Turkish Textiles on the Rise: Texhibition Istanbul Attracts 24,000 Visitors and 524 Exhibitors – Modaes Global
The Turkish textile industry once again showed its strength at Texhibition. The show, held September 10th-12th at the Istanbul Expo Center, brought together 524 exhibitors in five pavilions and attracted 24,148 professional visitors. The figure represents an increase of 6.7% over the last edition in March, with a 16.9% growth in the arrival of international buyers.
The event confirmed Turkey’s role as the world’s fifth largest textile exporter and an agile and sustainable supplier for global fashion and apparel. With 7,021 international visitors from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North Africa and North America, Texhibition reinforced its global reach in a context of changing markets.
Fatih Bilici, vice president of Ithib and chairman of the organizing committee, stressed that the fair “has consolidated its place in the global calendar, reflecting the production capacity, sustainable vision and innovative approach of Turkish textiles.“ With 42,850 square meters of floor space, the show displayed the entire value chain, with offerings ranging from knit and synthetic fibers to cotton, wool, linen, embroidery, lace, accessories and denim fabrics.
Exhibitors highlighted the dynamism of the event and the diversity of markets represented. Companies such as Toraman Textile and Kasar Dual Textile pointed to a more active atmosphere than in previous seasons, driven by B2B meetings with buyers from Italy, Germany and the United States.
Texhibition Istanbul consolidated denim as the main emblem
The Blue Black Denim area once again took center stage. Twenty-four leading brands, including Bossa, İskur, Isko, Kipaş and Orta, presented innovations in sustainability and design. The space functioned as a showcase for the weight of local denim. In 2024, denim exports grew by more than 12% to $273 million, while apparel reached $730 million, consolidating the country as the world’s third largest producer of denim garments.
Workshops and creative proposals showed new aesthetics based on experimental surfaces, glossy lacquers or effects inspired by cyanotype, connecting tradition and the avant-garde.
Texhibition also reinforced its character as an international commercial bridge. The fair organized a hundred business meetings that brought together buyers from more than 15 countries. Among them were groups such as the Germans About You, Hugo Boss and Rabe Moden; the British Asos, Burberry, John Lewis, Me+Em and Next; the Americans Alexander Wang, Aimé Leon Dore, Patagonia, Revolve or LT Apparel or the Spanish brands Scalpers and Juan Vidal; as well as major distributors from Saudi Arabia.
The fair devoted ample space to innovation with the Innovation Hub, which presented developments such as colourself cotton, a self-dyed cotton with lower water and energy consumption, biodegradable pleats or fabrics with ecological shine. The trend lab, coordinated by the Istanbul Moda Academy, explored four concepts that placed fashion between technology, nature and craftsmanship.
The next edition of the event will take place between March 4th and 6th
In addition, the ReValue Stock Hub focused on the reuse of surplus textiles, turning stock into value and promoting circularity. The conference program, with experts from Wgsn and speakers on biomaterials, artificial intelligence and digitalization, completed the discourse of the Turkish event.
With an estimated annual production volume of $78 billion, Turkey remains the world’s fifth largest textile exporter with a 3.5% share. The sector generates $45 billion in textiles and $33 billion in apparel, with annual exports of $12 billion.
The next edition of the show will take place from March 4th-6th, 2026, while the next edition of Istanbul Fashion Connection (Ifco) will be held in Istanbul from February 4th-7th of the same year.
