Panos Sofianos on Reimagining Denim at Munich Fabric Start
Denim industry veteran Panos Sofianos and the Bluezone team has been working on the introduction of a new denim concept this year at textile trade show Munich Fabric Start (Aug. 30-Sept. 1). In April, Sofianos was brought on as the manager of Bluezone, Munich Fabric Start’s denim area, as well as new business.
The major change this year will be the introduction of two new halls. The KEYHOUSE in hall 5 will be dedicated to innovation, technology and sustainability to serve as a link between the best developments from suppliers of the main show and Bluezone.
Furthermore, the Bluezone will be expanded by a new hall being staged in two halls now. Sofianos explained that Munich Fabric Start chose this year to revise their denim concept, as the market has been flourishing. The show has always incorporated denim mills from many parts of the world, with diverse product offerings and could even enlarge the portfolio to two exhibition halls. With the enlarged space of two halls, BLUEZONE can meet the huge demand of over 100 suppliers to present their latest developments in Munich at this point in time.
The main BLUEZONE area, the All Star Mills in hall 7, is the stage for well-established players and service providers to showcase an international premium portfolio including Artistic Milliners, Atlantic Mills, Orta, Bossa, Calik, Naveena, Denim Authority, Metalbottoni, Piovese, Denim Expert or Azgard 9 to name but a few.
The Catalyzer puts denim heritage and blue prints from brands with a focus on sustainability and history in a special limelight including Candiani, Berto, ITV, Arvind Khadi Denim, Cone Denim, Okinawa, Swift Denim or Blue 1925 beyond further brands.
The KEYHOUSE “represents all about the future” said Sofianos. It will feature high-tech fibers, smart textiles, wearable apparel companies and conductive fibers, adding app. 1,000 square meters (10,760-square-feet) to the existing show space. The goal for this area is to get presenters on the cutting edge of technology and apparel. Companies in this area will include Mud Jeans, Archroma and Lenzing, Remo, Recover, Bolid’ster, Sourcebook in cooperation with Fablab Berlin, Elektrocouture and Mantis Green Tech, Santoni, Tonello, Unitin, Design for Circularity, Bluesign or Toyota Tsusho to name but a few.
The KEYHOUSE will also incorporate a Brands to Watch section that will host innovative companies. Each company showcasing here contributed their own technology to the process, be it as single or joint effort or in a collaboration, to demonstrate how the value chain works together to better the industry.
Munich Fabric Start will also include a series of workshops and seminars. Sofianos highlighted a seminar that will explain how to create a sustainable brand from the beginnings through the distribution. This seminar will dig into the issues of truly defining sustainability and transparency. WGSN will also be presenting trend seminars daily.
Carved in Blue: What was your first pair of jeans?
Panos: It was a fake pair of Lee jeans. I didn’t know it was fake then, but I figured it wasn’t Lee because the last letter was written as a “G,” but it looked like an “E.” I was the first victim of bootleg denim. I’m talking about the ’70s when denim was different.
Carved in Blue: What was your first job in the textile/fashion industry?
Panos: I used to work in my cousin’s manufacturing company that had the first license from an Italian brand that was working together with the American brand UFO Jeans. It was one of the most significant brands of the late ’70s.
My other job was to work with Diesel and Replay, which was my most important job because I learned from people like Adriano Goldschmied and Renzo Rosso. I had the chance to have a lot of input in denim.
Carved in Blue: What was your path to your current position?
Panos: I worked for other denim mills—in the beginning Hellenic Fabrics, a mill which was based in Greece, and then for Royo where I was also responsible for creative marketing.
Carved in Blue: How has the industry changed from when you first started?
Panos: It’s dramatically changed. I recall when we washed the first pair of jeans, and we wanted to use a pumice stone, and the supplier was afraid to give it to us because he was afraid we were competitors.
Carved in Blue: Is sustainability a trend?
Panos: I should call it modus viventi (“a way of life”). Let us consider that the denim industry is one of the most special industries, so it has to be more innovative in things like using energy, auxiliary chemicals and raw materials.
Sustainability cannot be considered a trend anymore. Sustainability is the circular economy, the cradle to cradle.
Carved in Blue: Which is more important: old world craftsmanship or new age technology?
Panos: They are both important, but old world craftsmanship represents nostalgia, something that we have in our hearts, our memories, our values. Let us be realistic, this cannot be the biggest part of the business. For instance how many pairs of jeans with selvedge can be used in the millions of pairs of denim?
In the end, the big volume is made by the monobrand stores, the private label stores. There is no appreciation anymore for the brands, and the new brands are using various methods to sell their goods through online stores, through online sales, and are using the Internet and Kickstarter too much, which means that, of course, we are coming to the question of what is really worthy.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Panos: A window to the world of blue. Carved in Blue can be the glossary and the dictionary for the designers or the brands that wish to have more information about the real and clear business.