Kingpins news and archive

Denim trends for SS25: Men's shorts and fashion for global culture

The denim fair Kingpins celebrated its tenth anniversary edition in Amsterdam last week. A highlight of the fair was the trend presentation by its long-term partner Denim Dudes, which this time round was dedicated to denim trends for the spring/summer 2026 season and thus shed light on topics relevant to fashion professionals, such as consumer...

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The future of denim fits at Kingpins: 'Clothing should shape the wearer, not the other way around'

A panel discussion on the first day of denim trade fair Kingpins put forth the topic of the future of denim fits to visitors. Dubbed 'Future Fit Forum', the discussion, moderated by Michelle Branch, founder and creative director of US-based Markt & Twigs, Inc., a global creative company specialising in denim innovations, took place between Carme...

Fairs|In Pictures

In Pictures: Kingpins returns to China after five-year hiatus

Following a five-year hiatus from the region, denim trade show Kingpins returned to China to once again host its denim-centric event as part of an ongoing global strategy to strengthen its global community. Kingpins China, which took place between May 23 to 25, welcomed over 40 B2B exhibitors and 20 B2C exhibitors, who were on display to the 700...

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Rewriting the rules with a rebellious pen: These are the denim trends for AW25/26

Denim fair Kingpins is not just about denim shopping and networking. Every edition, visitors can also attend the Denim Dudes trend presentation by Amy Leverton and Shannon Reddy. The seminar room on the first floor of the exhibition venue SugarCity in Halfweg, the Netherlands, fills up half an hour before the trend presentation, with interested...

Fairs|Report Featured

Kingpins Amsterdam through the eyes of three denim buyers

International denim sourcing fair Kingpins is a regular fixture for many denim professionals. So too for buyers from Butcher of Blue, Kuyichi and Jeans Centre. What are their reasons for visiting the Amsterdam edition, what sort of things do they hope to find at Kingpins and what have they already spotted at the fair? For all three buyers we...

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Denim Dudes: diversity takes on more feminine forms for SS25

Those who wanted to dive into the denim trends of SS25 at Kingpins had to be quick. Already about twenty minutes before the trend presentation started, the seminar room filled up with well-dressed guests. Obviously, everyone was in the mood for a bit of trend watching. Accordingly, Shannon Reddy pulled out all the stops for 45 minutes to present...

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Denim fair Kingpins retains distinctive identity following Messe Frankfurt partnership

Those who entered SugarCity in Halfweg on Wednesday and Thursday found themselves in a denim paradise. It was the return of denim trade fair Kingpins, and as usual, all visitors understood the unofficial dress code perfectly. Visitors with denim hats, skirts with denim fringes, and even a dog with a denim jacket strutted from the cloakroom...

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Q&A with Kingpins managing director Vivian Wang

Trade fair Kingpins returns to Halfweg in Amsterdam Wednesday, bringing together industry professionals to network and share the latest trends and innovations from the world of denim. Importantly, this is the first edition of Kingpins since German trade fair organiser Messe Frankfurt bought a stake in the trade show back in July. So what does...

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Messe Frankfurt buys stake in denim trade fair Kingpins

German trade fair organiser Messe Frankfurt has bought a stake in denim trade show Kingpins. The strategic partnership will see Messe Frankfurt's “extensive experience and resources” combined with Kingpins’ “unique expertise” to foster “innovation, collaboration, and growth within the denim community”. Kingpins, which runs shows in New York and...

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Kingpins: How the earthquakes impacted Turkish manufacturers

During the Kingpins denim fair in Amsterdam, FashionUnited met with Turkish manufacturers affected by the earthquakes of February 6 2023. Turkey is one of the largest textile producers in the world. While the earthquakes that shook the south-east of the country and parts of Syria in February have affected the lives of thousands of people, they...

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An ode to denim: The street style of Kingpins Amsterdam

Denim is perhaps the most versatile, not to mention the most worn item in any wardrobe. The fabric in all its different incarnations has long been considered a cure-all in fashion, a kind of jack of all trades in wearable form. Unsurprisingly, denim reigns supreme at Kingpins in Amsterdam. While any piece - humble blue jeans or a classic jean...

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The pursuit of sustainability takes on new forms at Kingpins

For those who visited denim fair Kingpins for the first time this week, the entrance to the fair was easy to find from the nearby train station. A zipline of denim-clad people streamed in the same direction and even before the fair opened, a queue formed in front of the event venue SugarCity in Amsterdam. Again this year, visitors came from all...