#Textiles & Apparel / Garment
Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris opens with focus on AI, circularity and new sourcing regions
Alongside established sourcing countries including China, Türkiye, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea, this year's edition places increased emphasis on emerging suppliers from the wider Euromed region. Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Bulgaria are joined by Estonia with its linen production, while Ghana and Myanmar are expanding their presence at the event.
Innovation remains one of the central themes of the exhibition. Around 30 companies are exhibiting within the Avantex area, presenting developments in artificial intelligence, traceability, circular business models and sustainable materials. The programme also features the Texpertise Focus AI x SPOTT, the presentation of the Autopsy trend book for the Autumn/Winter 2027/28 season, the Threading Circularity Forum on September 2 and the Econogy Tour highlighting practical solutions for sustainable fashion.
Avantex Fashion Pitch
One of the highlights is the ninth edition of the Avantex Fashion Pitch. The finalists covered three main innovation areas: services, textile and raw materials, and design. Among the selected projects were AI-supported quality and design tools, digital body-scanning and fitting technologies, circular marketplaces for surplus materials, agricultural waste-based fibres, cellulose fibres from European biomass, supercritical CO₂ dyeing technology for natural fibres, and software solutions to optimise pattern layouts and reduce material waste. The competition brings together startups, researchers and entrepreneurs developing new B2B solutions for the fashion and textile industry.
The 2026 finalists included Seconde Matière, Altag®, Iroony, PigmentOCO, The Adirelounge, YAWYA, LeLabPlus, Ceylook, UseUp and YLI. Together, they reflect current innovation trends ranging from circular material sourcing and textile recycling to artificial intelligence, automation and low-impact manufacturing processes.
The finalists presented their concepts before an international jury of investors, fashion professionals and innovation experts during the Grand Finale at Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris. The winner will be announced during the evening event hosted at Galeries Lafayette in Paris.
The official opening day also features a press conference addressing key industry topics, including AI-driven manufacturing, Fairtrade initiatives, circular fashion, technical textiles, emerging production hubs such as Ghana and the future skills required by the fashion industry.















