All About K-Fashion Materials: Chairman Choi Byungoh Says "Opportunities Amid Trade Crisis... Eco-Friendly Solutions"

515 Fashion Companies from Korea and Abroad Participate
Buyers from 10 Countries Including China, Japan, and Taiwan Invited

"The current trade environment is rapidly changing, centered around major powers. Only by accurately recognizing this crisis and leading the flow of change can we pave the way for sustainable growth."

On August 20, Choi Byungo, chairman of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (Fashion Group Hyungji), made these remarks while attending the '2025 Preview in Seoul (PIS)' held at COEX in Seoul. He stated, "As the trade environment has recently shifted rapidly toward major powers, uncertainty is increasing across both consumption and production." He emphasized, "Amid supply chain restructuring and the transition to artificial intelligence (AI), the textile and fashion industry can respond to the changing times through advanced materials, eco-friendly processes, and digital solutions."

Choi Byungo, chairman of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (Fashion Group Hyungji), is speaking at the '2025 Preview in Seoul (PIS)' held at COEX, Seoul on the 20th. Photo by Korea Federation of Textile Industries

PIS is the largest textile and fashion exhibition in Korea. The event brings together domestic and international companies related to the fashion industry-such as yarn, fabric, and subsidiary materials-to showcase their products. This year, 276 Korean companies, including Hyosung TNC, Fashion Group Hyungji, and Toray Advanced Materials, as well as 239 companies from 10 overseas countries such as China, Japan, and Taiwan, participated, with a total of 835 booths set up.

This year's PIS is notable for attracting the largest number of buyers in its history. It is expected that more than 14,000 people will attend, including around 700 buyers. In particular, the proportion of buyers from Europe and the Americas has increased. Last year, 33.4% of invited buyers were from Europe and the Americas, but this year the proportion has risen to 45.8%. Notably, buyers from popular overseas brands such as Bottega Veneta, Nike, Stussy, and Lululemon are scheduled to visit in large numbers.

On the morning of the 20th, the Hyosung TNC booth was bustling with domestic and international buyers and company officials. Provided by the Korea Federation of Textile Industries

The event venue showcased the latest trends in the fashion sector. Special exhibition zones stood out, including the 'Trend Zone' featuring key materials for the new season, 'Salon de PIS' highlighting premium materials and designs, and 'Techsphere' introducing textile and fashion companies based on advanced technology. For example, at the booth of Raonbird-a company known for its AI-based digital lookbook solution 'RaonGen'-demonstrations showed how the technology maintains over 90% clothing preservation rate across various model poses and shooting scenarios, while reproducing the texture, color, pattern, and sewing details of materials.

The largest booth belonged to Hyosung TNC. Hyosung TNC organized a joint pavilion with 16 partner companies, occupying 50 booths. The area was bustling with domestic and international buyers and company officials discussing materials. Hyosung TNC, the world's leading spandex manufacturer, supplies eco-friendly and functional yarns made from corn, as well as recycled PET bottles and fishing nets. Sung Raeun, vice chairman of Youngone Trading and president of the Korea Fashion Association, whom we met at the exhibition, emphasized, "The textile and fashion industry is closely examining eco-friendly materials these days," adding, "With climate change, the importance of using eco-friendly materials is growing even more."

Changes in sports and functional materials were also observed. At the booths of companies such as Woojoo Global and Hyochang, there were exhibitions related to functional materials such as bio spandex, stretch fabrics, and ultra-lightweight nylon. Kang Taeseon, chairman of BYN Black Yak Group, said, "Taiwan is somewhat ahead of Korea in developing outdoor materials," and added, "As a culture of health consciousness spreads among the younger generation and more people are heading to the mountains, the outdoor industry will naturally grow as well."