I often get asked questions like: What happens in fashion trade shows? When and where are they held? Is it a must for me as a freelance fashion designer?

So, in this article, I’ll give you a little Fashion Trade Show 101 from my experience working in the fashion industry for 15+ years, having attended some of these trade shows myself, and interviewing directors of top trade shows (including MAGIC) on my Fashion Designers Get Paid Podcast.

What are Fashion Trade Shows?

Fashion trade shows are where fashion brands, suppliers, manufacturers, and designers gather to network, do business, and showcase products. 

The two most common types are apparel trade shows and sourcing trade shows. 

At apparel shows, fashion brands showcase their new clothing collections, and wholesale buyers come to “shop” and find new products for their stores. 

At sourcing shows, various suppliers showcase textiles, fabrics, trims, manufacturing capabilities, and more. It’s where designers (either freelancers, employees, or those with their own brands) come to “shop” and find the right materials and vendors.

If you’re an in-house or freelance fashion designer, you would likely gain more by attending sourcing trade shows, as this is where you’ll find raw materials and the latest trends.Otherwise, if you’re looking to exhibit, I have a separate guide about that: Tips for Exhibiting at a Fashion Trade Show.

You can also check out my guide on the Top Fashion Trade Shows. In the guide, I talk about each trade show event in detail, the product line-ups and categories, plus upcoming show dates and locations. (We update it yearly!)

Should You Attend Fashion Trade Shows?

Attending shows can be really helpful for your work as a fashion designer, but it’s essential to understand your motive. There are several reasons why you might want to attend.

• Networking: Trade shows are a hub of industry professionals – designers, buyers, suppliers, all in one place. Apparel shows are a great way to network, but these shows have strict attendance requirements that are often limited to wholesale buyers, so you may be unable to get in. Sourcing shows are generally open to anyone in the industry.
• Find suppliers and manufacturers: For fashion brands and designers, trade shows are a great opportunity to source partners like material suppliers and garment manufacturers. 
• Trend insights: For those who want key insights into upcoming trends, fashion trade shows are the place to be. You’ll see a lot of emerging styles, materials, and technologies way before they hit the market. 
• Learning opportunities: Many trade shows offer seminars and talks by experts. It’s a chance to gain insights into topics like market trends, branding, fabric development, and other interesting topics.

But attending trade shows can be pricey, especially if you’re attending from afar – fees, travel, and logistics add up.

Most fashion designers who work in corporate or in-house for a fashion brand may get opportunities to attend fashion trade shows with all expenses paid for by the brand, but it’s completely different for freelancers.

What About Fashion Trade Shows for Freelance Fashion Designers?

Going to trade shows isn’t a must for freelancers. But they can be beneficial for your career to connect with potential buyers, other fashion professionals, and clients. Plus, they keep you in the loop on the latest styles and fabric development trends that are about to dominate the industry.

I recently did a training inside my FAST program with two freelancers who went to Premiere Vision and The Fabric Shows about how to “network” at trade shows. They had gone to both shows to source for their clients and also connect with prospective clients. They both said it was well worth it as they chatted with multiple factories and brands that were interested in hiring them for freelance work.

If sourcing is a freelance service that you are clearly offering as part of your package, going to reputable fashion trade shows where you can meet potential manufacturers and suppliers is kinda, well, part of your job!

Otherwise, attendance is purely up to your discretion!

In this podcast with Andreu David, the VP of Sourcing at MAGIC, we discuss why (or why not) freelancers should attend fashion trade shows. He also shares the best tips for anyone planning on attending fashion trade shows.

Who Pays for Freelance Fashion Designers to Attend Fashion Trade Shows?

The financial responsibility will depend on your contracts and discussions with your clients.

If your client specifically asked you to go, then they should cover the costs, including travel, accommodation, and any registration fees. But if you are offering sourcing services, then you should pay to attend.

Pro Tip: From my experience as a freelance fashion designer, receiving invitations to attend trade shows (with all expenses paid) was very rare. So, what I used to do was check if any fashion trade shows near me or if any coincided with my personal travels and include them in my itinerary.

How to Prepare for a Fashion Trade Show

Here are some tips I learned from attending fashion trade shows and from directors and organizers I’ve interviewed:

• Set your goals: Are you there to make new contacts, meet potential suppliers, trend scout? Clarify your goals before starting anything.
• Know the details: Check the dates, location, exhibitors, schedule. Fashion trade shows have hundreds of exhibitors, and thousands of attendees. Check the trade show’s website to see specific names of vendors and the location of their booths and start a list of who exactly you want to meet with.

If you’re sourcing, figure out what exhibitors have the types of items you need. If you’re networking, look at what brands will be there and do some research in advance so you have some specific talking points. Also, look into what resources the show offers – some have dedicated team members available by phone, email, and even at the event to help you plan your visit.

• Nail your intro: You’ll be speaking to tons of people throughout the day so it’s helpful to have a script prepared. Briefly talk about who you are, your fashion brand, or your freelance services, and what you’re looking to get out of the trade show. 
• Do your homework: If you’re looking for something specific, educate yourself ahead of time on what you need. For example, if you need a type of fabric or garment, do some research on what types of fabrics or materials you need. It’s also helpful to bring samples or photos.
• Pack right: Beyond your outfits – pack business cards, portfolio, samples, and tons of water! Make sure your phone has plenty of storage to quickly snap some material and trend inspo pics. 
• Get their contact numbers: Get a copy of the business cards of vendors that caught your eye so you can keep in touch after the show.

And if you want more insights on this, I also have an interview with Trish of DG Expo (before it was called The Fabric Shows), one of the top sourcing trade shows in the US, on the podcast! Make the Most of a Fashion Sourcing Trade Show for Your Clothing Line.