SIMM 2010, Madrid International Fashion Fair

Christmas and the cold weather in December 2009 helped the textile and clothing industry in Spain end the year on a hopeful note. This was the message from the Autumn-Winter 2010-2011 edition of SIMM (Salon Internacional de Moda de Madrid), the Madrid International Fashion Fair; 4- 6 February 2010, IFEMA. Madrid 02/05/2010.

The industry in Spain had a -6.51% decline in sales in 2009 compared to 2008.

But the economic crisis has also affected the fashion styles and not only the balance sheets of the industry. Extravagant and daring styles are out for the autumn and winter months of 2010-2011. Sober outlines for the day and sophisticated styles for evening wear have instead been used to “reclaim” the “female silhouette.”

Information provided by ACOTEX show that 2009 was a year of decline for the fashion sector in Spain. The good news was that in December the sector had a -1.5% reduction in sales compared to 2008. But the really bad news was that in April 2009 the results were -20.5%

In 2009 the textile and clothing manufacturing industry in Spain was made up of (provisional figures by CITYC) 4,975 companies (5,500 in 2008), 164,500 labour force (182,300) and a production value of 8.55 billion Euros (10.39bn).

The Spanish textile industry as whole had a turnover in 2009 of 18.3bn euros, 8% less than the previous year (FECOTEX). Employment in the sector was 5% less than 2008, with 202,300 workers in the sector, and 59,000 retail outlets.

France, Portugal and Italy remain the strongest markets for Spanish clothes and textile exports. According to CITYC, exports also had a ray of good hope with a minor decline of -2.6% for the first nine months of 2009. The turnover for exports was 7.9bn euros. Imports, on the other hand an -11% decline with a turnover of 11.9bn euros.

(The Escuela de Danza Braodway, Charlie, performed modern dance routines on the 4 and 5 February.)

ACOTEX, The Textile and Accessories Trade Association; Asociación de Comercio Textil y Complementos
CITYC, the Centre for Textile and Clothes Manufacturing Information; Centro de Información Textil y de la Confección
FECOTEX, the Spanish National Textile Trade Federation; Federación Nacional de Empresas de Confección