Mixed mood at Kingpins as tariff talk weighs heavy
There were mixed emotions as the April edition of Kingpins closed in Amsterdam, with the denim community happy to unite and view fabric collections but the atmosphere clouded with uncertainty over how the US tariff changes could affect the supply chain.
With some of denim’s biggest supplier countries facing high tariffs into America – alongside China’s 145%, Pakistan is looking at 29%, Vietnam 46% and Bangladesh 37% in less than three months, unless Trump changes his mind again – the topic was front-of-mind, although a stoic front typified the official responses.
Some suggested companies with bigger operations might route through countries with lower tariffs, others said new markets would have to be sought to compensate for the fall in business between the US and China, reordering the supply chain, with inevitable winners but more losers. Would brands spilt extra costs between suppliers, would those downstream with already tight margins feel the squeeze the most? Would orders be cancelled or put on hold while the picture becomes clearer, affecting workers’ livelihoods? Or would percentages be negotiated down? While the answers are unclear, businesses need strategies.
Away from tariffs, the show presented its usual array of seminars, including the Future Fits with Michelle Branch, and a panel talk on water reduction in denim featuring Jeanologia’s Carmen Silla and BluConnection’s Alexander Bock.
Among the novelties this time was a section dedicated to Japanese Denim, with mills such as Kurabo and Kuroki, and brands including Big Tommy and Betty Smith in attendance. Doug Gunn from The Vintage Showroom hosted a talk with ‘Doctor Denim’ Yuji Honzawa and Tsuyoshi Shimizu, CEO of Big John, explaining the history and evolution of Japanese denim and why it is prized by aficionados around the world.
Ani Wells and Anne Oudard hosted a side talk on cotton farmers as part of consultancy The Cotton Diaries, encouraging retailers to better connect with the growers, and explaining some of the stories behind those growing Turkish cotton.
In the foyer this edition were presentations from Cone Denim’s collaboration with AMK Atelier, a study of female farmers in the Netherlands; a Tonello display, Denim Renaissance, showcasing the laser precision; a tie-up between Endrime and d_archive, which turned scans of archive garments into 3D holograms and translated them into patterns; and the Hyosung-sponsored Future Fits pieces combining vintage Levi’s and new Hyosung stretch fabrics.
Stay tuned to the website over the next few weeks, when we will report on mills’ latest collections, as well as the chemical developments and technological advances on show in Amsterdam this time.
