The February edition of the fair takes place in the departure hall of Porto Airport, allowing many international buyers to fly in just for the day.

Manuel Serrao, CEO of Associacao Selectiva Moda and organiser of the fair:

“Modtissimo has built up a strong network within the international textile and apparel sector. And still, new areas are opening up every day.”

The countries with the strongest collaborative ties with Portugal are Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Spain, with the USA and the Far East not far behind.

Miguel Porfírio, a delegate from the Dutch branch of AICEP, the Portuguese government agency for foreign investment, has noticed a paradigm shift in terms of the interest shown in the fair coupled with a rise in Dutch visitors. “Recommending the fair by word of mouth is becoming ever more important; companies are contacting us and asking for information about Modtissimo. They are really taking matters into their own hands now.”

This year’s motto: Feel

“Feel” was the buzzword for this Modtissimo. Manuel Serrao thinks this is a good metaphor. In many ways, it is synonymous with having a second skin, or with fabrics that are produced sustainably and with transparency.

The expertise of the Portuguese industry was also highlighted by a series of special presentations. Among them, for example, the “iTechstyle Showcase” featuring high-tech fabrics for activewear and athleisure. Or “Texboost” spotlighting examples from the biggest textile research project to date, involving more than 40 companies and the Fraunhofer Institute Portugal.

Fair, green production

“Portugal is a leading force in green ecological production,” states Carlos Carepa Figueiras of the German branch of AICEP in Berlin. “The European brands trust and have confidence in the Portuguese textile industry.” German buyers tend to agree. Martina Kolb, Managing Director of the German label Lieblingsstükke, says: “I’ve already been to this fair several times. Our company has always focused on ecological, sustainable clothing and the Portuguese suppliers have a lot of expertise in this field. Not only that but being able to order small volumes is perfect for us. We don’t have to order huge minimum volumes like you do in the Far East. The Portuguese are very flexible and accommodating.”

Read the whole article in the upcoming issue textile network 5-8/2020.