On March 12–14, the 17th International Exhibition of Fabrics and Textile Materials “INTERFABRIC-2025.Spring” was successfully held in Moscow at the “Timiryazev Center” Exhibition Complex. It was organized as part of a unified industry forum together with the home textiles and interior solutions exhibition “TEXTILE&HOME-2025.Spring.” The exposition featured the best developments from leading Russian and foreign manufacturers and suppliers of apparel fabrics, knitted fabrics, accessories, yarns and threads, digital textile printing programs and technologies, technical textiles and nonwovens, membrane and “smart” fabrics, interior textiles, and components.
More than 500 companies from 40 regions of Russia and 12 countries, along with traditional national pavilions from Belarus, China, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, showcased a wide range of new and in-demand products from industry leaders across 15 thematic sections—over 1,750 brands were presented in total. Specialized salons of accessories, digital printing, and technical textiles operated throughout the exhibition days. “INTERFABRIC-2025.Spring” left a vivid impression on numerous visitors—more than 16,000 textile industry professionals attended the event at “Timiryazev Center.” Notably, the attendance on the very first day far exceeded that of previous years, speaking volumes.
The “INTERFABRIC” exhibition is held twice a year under the auspices of the Union of Entrepreneurs of the Textile and Light Industry (SOYUZLEGPROM), with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation (Minpromtorg), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (CCI RF), and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP). This year’s spring exposition, held for the first time at the modern “Timiryazev Center” exhibition complex on an area of more than 30,000 square meters, predictably became a true event for textile industry professionals.
“The overall impression of the exhibition remains positive despite the challenges of the current situation,” said Andrey Razbrodin, President of SOYUZLEGPROM. “We see that even under the challenges related to the Special Military Operation and transitional processes, the industry demonstrates resilience and development. It is worth noting that the number of visitors increased compared to the previous season, which is an important indicator of interest in the exhibition and the industry as a whole. The state also shows serious interest, which gives us confidence in the future”.
The success of “INTERFABRIC-2025.Spring” was ensured not only by the well-chosen location but also by a thoroughly considered concept focused on the needs of the modern market. The organizers aimed to create a maximally comfortable and productive environment for interaction between manufacturers, suppliers, and textile product designers. Both participants and visitors expressed their satisfaction with the high level of organization, the large number of targeted contacts, and the broad opportunities provided by the new venue.
“My main emotion at the end of the exhibition is satisfaction and joy that everything worked out: it was exciting to move to a new venue, but we see that people are pleased, attendance is high, and all our regular participants are with us and satisfied with the results,” said Elena Pishcheva, Director of the “INTERFABRIC” exhibition. “The new modern venue, full of light and air, allowed participants to beautifully present their products and visitors to view the exposition from a fresh perspective. As a result, we received many positive reviews, which is very gratifying. Many also noted the well-organized business program and the beautifully designed Trend Zone, where events took place.”
The business program, which this season included 64 events with more than 150 experts, became an essential part of the exhibition and aroused great interest among specialists. The three-day joint business program of “INTERFABRIC-2025.Spring” and “TEXTILE&HOME-2025.Spring” opened with the plenary session “The Economy of Light Industry: Effective Management Models and Strategic Solutions for Industry Development in a New Cycle. Sewing Industry: Current State, Prospects, and the Need for Development.” The event, moderated by Russian journalist and TV host Dmitry Guberniev, was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, RSPP, CCI RF, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, leaders of textile associations from Belarus and Uzbekistan, as well as expert and business community representatives.
Andrey Razbrodin emphasized the issue of stabilizing the sewing industry, which is possible through building a clear system set out in the industry development strategy until 2035, developed by SOYUZLEGPROM together with the Higher School of Economics. Vera Khmyrova, Director of the Department of Light Industry and Forest Complex of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, focused on the priority support measures for sewing productions, which are mainly small and micro-businesses. Alla Sbitneva, member of the SOYUZLEGPROM board and Executive Director of Corporate Business Development at Sberbank, stressed the need to form raw material security in the country and touched upon the issue of reducing the industry’s debt burden. Tatiana Lugina, head of the Bellegprom concern, raised the need for comprehensive, systemic work and the importance of cooperation between Russia's light industry and friendly countries. A separate topic was the discussion of the personnel shortage in the light industry. Viktor Cherepov, Executive Vice-President of the RSPP, linked this problem to the country's demographic situation and reminded of the possibility of training specialists through the system of “Professionalitet” colleges.
Key topics of the meeting included strengthening the raw material base and integrating it with production processes, state support, creating favorable conditions for domestic manufacturers, subsidizing projects, and adopting the Industry Development Strategy until 2035. The proposals and ideas voiced during the session are intended to provide a significant impetus for further industry development—largely due to the regional segment. “In recent years, we have seen a revival of interest in domestic manufacturers, growth in production, and the introduction of innovative technologies,” noted Inna Svyatenko, Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council. “The light industry has come a long way and is an important segment of our country’s economy, capable of responding to the challenges of the times. Most importantly, the exhibition presents regional diversity, giving special value to local brands and products.”
A significant event of the spring session of “INTERFABRIC” was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Alliance of Business Structures and Entrepreneurs of Southeast Asian Countries (B2BASEAN). The document primarily concerns the textile and sewing industry, covering trade and industry cooperation, regular information exchange, assistance to member companies in their business interests, participation in and visiting trade exhibitions, and more.
During the three days of the exhibition, a large number of events were organized, almost all held in packed halls. Once again, “INTERFABRIC” served as a platform for the scientific and practical conference “Technical Textiles and Nonwovens: Problems, Opportunities, Prospects”, held as part of SOYUZLEGPROM’s national industry congress events complex “Industry Science and Production.” Participants discussed the use of non-traditional fillers in innovative nonwoven materials, the application of nonwoven-based composites in various industries, the use of eco-friendly, fire- and bio-protected nonwovens in medicine, the basics of designing multifunctional fiber systems under production intellectualization, and other relevant industry topics.
A large segment of the events was dedicated to the development of Russian brands, including their interaction with folk arts and crafts, highlighted in the expert session “Traditions in Trend: Development of Light Industry through Folk Arts and Crafts and Creative Industries”. Experts discussed the new law “On the Development of Creative Industries” effective from February 5, 2025, and presented successful project cases, social media promotion recommendations, and marketing in creative industries.
Brand development strategies were thoroughly explored in the business session “Future TREND Lab: Development Strategies”, which daily gathered many interested visitors to discuss business trends, hypotheses, marketing issues, and other topical matters. The event featured the presentation of Trend Guide´26, a vivid publication reflecting extensive work by Olga Gushchina’s team—a brand strategist, marketing expert in visual communications and trend values for brands, and trend analyst. Trend Guide included the works of “INTERFABRIC-2025.Spring” exhibitors, demonstrated at company stands and reflecting the latest seasonal trends in various directions. Notably, this spring’s debut of Trend Guide will become a permanent tradition of the exhibition: the project was so successful that it was decided to release it every season.
Trends in textile design received special attention in the business program this season. In addition to the traditional lecture “Textile Design Trends, SS26 Season” by Solstudio Textile Group experts, which explored future season textile paradoxes, AI-color, and offline tactility as opposition to the digital world, a practical session titled “Fabric in the Modern Trend Mechanism. Study Based on Specific Trends of the Upcoming Fall” was held, conducted by Andrey Abolenkin, a fashion analyst and one of Russia's leading fashion specialists. Participants immersed themselves in the world of modern fashion and design trends in the textile industry, learning about the factors influencing trend formation and why fabric becomes the central element of this dynamic process.
Another highlight was the case session “Fabrics for Designers: The Problem of Search and Selection. Review of Fabrics Presented at the Exhibition”, where designer Igor Gulyaev and Tatyana Volkova, CEO of “Rutkani,” urged manufacturers to expand their range by using natural raw materials or significantly improving synthetic material quality. Participants evaluated fabrics presented at the exhibition and analyzed current trends in the textile industry. Additionally, Igor Gulyaev, founder of the fashion house IGOR GULYAEV, shared practical advice on material selection.
A feature of the spring session was active work with young designers, for whom special workshops and contests were organized to support and develop the creative potential of future textile professionals. On the second day of the exhibition, winners of the international textile design contest Textile Design Talents Solstudio Award 2025 were announced. The contest, held for the eighth year by Solstudio Textile Group and SOYUZLEGPROM with support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the “INTERFABRIC” exhibition, reviewed over 1,500 works by 183 young designers from 9 countries. The professional jury, including SOYUZLEGPROM President Andrey Razbrodin and Solstudio Textile Group founder Alexandra Kaloshina, as well as recognized textile design and fashion experts, selected 20 finalists and three winners. For the first time, the contest included textile designs created using artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence, firmly integrated into all life spheres, including the textile industry, naturally became another key topic of the business program. Among AI-related events, the case session “Artificial Intelligence in Fashion Marketing: How to Effectively Use AI for Successful Brand Development. A World of the Future or a Human Approach” took a notable place. Annet Reshetova, founder of PR BAR agency, discussed with participants AI’s role in the fashion industry, its opportunities, and the balance between human and robotic resources.
The season also featured the traditional “Interfabric Award – 2025.Spring” ceremony—a professional competition held twice a year by SOYUZLEGPROM in cooperation with Solstudio Textile Group, a leader in textile design. The Interfabric Awards categories traditionally align with the trend categories in the exhibition’s Trend Zone, originally conceptualized by designer, decorator, and TEXTILE&HOME art director Kirill Lopatinsky. The winners were: “Structures and Surfaces” – Sverdlovsk Worsted Mill (Russia), “Finishing and Decoration” – Mogotex (Republic of Belarus), “Fabric Pattern” – Yaroslavl Knitting Factory (Russia), “Sustainable Development” – Shaoxing Yimi Textile Technology (China).
As part of the unified industry forum, the Trend Zone also hosted a series of events dedicated to home textiles and interior design—core areas of “TEXTILE&HOME-2025.Spring.”
“The spring exhibition, though not as large as the previous one, was a great success”, summarizes Elena Pishcheva. “But we are moving forward and need much larger spaces: almost 50% of exhibitors confirmed their participation in the next season by the end of the exhibition, and 30% did so even before the exhibition; moreover, many foreign partners from various countries visited us during these days—those who have not yet participated but already want to book spaces for the autumn. All this shows that we are on the right track. Therefore, next season, we look forward to welcoming all our partners and friends at ‘Crocus Expo,’ whose capacity will allow us to meet the needs and desires of both our participants and visitors even more”.
The next “INTERFABRIC” exhibition will be held from August 26 to 28 at the “Crocus Expo” Exhibition Center in the format of a GENERAL TEXTILE AND LIGHT INDUSTRY EXHIBITION.
“In autumn, the ‘INTERFABRIC’ exhibition will take place in a new format, uniting all areas of the textile and light industry”, adds Andrey Razbrodin. “This is a unique opportunity for all market participants—from raw material producers to designers, from equipment suppliers to footwear and accessories manufacturers—to find their place in a unified space. We strive to create a platform that becomes a symbol of unity and innovation in the industry, showing that only joint efforts can lead to success in our dynamic sector”.
We thank everyone for their interest in our project and are confident that the autumn exhibition will become an even larger and more significant event for the textile industry, and the new exhibition format will exceed all expectations of both participants and visitors.
See you at “INTERFABRIC” on August 26–28 at “Crocus Expo”!
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