kingpins started out in 2004 as a tiny denim supply chain show for folks tired of the mad scramble and soul-deadening crush of handshakes and “who are you’s?” and badge-checking at the huge, impersonal sourcing shows that dominate the industry. The idea was: to keep the exhibitor list tight, invite-only the best brands, serve tasty food, treat everyone like family and create an atmosphere that’s conducive to networking and relationship-building. It worked out pretty well. this fair trade is still small, but it has gone global. You can now find Kingpin shows in New York, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong. But it hasn’t let that go to our heads. it is still invitation-only and our exhibitor list is still a highly-edited selection of vendors that include denim and sportswear fabric mills from the U.S., Japan, China, India, Morocco, Mexico, and Europe, wash houses, full package manufacturers, trim providers, and business solutions. Basically, it’s denim or can be worn with denim.

We have been present in the salon, the fair trade has taken place last month, on the 20th and 21st of April 2022;