Latest Kingpins Amsterdam Convened the Industry During Uncertain Times
The TENCEL™ Denim team had a jam-packed, fruitful week in Amsterdam, between Kingpins Show and industry gatherings.
Up first was Transformers STRATA, an event from the Transformers Foundation that focused on sustainable innovations and developments in manufacturing—from fibers and weaving technologies to chemical processes and dyeing techniques. Held on April 15, STRATA was hosted by Ani Wells of Simply Suzette and included speakers like Alberto de Conti from Rudolf Hub 1922, Giorgio Morandin at Spi Italy, Maximilian Daebel from Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Mandy Hobusch and Irene Shih at NordicBlue and Jennifer Thompson at Colourizd. With the goal of propelling collaboration, the half-day experience featured presentations of innovations followed by group discussions.
Kingpins Show Amsterdam kicked off on April 16 at Sugar Factory. The show had a good turnout, including the usual participants from international brands. Over two days, the trade event gave the denim community the chance to exchange ideas and share their latest innovations.
At our booth, Lenzing showcased the Application Innovation Collection 2025, featuring the freshest denim developments using our fibers. The goal is to give inspiration to the supply chain in terms of creativity, engineering, innovation and sustainability.
Another Lenzing launch at the show was TENCEL™ Lyocell 2.2 dtex, a new variant of our fiber that offers reduced luster and a hand feel that mimics natural materials. Dtex, or decitex, refers to the mass measured in grams per 10,000 meters. The 2.2 fiber is coarser and denser than standard TENCEL™ Lyocell, which has a dtex of 1.3. Artistic Milliners’ ArtMill used the 2.2 dtex fiber blended with wool in an Adriano Goldschmied collaboration.
On the show floor, a new Japanese Denim Hall brought together leading Japanese companies to showcase their unique collections with a bit of Japanese taste. “Considering the long-lasting trends of today’s denim industry—where creativity seems to be missing—these collections should inspire the denim community,” said Tuncay Kilickan, head of global business development, denim at Lenzing.
In our own Japan move, Lenzing teamed up with Roica and Kaihara on the Saisei collection, which uses circular materials, including LENZING™ ECOVERO™ with REFIBRA™ technology.
On the Denim Talks seminar agenda were sessions on trends and denim fits, farmers, water waste, creativity and more. Activations also included hands-on activities like Hand Made Stone and Panther Denim’s DIY stone washing workshop and another workshop from Tintes Egara that let participants create block prints with potatoes.
For the denim head attendees, Kingpins also held displays of creative collections and archival pieces in the special installation spaces The Boxes.
It wouldn’t be a trip to Amsterdam without some revelry. Lenzing sponsored the Kingpins happy hour that closed out day one. And outside the show, we had the chance to attend happy hours organized by Advance Denim, Artistic Milliners and AGI Denim. We also headed to the showroom opening party for The WIC MIC Group, which also marked the garment maker’s 35th anniversary. During the event, attendees could personalize souvenir bags with photos using a laser.
Kingpins Show happened against the backdrop of a challenging trade environment, and one topic was on everyone’s mind: tariffs. “No doubt, the tariffs were the key topic for the community,” said Tuncay. “The unclear sourcing landscape makes life difficult for buyers and disrupts the concentration on the other topics like sustainability, climate change, ethical sourcing, etc.”