Fespa’s fast fashion factory feature, Print Make Wear, will return at the show’s 2020 outing in March, this time with a focus on sportswear production.
Print Make Wear was Fespa Global Print Expo 2019’s most attended feature
Linking to Fespa’s new co-located event, Sportswear Pro, Print Make Wear will highlight the tools to facilitate customised, sustainable, on-demand production. The feature will recreate a live end-to-end production process for sports and athleisure garments, as well as hosting a series of tours led by Fespa Textile Ambassador Debbie McKeegan.
“Print Make Wear proved to be Fespa Global Print Expo 2019’s most attended feature and it’s not difficult to see why – it’s a vibrant forum where you can immerse yourself in all aspects of garment printing, from design to print and finishing,” said McKeegan. “We want to give our visitors the opportunity to see first-hand how digital print technology, software and automation can revolutionise the production of sportswear and define potential new routes to market.”
Print Make Wear will cover every step in the garment production process, starting with colour utilising CAD/CAM, design and pre-press, production workflows, grading and nesting, progressing to printing, drying, cutting, sewing, welding and embellishment, and culminating in packing and retail display.
This year the feature will include two workflows running side by side. The first will exhibit direct-to-garment (DTG) printing onto blank sportswear and athleisure garments, where visitors will be able to order and customise a men’s running shirt or women’s racer back vest and leggings. The second workflow, dedicated to roll-to-roll printing, will replicate the whole garment production process from web-to-print to final delivery, with sample fabrics printed, cut, sewn and packaged on-site. The final printed samples will be showcased in a retail display and worn by models on the show floor.
While Print Make Wear will convey the benefits of print on-demand and customisation in contemporary garment production, sustainability will also be a key area of focus. “We’ll be highlighting how on-demand manufacturing helps significantly reduce waste,” said McKeegan. “In addition, the majority of fabrics being printed onto are organic in source or recycled textiles and the physical elements of the feature build will be reutilised at future exhibitions.”
Further enhancing the visitor experience will be a comprehensive guided tour programme, which will provide an in-depth look at all the components that go into DTG and roll-to-roll production, as well as highlighting how they can tackle customers’ requirements for on-demand customisation.
Finally, there will also be a series of ‘Experts in Conversation’ sessions covering a range of topics, including ‘Best practice for colour management in apparel production’, ‘Fashion technology and automation’, ‘The positive impact of sustainable textile production’ and ‘The biggest challenges within sportswear production’.
Fespa’s Global Print Expo 2020 will take place at IFEMA, Feria de Madrid from 24-27 March.
