Fifth edition of Istanbul Fashion Connection sees record visitor numbers

A successful fifth edition of IFCO Istanbul Fashion Connection took place on 7-10 February 2024 with a record 38,545 visitors. Hosted across eight halls at the Istanbul Expo Centre, 545 exhibitors met international trade visitors from 159 countries including Australia, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, UK, USA and United Arab Emirates.

The largest group of international visitors came from the Middle East (33.4%), Europe (24%), Asia (23.3%) and North Africa (13.3%). A total of 6% of visitors came from the USA, South America, Australia and Africa.

Commenting on the show is organiser IHKIB’s vice president Mustafa Paşahan.

“We are delighted with the very successful fifth edition of IFCO and the extremely positive response from exhibitors and visitors. The trade fair is an indispensable hub for the fashion industry at an international level, bringing together supply and demand. Both the quality and quantity of the visitors were convincing, as were the creative designer presentations and the high-quality products of the exhibitors.”

Divided into clear areas on a total of 100,000 sq. m of exhibition space, brands and manufacturers presented the latest collections across kidswear, womenswear, menswear, denim, sportswear, evening and weddingwear, lingerie, hosiery, leather and furs.

With over 38,500 visitors, the fifth edition of IFCO set a new attendance record, emphasising its relevance as an international hub for the fashion industry. Among the international VIP buyers taking advantage of the IFCO Match Making service for networking and order placement were Alshaya Group from Kuwait, Fashion River and Fearless 310 from New York, Group Aksal from Casablanca, Lulu Dubai from Abu Dhabi, Next Group London, Quest from Bogota, and Ted Baker from the USA.

For the first time, IFCO cooperated with the Fashion Designers’ Association (MTD), which plays a key role in the organisation of Istanbul Fashion Week.

The Association was responsible for developing the trade fair’s theme – Colouring the Future. Seven Universities of Fine Arts, including Mimar Sinan University, Maramara University and Bilgi University, presented their creative projects curated by MTD at IFCO. From collection production, sourcing materials, fabric samples and design sketches to prints, the students showed their entire creative path to the finished collection.

Colouring the Future was also staged by the IFCO Trend Area designed by the IMA Istanbul Moda Akademisi with the theme of Resilience. As well as presenting innovative materials that combine technical components with elements of nature, the topic of AI also featured. As part of the IFCO Fashion Talks, experts from WGSN, Accademia della Moda IUAD, the IHKIB Digital Transformation Centre and the Turkish Designer’s Association provided information on the latest developments and trends in the fashion industry, consumer behaviour, the benefits of digital transformation in fashion, and trend forecasts for spring/summer 2025.