator to domestic and foreign markets,” Xinxin said. At the three-day exhibition, attendees learnt about nearshoring opportunities and trade incentives from such countries as Haiti, Guatemala, Colombia, and Peru. Other popular topics included supply change transformation, responsible sourcing, sustainable apparel and textile solutions, breakthrough manufacturing technologies – from lean manufacturing to robotics – and trending colors for the coming seasons by Pantone Color Institute. The Fashion Lab conference series – introduced to the show for the first time – drew large crowds of small businesses and up-and-coming designers looking to build their brands. Industry experts and top fashion influencers offered advice on topics such as digital shopping channels, emerging technologies that change the way consumers interact with brands, e-commerce, experiential retail, changing consumer attitudes regarding environmental consciousness and corporate responsibility, the critical role of social media in the world of fashion, and how to create a Made in the US fashion line. A show-stopping “Best of Miami” fashion runway on day two showcased the latest creations by some of the Magic City’s most renowned talent, including Renee Ruiz, Julian Chang, Luis Aponte, Viviana Gabeiras, Lucky in Love, Peace, Love, World, Bianca Coletti, Cubavera Mayda Cisneros and Maria D’Ocon. Making a debut on the runway were also innovative designs by some of Miami’s top rising young fashion stars, as well as leading international designers such as top Chinese fashion brands RAP, Wilen and Tiny Cuttle.
