Coldenhove will be one of the sponsors of the 34th IAF World Fashion Convention, which will be held in Maastricht from 9 to 10 October 2018. This year’s theme: Building a Smart Future for Fashion.

Organised together with Dutch industry association Modint, the IAF caters to industry leaders and therefore touches on a broad spectre of strategic issues across the supply chain. From raw materials to retail and from sourcing and supply chain management to retail and branding.

For Coldenhove, the convention gives us a great opportunity to gain clearer insights. To help us better understand where the fashion industry is heading and to meet expertise and global industry leaders and suppliers in one location.

Looking at the changes in the market, especially when it comes to fashion, we believe that the distance between us and the end users will shorten considerably in the near future, and that designers could drive this change.

For this reason, we aim to first understand those involved in the chain. From there we can clarify what steps we need to take to be prepared for and adapt to change. Having realised that, we can go on to offer the right solution for the specific need.

Today’s market is teeming with general customisation and self-production, tasks that are becoming easier to do thanks to new technology. That’s why it’s vital for us to continuously update and gather the latest news when it comes to smart new machines, smart materials, examples of smarter apparel supply chains, and above all, smart people.

The quality of the speakers at the IAF is generally high, featuring a mix of c-level speakers from brands, retailers, manufacturers, associations and top-class industry suppliers. This year speakers from Puma, Hugo Boss, the London College of Fashion, LeverStyle have already been confirmed, and many more will be announced shortly on the website.