The May 22-23 run of Kingpins China-Hangzhou drew more than 600 attendees to ADM More in Hangzhou, for business networking, as well as activities designed to inspire and educate everyone from industry insiders to denim and jeans fans and consumers.
“Everyone owns at least one pair of jeans, but many outside the industry don’t realize the level of innovation, craftsmanship, and technology behind them,” said Vivian Wang, chief executive officer of Kingpins Show. “At Kingpins China, our goal is to create a space where professionals and consumers come together – where newcomers can learn, seasoned experts can share, and denim lovers can be inspired. We’re here to support our exhibitors in telling the full denim story – and to show the world that denim is much more than just a pair of jeans.”
This year, the show was organized into two focus areas: Innovation and Inspiration. The Denim Talks seminar series was similarly organized with discussions on circularity, new materials and innovative denim disruptors, as well as panels featuring denim leaders and denim creatives, and an overview of wash and upcycling trends.
The two-day show featured a B2B space where denim mills, manufacturers and suppliers met with designers, brands and retailers to showcase their latest collections and developments. There was also a B2C space featuring inspirational installations, initiatives and workshops, as well as the Denim Talks area.
Visitors explored The Boxes, Kingpins’ space for creative collaboration. These installations highlighted several ongoing initiatives, such as the Future Fit Forum and MSP – Most Sustainable Product. Also included were inspirational products from Vintage Style Research and the Denim Metiérs by Jeanologia collection.
Other installations included presentations by Italian machinery company Tonello, collaboration between Shanghai-based upcycling company UseDem and Hangzhou-based manufacturer Dinghui Fashion, and a COOLMAX interactive display by the Lycra Company.
Kingpins attendees also had the opportunity to get hands-on experience creating original denim artwork or exploring the art of hand-finishing, printing or upcycling denim pieces. Plus, there were several vendors selling denim and denim-related products, as well as two photo booths to capture the moment.
Closing out the show was a pop-up fashion show, titled Young and the Future: A Pop-Up Fashion Show, featuring Ponder.er, Angel Chan, UseDem and Jeanologia.
