By Robin | January 22, 2024

Bluezone Signature is coming up soon and our expectations are high!

In just a few days, BLUEZONE will open its doors at the Zenith Halle in Munich, inviting the denim industry to visit their SIGNATURE show. On Tuesday, January 23rd and Wednesday, January 24th, the international denim trade fair will host around 100 international denim and sportswear suppliers, each of them showcasing their latest collections and innovations. In the past 20 years, Bluezone worked together closely with the worlds’ leading denim manufacturers to set the tone of the industry and to determine its course. With the upcoming Signature show, Bluezone will add another chapter to their story of success, elaborating on the foundations they’ve built over the last two decades.

Under the banner of Signature, Bluezone is inviting the industry to (re)shape a clear and unique vision in this world of constant change. While it might feel that the world is facing crisis after crisis, the denim world is holding firmly onto its mission to keep innovating for a brighter and greener future. With Bluezone as a solid partner, the denim industry has already climbed to unexpected heights and will continue on its shared mission of sustatainability. The biannual Bluezone shows are the perfect place to see the current state of the industry and to get inspired and equipped.

For the past few years, we have have attended all of the Bluezone shows. We’ve seen with our own eyes that Bluezone organizes groundbreaking shows season after season. Hosting the crème de la crème of the denim industry, in a well curated and amazing and creative atmosphere, Bluezone blends the perfect ingredients and always helps the industry keep improving itself.

While we will write about some amazing events that you can expect at Bluezone Signature, the best way to experience the atmosphere at Bluezone is to visit one of their shows. We kindly invite you to come to Munich to see what the denim industry has in store for the future.

Photo courtesy of Koen Kuik.

Bluezone’s Signature

Bluezone Signature will be a get-together of around 100 premium denim suppliers, many of whom have played major roles in the developments of our favorite blue fabric. In recent years, sustainable innovations have gained momentum and have changed the industry dramatically. At Bluezone Signature, major denim suppliers like ISKO, Bossa and Calik will showcase their latest fabrics and techniques and will take the time to walk the visitors through their collections.

Alongside this, Bluezone will also feature some of the most intriguing and exciting denim experts on the planet who have been invited to share what they have learned in the last year and what they see in the cards for the year ahead. These seminars and panels are intensely interesting and inspiring, and they are one of the trade show’s biggest draw cards. From previous editions, we know that the seminars and panel discussions are of an extremely high quality and definitely worth attending.

One of the seminars that we want to highlight will be hosted by Samuel James Trotman. Called GEN Z Trends and Consuming Habits, the talk will be a walk through the young generation of denim consumers and how they’re turning denim into one of the most covetable fabrics of their generation. He will provide a macro view of how young designers and content creators are reimagining denim for a new generation, and he will be zooming in on the huge current recurrence of denim. Samuel’s seminar, a must-visit if you ask us, will take place at noon on Tuesday at the Seminar Zone in Hall 7.

The comprehensive conference program for Bluezone is now available on their website.

Same as at previous editions, Bluezone will be organized as a part of Munich Fabric Start (MFS). MFS serves the broader fashion industry, providing a platform for a thousand different leading companies from the fashion supply chain. Together with Keyhouse and The Source, the other arenas and exhibits that are part of the show are must-visit destinations for those seeking the fashion industry’s absolute-latest developments, innovations and solutions.

Keyhouse is an atmospheric industrial space entirely dedicated to sustainability. This is where the the industry gathers to share the latest developments and innovations in the field of sustainability. The Source brings together 70 carefully curated clothing manufacturers who showcase their top-level products and excellent manufacturing solutions. Focused on the latest sourcing services and apparel manufacturing, The Source provides a reliable and flexible hub for tailored quantities and reimagined logistics chains, offering dependable sourcing solutions for a wide range of apparel needs.

Photo courtesy of Koen Kuik.

Bluezone’s Managing Director about his expectations of Bluezone Signature

If one person knows best what the theme Signature stands for and what to expect at the upcoming show it is Sebastian Klinder. As Managing Director of Munich Fabric Start, Sebastian and his small, dedicated team have been putting their heart and soul into the shows. We reached out to Sebastian and asked him what he expects for the upcoming Signature show. This is what Sebastian had to say about the show and its Signature theme:

Sebastian Klinder @koenkuik
Photo courtesy of Koen Kuik.

SK: “What a pleasure it is to see our denim industry in perpetual change and to witness the large amounts of opportunities growing through these changes. In this world of constant changes, it is of prime importance to have a clear and unique vision, to show our own SIGNATURE.

Together with all international industry leaders, let’s define or redefine the different signatures one can bring or refresh in the wide world of denim bottoms and tops!

The denim industry stands at a pivotal juncture, poised for a transformative evolution amidst a kaleidoscope of change. As we witness this exciting metamorphosis, we are presented with a wealth of opportunities to redefine our industry’s trajectory and cement our position as pioneers of innovation.

In this dynamic landscape, where trends emerge and fade with the capricious rhythm of time, it is paramount to possess a clear and unwavering vision, a signature that sets us apart from the crowd. It is time to collectively galvanize our collective creative energies, leveraging the expertise of industry leaders worldwide, to redefine the very essence of denim fashion.

Together, let us unleash the boundless potential of denim, breathing new life into our bottoms and tops, infusing them with our unique signatures. Let us craft garments that transcend the boundaries of mere apparel, becoming canvases for self-expression, cultural resonance, and enduring style.

Embrace the transformative power of change and let our denim renaissance commence!

A super personal and unique signature of selected industry insiders will be unveiled at the HALL OF FAME exhibition, A fully integrated presentation in the upcoming Bluezone show. We will proudly present 10 iconic and beloved denim pieces of denim personalities like Renzo Rosso, Adriano Goldschmied, Tony Tonnaer, Piero Turk, Jason Denham, Dion Vijgeboom, Ksenia Schnaider, and some others.

Bluezone, where denim alliances are formed

Over the past 20 years, Bluezone has grown into exactly the kind of creative hub that the denim industry so desperately needed. During the shows, the industry comes together and builds strong alliances to keep innovating around processes and techniques, ensuring a bright future for the world (of denim). Bluezone is constantly investing in building these alliances and is giving a global stage to groundbreaking ideas. As a result of building these bridges, each show celebrates amazing collaborations, which are a reason on its own to visit the show! At Bluezone Signature, the following collaborations will be showcased:

The Denim Deal x Bluezone

The Denim Deal, part of the Dutch Circular Textiles Policy Programme, has set ambitious targets for the recycling of post-consumer textile waste and the use of recycled materials in new textile products in 2025 and 2030. The program started in October 2020 with 28 signatories and has since grown to 53, including brands such as PVH, Scotch & Soda, MUD Jeans, 247 Jeans, Kings of Indigo, Garcia, and Kuyichi. The goal of the Denim Deal is to close the denim loop by promoting the use of high-grade, post-consumer recycled cotton fibers in new jeans and other denim garments. They have now partnered up with Bluezone to spread their mission. They will reveal their next chapter during a seminar at Bluezone Signature.

ORTA x Long John: The World’s Largest Sustainable Jeans!

The well-known Turkish denim manufacturer ORTA teams up with our good friend Wouter Munnichs, founder of online denim magazine Long John and freelance denim specialist for brands and retail, to create a very special collaboration which will be shown at Bluezone Signature. Together they developed the largest sustainable jeans ever produced to set a new milestone within the denim industry. This display jeans is made with a waist size 133 and a total length of around 4,5 meters. The idea of making something that stands out came when ORTA developed a new sustainable denim fabric in a breathtaking Steel Blue color. This rigid twill denim fabric weighs 10.6 oz and is made with a composition of 80% better cotton and 20% post-consumer recycled cotton. The fibers as well as the fabric were all manufactured in Turkey. Make sure to swing by at the ORTA stand at Bluezone Signature to see the world’s largest sustainable jeans with your own eyes.


The Ruedi Karrer Exhibition

Ruedi Karrer a.k.a. Swissjeansfreak is, without a doubt, one of the world’s most iconic denimheads. He’s a regular Bluezone attendee and presenter, and he will be hosting and exclusive Denim Exhibition at this year’s Bluezone. The man behind the Jeansmuseum in Switzerland, which features well over 10.000 denim pieces and entirely focused on the evolution of denim, Ruedi will bring his most precious faded examples of jeans and jackets to Munich. It’s a labor of love for Ruedi, who, more than just about anybody, loves to share his passion for denim with the entire world. Make sure to stop by Ruedi’s exhibit and say hello to a living legend.


SAAT MUNICH: The Signature Collection

Same as for previous editions of the show, the Munich-based design studio SAATMUNICH has the honor to design and develop the outfits of the Bluezone crew. SAATMUNICH acts as a central link, drawing on its longstanding partnership to contribute expertise in sustainable conception, creation and production. The company excels in accurately capturing the latest trends and translating them into innovative and aesthetically pleasing designs. Together with three selected partners – CALIK Denim as a material expert, Le Faxx Jeans as a renowned denim manufacturer, and nat-2TM as an innovative and sustainable shoe partner – the design studio aims to represent the theme “BE YOU-NIQUE“ by designing the Bluezone hostess outfits. This partnership combines the core competencies of all four partners to create a unique denim look for the Bluezone hostesses.

See you at Bluezone Signature!

Bluezone Signature is around the corner, and it promises to continue where it ended the previous ConneXXion edition in the summer last year. Bluezone will continue its important mission to purify the denim industry by promoting the industries’ latest collections and green innovations and developments. You might need to see the latest denim collections of hundreds of premium denim manufacturers, but if you don’t, the creative atmosphere and the deeply engaging lectures and seminars provide enough reason on their own to attend the show!

Bluezone Signature will open its doors on Tuesday, January 23rd and Wednesday, January 24th at the amazing Zenith Halle in Munich, Germany. All visitors need to register upon arrival, which is free of charge and can be done here. We hope to see you there!