The International Textile Fair (ITF) is back bigger and stronger this year. After a successful initial show last Fall, UAE’s premiere platform for fashion and fabric holds its second season from 26-27 April 2015 at Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre, Hall No. 1.The trade event opens the doors for international large-scale textile producers and distributors to cater to the booming regional textile requirements. This one-of-a-kind platform allows the Middle Eastern designers and garment retailers direct access to some of the largest global manufacturers of fabrics and prints.

ITF brings together over 200 exhibitors from Italy, Portugal, Turkey, India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and other international markets. Encouraged by the fantastic response to ITF’s initial event, many past exhibitors have returned to exhibit at the April show. Kurt Jaga, Managing Director of leading Italian fabric manufacturer Tessuto Italiano, is a returning exhibitor who sees the growth potential that ITF brings to the region. He states; “The International Textile Fair is a great platform from which to propel our growth within the Middle East markets and we look forward to continued participation in the show for the coming seasons.” While exhibitor spots have been filling up quick, the fair is still open to desiring entrants, who can register online at http://www.internationaltextilefair.com/

This season ITF is collaborating with distinguished fashion and trend experts to support regional designers with exclusive workshops and seminars on trend and color forecasts for Autumn Winter 2016. The format is particularly beneficial to design students and younger designers who can benefit from information otherwise confined to global textile shows. ITF has teamed up with the prestigious color and trend-forecasting agencies, Pantone and Nelly Rodi respectively, offering updated industry insight to visitors of the show. The organizers also plan on an extremely interactive fair with creative zones placed within the show area featuring modest fashion designs and wearable art.

A show such as ITF is much needed in the region as Dubai continues to see robust growth in the textile industry.Today U.A.E.is the world’s fourth largest trading centre of fashion and apparel, with the presence of about 150 apparel manufacturing companies that account for about 5.5 per cent of the world’s annual textile and clothing sales. By 2016, the country is set to become the world’s leading high-end textile and garment re-export centre with a current annual cumulative growth rate of 4 per cent.

Texmas, the Textile Merchants Group that represents 800 Dubai wholesale textile traders has lent its support to the fair andITF’s Show Director, Mr. Dilip Nihalani is enthusiastic about the event’s performance and it’s contribution to the regional textile industry. He says; “Dubai has long been a major textile hub and it was a matter of time before the city got its own show. Today, we have filled that vacuum and are delighted with the response. Shows like ITF are held regularly in cities like Paris, Milan and New York and it gives us great pride to launch a show of this caliber in Dubai. The show injects additional zeal to the regional textile sector, as international players build new ties and establish business alliances with local and regional players.”