NORWALK, Conn. (Oct. 8, 2019) –Textile innovations of the past, present and future will be grouped into special displays at the 2019 Functional Fabric Fair Portland powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS®, Oct. 22-23, at the Oregon Convention Center. The PERFORMANCE FORUM – a platform unique to PERFORMANCE DAYS® / Functional Fabric Fair – will spotlight some 300 innovative fabrics and accessories for the latest performance apparel. The Archive Exhibit will display iconic performance apparel garments that made an influential impact over the past century.
The PERFORMANCE FORUM and Archive Exhibit will be located in the inaugural event’s sold-out exhibit hall where more than 130 hand-selected textile manufacturers, suppliers and service providers will present functional fabrics, branded technologies, treatments, laminates, paddings, finishes, and accessories. Currently, more than 1,200 top designers and influential product, purchasing and material managers for outdoor, sportswear, workwear, sportive fashion and athleisure apparel companies are registered to attend the fair.
“We are excited to pay homage to the history of performance apparel, while shining a bright spotlight on the innovative performance fabrics that will shape the future of the industry,” said Steve McCullough of Reed Exhibitions. “The Show Floor of Functional Fabric Fair Portland powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® offers a wealth of interactive opportunities – from vendor exhibits to educational programming and curated displays to networking events. We look forward to a productive, engaging and enjoyable two days to meet face-to-face with the leaders who drive our industry forward.”
PERFORMANCE FORUM – Fabrics of the Present and Future
The PERFORMANCE FORUM in Portland will introduce the latest textile and accessory innovations and trends kicking-off winter 2021/22 with an update to spring-summer 2021. Three-hundred fabrics in eleven categories, as selected by an independent jury of industry experts, will be presented on six backlit presentation walls. Each fabric will have performance codes to simplify the sourcing process by desired applications of the fabric.
PERFORMANCE FORUM fabric categories include:
- Next to Skin/Baselayer
- Midlayer
- Softshell
- Waterproof/Breathable 2.5 & 3 Layer
- Waterproof/Breathable 2 Layer
- High Density/Lightweight
- Active Style
- Pants/Woven & Knit
- Shirts/Woven & Knit
- Accessories/Trims
- Insulation/Inlays
ARCHIVE EXHIBIT – Fabrics of the Past
The Fair’s Archive Exhibit, produced in partnership with Concept III, will present a highly curated selection of iconic pieces, spanning nearly a century, and the story behind each one. Each garment is distinguished by its innovation in performance apparel ingenuity for that era. The Fair’s printed guide will feature a dedicated section describing each piece and its historical significance for the era.
Iconic garments that made an influential impact in the performance apparel industry featured in the Archive Exhibit of Functional Fabric Fair Portland powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® include:
- Filson Men’s Mackinaw Cruiser Jacket (1922)
- Woolrich Men’s ‘503’ Hunting Coat & Pants The Pennsylvania Tuxedo (1930)
- Eddie Bauer Skyliner Jacket (1940)
- Sierra Designs 60/40 Mountain Parka (1968)
- Banana Equipment Parka with GORE-TEX® Fabric (1977)
- Marmot Men’s Golden Mantle Jacket (1978)
- Carhartt Brown Duck Arctic Coat (1980s)
- CB Sports Ski Jacket (1980s)
- Columbia Bugaboo™ Parka (1988)
- LL Bean Mount Everest Peace Climb Jacket and Pant (1990)
- LL Bean ‘Mountain Light’ Jacket (1990)
- Rab® Glacier Jacket (1991)
- Patagonia Patagonia Synchilla Fleece Jacket (1993)
- Arc’teryx Alpha SV Jacket (1998)
- Isis (Juno) Women’s Valkyrie Ski Jacket & Pants (1999)
Functional Fabric Fair Portland powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® also includes an “Expert Talks” series of complimentary educational programming featuring industry officials from the Hohenstein Institute and faculty presenters from Utah State University, Portland Fashion Institute and University of Oregon. Attendees will be able to enjoy multiple professional networking programs including the Fair’s Happy Hour, sponsored by drirelease, on Tuesday, at 5 p.m., on the Show Floor.
Industry registration and detailed event information remain available at FunctionalFabricFair.com.
About Functional Fabric Fair Portland—powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS®
Functional Fabric Fair Portland powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® is produced in partnership by Reed Exhibitions and Design & Development GmbH Textile Consult (Germany), and in collaboration with Concept III Textiles. The Fair is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Event organizers are committed to minimizing the fair’s carbon footprint and recently announced a partnership with Trees for the Future, which will plant 10 trees for every attendee. To further underscore the fair’s sustainability commitment, all exhibits are constructed of recycled and reusable materials. Each supplier is carefully vetted to meet social and environmental certifications, such as Bluesign, to ensure responsibly manufactured products. The Oregon Convention Center, a LEED Platinum Certified facility, is the most sustainable meeting center in America.
The West Coast edition follows Functional Fabric Fair New York powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS®, in July, which doubled in size from its 2018 launch and hosted 1,866 apparel industry professionals from 22 countries in the sold-out River Pavilion of the Javits Center in New York.
Visit www.FunctionalFabricFair.com for more information. Contact organizers at [email protected]. Engage at #FunctionalFabricFair on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Contacts:
Media: Sherry Major, [email protected] or 716-662-3855
Exhibitors: Steve McCullough, [email protected] or 203-840-5953
Marketing, Education, Partnership: Chadae Bowler, [email protected] or 203-840-5845
PERFORMANCE DAYS®: [email protected] or +49 89 93946060