Kingpins Show New York Carried on Amid Uncertainty
The TENCEL™ Denim team was in New York last week for the latest edition of Kingpins Show. Against a challenging global climate, we gathered with the industry to network, do business and learn.
Ahead of Kingpins Show, Lenzing teamed up with Artistic Milliners to co-host a Fiber Masterclass for the industry at the mill’s New York headquarters on July 22. In intimate morning and afternoon sessions, we shared an overview of our fibers and had the chance to chat with attendees during breakfast, lunch and cocktail moments.
The following day, Kingpins Show opened at Pier 36’s Basketball City. Held on July 23 and 24, the event served up inspiration, informative discussions and fabric launches. Close to 80 exhibitors participated across mills, garment manufacturers and raw material makers.
At our booth, we highlighted our Saisei Collection in collaboration with Kaihara Denim and Roica by Asahi Kasei and our Application Innovation Collection as well as other examples of denim garments from mill partners.
As always, we enjoy seeing how our mill partners are using our fibers in their collections. For instance, one of Bossa’s Fall/Winter 26-27 concepts is Harvest Moon, which uses brushed TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal to create comfortable denim. US Dyeing & Finishing Mills’ Core Players concept includes Astrid, a twill that blends cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell for “easy comfort” and softness.
After debuting at Kingpins Show Amsterdam this April, the Made in Japan section made its inaugural showcase in New York. Another section making its first appearance in New York was the Jeanius Hub, which featured the startups Circulose, Circ, LAB Denim and Colourizd.
In The Boxes, AGI Denim showed how Living Ink Technologies’ black pigment made from algae waste looks on denim, while LilDenimJean presented LilDenimShow with a spotlight on Long Island-based denim and tattoo artist Jorge Marugo, who goes by Jxrge. Y2K was also a theme, as Nishat Mills paid tribute to the early aughts and The Denim Institute and Museum highlighted urban streetwear from the time.
Tonello’s Urban Flora capsule highlighted its natural dyeing solutions using plants and vegetable waste, and visitors could paint messages on the display. And Arvind’s photo booth gave opportunities for shoots, complete with Japanese denim dressing.
Attendees had the chance to participate in hands-on workshops focusing on visible mending and embroidery with Taylor Telyan and Hekima Hepa and denim garment customization with Hand Made Stone technology. The content schedule touched on key topics, including material innovation and nearshoring.
With uncertainty in the air around tariffs, it is making it challenging for companies to make decisions, and they must have multiple plans in place to cover contingencies. Price is the biggest hurdle, and costs continue to increase. This is creating cautiousness and sacrifices, hindering some of the creativity and investment that leads to exciting denim creations. Looking ahead, we are eager for clearer signs on trade policy, which could open up more long-term planning.
Click through the slideshow below to see some highlights from the show floor.
