The initiative, led by Giorgia Cantarini, provides a platform for emerging designers to present work developed under sustainable criteria.
Kering, the owner of several leading fashion brands, has collaborated with Cantarini for this edition, supporting a focus on denim and responsible water management.
Designers participating in the LAB have used dyeing, washing, and regenerative cotton innovations through resources from Kering’s Material Innovation Lab (MIL), alongside industry partners PureDenim and Tonello.
The show will also include Be Disobedient’s trend forecast, with analysts offering their “Trend Picks” in the Kingpins Gallery area. This section is dedicated to new developments in fabric, manufacturing, and finishing processes demonstrated by exhibitors at the event.
Various creative projects will be on display in The Boxes area. AGI Denim has partnered with Mahmoud Kosyaem of CreativeMindsBK, a fibre artist whose work involves transforming discarded denim scraps into tapestries. This collaboration aims to illustrate methods of utilising textile waste within creative production.
Tonello, an Italian technology company, will also debut Botanical Alchemy by Tonello x MN Natural Dye Studio, an installation created with Maegan Neubeck.
Based in Narrowsburgh, New York, Neubeck applies botanical dyes and sources raw materials for her textile designs with an emphasis on natural processes.
Her studio also works with brands and artisans interested in adopting natural dye and sustainable wash techniques. For this installation, Neubeck used organic matter and plant-based waste to produce colour effects on garments.
Launched in 2004, Kingpins is an invitation-only denim sourcing show featuring a highly curated selection of companies from across the global denim supply chain, including fibre makers, mills, manufacturers, and chemical and machinery suppliers that serve the denim and jeans industry.
At its October edition in Amsterdam last year, Kingpins featured new “Made In” showcases and an expanded Jeanius Hub, focusing on global craftsmanship and recent developments in denim technology.
