Kingpins China – Hangzhou Bridged B2B and B2C Denim Experiences
Just a few weeks after Kingpins Amsterdam, the Lenzing Denim team was on the road again for the trade fair’s latest edition in China.
The two-day show from May 21 to 22 gathered the entire denim supply chain at the ADM Center in Hangzhou. As Kingpins noted ahead of the show, China has expanded from solely a manufacturing powerhouse into a culture and consumer behavior shaper. Reflecting this, in addition to a B2B audience, this event opened up the Kingpins experience to consumers.
TENCEL™ by Lenzing™ presented our latest denim concepts within the show’s B2B area. Lenzing goes beyond innovation in a single fiber category, implementing its R&D achievements with a full-dimensional product matrix. On-site, three core themes were exhibited.
Our biggest story was TENCEL™ Lyocell -HV100. High-end denim aesthetics originate from nature and leverage the authentic beauty of texture. After collection launches at Kingpins in Amsterdam and New York, Lenzing’s newly launched TENCEL™ Lyocell-HV100 fiber continued its captivating journey at this exhibition, breaking the homogenization constraints of traditional fabrics with innovative technology and redefining the texture standards of premium denim.
TENCEL™ Lyocell – HV100 uses Variocut technology to precisely control and create varied fiber cut lengths. This replicates the irregular natural texture of cotton that is seen on a fabric surface. Additionally, this creates a semi-matte finish that enhances the denim fabric, giving it both a solid “bony” feel and retro charm. It offers the signature skin-friendly comfort and smoothness of conventional TENCEL™ fibers while perfectly replicating the look and feel of cotton, taking an “imperfect sense of luxury” approach.
We also exhibited the PerformX Collection and the linen-like TENCEL™ fiber series. The three main themes focused on the core demands of environmental protection, nature and functionality, precisely aligning with mainstream denim innovation trends. Lenzing’s booth remained consistently popular, attracting numerous global high-quality fabric manufacturers and apparel brand owners to exchange ideas and discuss collaborations, fully demonstrating Lenzing’s industry leadership in denim innovation.
During the exhibition, Lenzing participated in the panel discussion themed “From Fiber to Fabric: How China’s Integrated Supply Chain is Reshaping Denim Innovation,” analyzing the core pain points of the current denim industry development from a full-industry-chain perspective and sharing cutting-edge innovative solutions.
When asked why innovation can happen so quickly in China, Lenzing’s China market development manager Ren Wenjie stated that the efficient collaboration of China’s denim supply chain is the core foundation for the rapid implementation of innovation. Domestically—from fiber, spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing to the brand end—the chain is short, communication is efficient and response speed is fast. Upstream and downstream partners are willing to try and fail together and iterate together, which is an advantage that is difficult to match in other global markets.
Taking the recent Tencel™ – HV100 fiber as an example, the biggest technical challenge is how to transform this natural “imperfection” into a controllable, repeatable and scalable process, precisely controlling the differential texture stability of the fiber. To address this pain point, during the fiber R&D process, through repeated experimental control and comparative production with denim washing trials, we collaborated deeply with high-quality fabric mills, adopted a closed-loop testing approach across the entire chain and repeatedly adjusted process parameters to verify the final fabric presentation under different processes.
Other sessions during the seminar series dove into topics ranging from artificial intelligence’s impact on the industry to insights on Chinese consumers and fashion trends. Sessions also covered manufacturing topics like stonewashing innovation and China’s integrated supply chains.
In the year of the horse, the zodiac sign was front and center with not one but two giant equine figures made of denim. Semir Group worked with TENCEL™ to develop a large horse that was seated in a lounge area, while a photo booth sponsored by Vita Textile Group featured an almost life-size horse with wings.
Giving attendees a hands-on experience, workshops at B2C allowed customers to experienced and create nice denim stuffs with varies DIY craftsmanship. There was also plenty of inspiration on view—from an installation showcasing how denim integrates into real life to Cone Denim’s display of looks from its Donghua University Innovation Design Competition of Denim. The Vintage Showroom also showcased how the Gold Rush influenced denim and Lildenimjean brought together creations from Chinese designers. Additionally, a fashion show featured looks from Jack & Jones China, ToYou, MSP, Simwood and WeiShan San-Yi and Dinghui Fashion, ranging from casual styles to a formal dress.