Munich Fabric Start (MFS) is gearing up for its January 27–29 edition. Designers, product managers, and buyers will be able to explore around 1,000 spring/ summer 2027 collections from international fabric and trim manufacturers at the MOC Munich.
Trade visitors can explore around 1,000 collections over the three days of the trade fair in Munich. – MUNICH FABRIC START
With the lead theme of “Pleasure,” the trade show’s organisers aim to spotlight “attitude, sensuality, and emotional materiality” over the three days of the fair. The lead theme frames fashion as an emotional space, an expression of attitude and cultural reflection. Colours, surfaces and materials become conduits for self-confidence and joie de vivre.
“After seasons of restraint, spring/ summer ’27 marks a deliberate counter-design: optimism, sensuality, and creative freedom take the place of pragmatism and neutrality. Physical presence and individuality are regaining importance- as a response to uncertainty, exhaustion and algorithmic predictability,” according to MFS.
“Efficiency and pragmatism are shaping current market developments. And these are not easy times for us as trade fair organisers either. We are countering this with a clearly structured trade fair and a strong positioning as a key source of inspiration, an interactive business forum, and a platform bringing together textile expertise. In terms of fashion and trends, we are heralding a change of perspective: optimism instead of restraint. Self-confidence instead of uncertainty,” adds managing director Florian Klinder.
With the integrated shows Bluezone, Keyhouse, and The Source, the trade fair brings together all relevant fashion segments: high-quality fabrics and trims, international denim expertise, and forward-looking innovations along the entire textile value chain. International reach, collaboration, and sustainability remain central themes.
Impressions from the summer edition of the trade fair. – MUNICH FABRIC START
The consolidation of the trade fair segments at the MOC has proven successful. The trade fair with its eight areas will once again be held under one roof.
Bluezone and Keyhouse with “Sustainable Innovations” will once again be anchored in the high-footfall area of Hall 2 at the upcoming event- directly connected to the Fabrics and Additionals areas.
The Design Studios in Hall 4 are now positioned even more centrally. And the sustainable sourcing area Resource is also set to have a stronger presence, located directly next to The Source in Hall 1.
To provide buyers and designers with a holistic overview, the Bluezone denim trends will be integrated directly into the trend worlds built around the lead theme in the MOC foyer. This new form of presentation reflects market developments in which denim and classic fashion segments are increasingly merging within collections.
Once again, numerous brands from the mainstream, premium and contemporary segments are expected, including Drykorn, shown here with menswear designer Fred M. Götz. – MUNICH FABRIC START
The exhibitors will once again include well-known names from the fabric and textile industry, including the Albini Group, Kiki Fashion, Calik, Lanificio di Tollegno, Bornemann Etiketten, Manteco, Pontetorto, Riopele, Thermore, Bureaux Bo, Can Tekstil, and Troficolor Denim Makers.
As usual, a supporting programme of keynotes, panel discussions, and trend presentations will round off the trade fair offering. Current industry topics will be discussed and contextualised on the “Stage” with Peclers Paris, David Shah, O/M Collective, Olivia Does Design, and Monsieur-T, among others. The curator of Sustainable Innovations, Simon Angel, will offer in-depth sessions on future-oriented, sustainable material solutions.
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After its sales team wrapped up a very busy stint at Pitti Uomo, the Italian menswear trade show, on Thursday, Mustang will be at Who’s Next, the Paris fashion trade show at Porte de Versailles, from Saturday, with the ambition of continuing to build momentum in the French market.
Autumn-Winter 2026 collection – Mustang
The German denim label, founded in 1932, was for many years a major force in France before pulling back somewhat in the early 2010s following the closure of its local subsidiary. Since 2024, however, it has overhauled its strategy in the country. With best-sellers priced at €89.99, the label is now seeing the fruits of this restructuring.
“It took at least a year to put together the right team and recruit the right agents to cover the various regions. Then we took part in our first Who’s Next in early 2025, which brought us several dozen new customers,” notes Mauriz Kochendörfer, the brand’s international sales director since 2017. “As several historic players in the French market have disappeared, such as Kaporal, or are facing difficulties, we have a great opportunity for growth, with a positioning that meets consumer expectations.” The executive reports 120 stockists in the market by the end of 2025, up from around 50 before the relaunch, and says the company has doubled its business over the past two years.
For Mustang, which reported revenue of €110 million in 2024, the German-speaking markets of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland still account for 50% of its business. But the brand, which was one of the first Western labels to establish itself in countries of the former Soviet bloc, has also historically had substantial activity in Poland and Hungary. “However, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands are markets with very strong potential,” explains the executive. “We have also developed our business in the Scandinavian markets. Our organisation now covers 95% of European markets; we now need to energise growth.”
Women’s silhouette for Autumn-Winter 2026 – Mustang
In France, Mustang also launched its first “True Heritage” campaign last October, based on a digital and influencer strategy, as well as collaborations with retailers such as the CCV multi-brand network and the Culture Denim store in Lille, to highlight its history and its work on denim silhouettes, which still account for 60% of its revenue. Alongside an accessible offering, in which straight and slim cuts still account for the largest volumes and which appeals to a number of multi-brand retailers, Mustang is strengthening its image as a denim specialist. The brand has also developed a capsule with Italian mill Candiani, with prices starting at €120.
At Who’s Next, the brand will showcase this diverse offering, highlighting its efforts to offer styles incorporating technical materials that provide greater comfort and warmth in winter for men, who account for 55% of sales, as well as for women, regarded as an important growth driver.
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Xreal Inc., a Chinese pioneer in smart glasses, is suing Viture Inc. for patent infringement in the US, arguing its rival has unfairly capitalized on Xreal’s extensive research and investment in the segment.
A pair of smart glasses – Bloomberg
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in eastern Texas, accuses San Francisco-founded Viture of unlawfully incorporating Xreal’s patented inventions into smart glasses such as the Luma Pro, Luma Ultra, and a high-end pair called The Beast.
Both Xreal and Viture manufacture augmented reality, or AR, glasses that plug into devices like smartphones and laptops, offering viewers a large virtual display for watching movies or handling productivity tasks. Technical specifications like display resolution and field of view- the size of the augmented world you can see at any given time- are often very similar between the two brands.
Their US legal battle comes ahead of what is expected to be a pivotal moment for the segment, with Apple Inc. expected to make its category debut as soon as this year, Bloomberg has reported.
Xreal holds over 800 patent and patent applications worldwide, including dozens in the US and Europe, it said in a statement Thursday announcing the lawsuit. “By comparison, Viture owns approximately or fewer than 70 patent and patent applications globally, with none in the United States or Europe,” it added.
“The lawsuit is not merely about enforcing a single patent,” Xreal said in the statement. “It is about stopping a pattern of intellectual property infringement that undermines the integrity of innovation and endangers continued technological development in this industry.”
Xreal holds more global market share than Viture in the AR eyewear category, according to research firm IDC. But both companies lag far behind Meta Platforms Inc., which has come the closest to mainstream success with its Ray-Ban line of smart glasses.
At the CES technology trade show earlier this month, Xreal unveiled a new entry-level pair of glasses and a co-branded set of glasses developed with Taiwan’s Asustek Computer Inc. It also announced that it’s extending a partnership with Alphabet Inc.’s Google.
Xreal said in the statement that these and other collaborators are “owed confidence that their co-developed products will not also be threatened by infringers attempting to benefit from infringement or undermined by unauthorized usage of IP.”
Amazon is to close its long-standing Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, fulfilment centre as the digital retail giant plans to transfer the region’s operations to Northampton.
Amazon – REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
The move will affect 590 employees who will be offered a transfer to its new site, 20 miles north, or to other centres, as the company announced a consultation on a proposal to close the site.
A media spokesperson for Amazon confirmed the decision, saying: “We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees and customers.
“Today we’ve announced a consultation on a proposal to close our fulfilment centre in Milton Keynes and to offer employees an opportunity to transfer to our brand-new site in Northampton – a larger, state-of-the-art building which will employ up to 2,000 people – or to other Amazon sites.
“Our top priority is to support our people during this process, they added.”
A large product sorting facility also located in Milton Keynes forming part of Amazon’s logistics business will be unaffected by the proposed closure.
The new high-tech £500 million Northampton site is due to open in May and will initially employ 1,400 staff.