Colombiatex 2026: Redefining Value in the World Sourcing Map

Colombiatex de las Américas kicks off its 38th edition in Medellín with a clear idea: the debate is no longer just textile, but strategic. In the Plaza Mayor pavilions, the motto of global sourcing translates into conversations about tariffs, labor costs and supplier diversification, but also about added value, sustainability and resilience.

At a time when Colombia is trying to strengthen its role on the global sourcing map, the world is turning towards more restrictive activity for the sector. A few weeks after Ecuador, one of Colombia’s major fashion partners, imposed tariffs on the country, the Colombian textile industry is positioning itself internationally.

The fair, organized by Inexmoda, kicked off on Monday evening with an event that brought together the main players in the sector and where the talent and trajectory of several Latin American companies were awarded.

With words by Sebastián Díez Vargas, executive president of Inexmoda, and Federico Guitiérrez, mayor of Medellín, Colombiatex kicked off its 38th edition. The first evening included a tribute to Roque Ospina Duque, the recently deceased founder of Inexmoda.

The event presented the Avant Roque Ospina Award in recognition of one of the most legendary companies in Colombian fashion: Arturo Calle. Its founder, present at the event, received the recognition and thanked all the actors of the fashion industry.

“Colombia is not only about making fashion, but also about connecting entrepreneurs and generating employment,“ said Arturo Calle. The event continued with the second edition of the Avant Awards, where companies such as Grupo Uribe and Fabricato were recognized.

Opening of international doors

Although Colombiatex has always positioned itself as a highly international fair, this year’s edition has focused even more on this. On Tuesday, January 27th at 9 a.m., the pavilions of Plaza Mayor in Medellin began to receive buyers from all over the world, who are looking for alternatives in Colombia to the current context of high tariffs and costs.

However, some issues are of concern to visitors and exhibitors, such as the increase in the minimum wage in Colombia and its impact on the textile and apparel industry. In response, Colombian companies are focusing on specialization, accepting lower volumes, but with greater differentiation and more service.

This year Colombiatex adds a new showroom, specialized in full package

This approach connects with the value-added narrative that Colombia has been building for years. Textile innovation, product development, sustainability and speed of response are the arguments that the sector puts on the table to justify higher prices compared to other markets. At Colombiatex, this proposal is materialized in technical fabrics, more sophisticated processes and a discourse of closeness to the end customer.

The fair expects to gather more than 12,000 specialized buyers from more than twenty countries. As exhibitors, this year countries such as India, Turkey and Italy will have special participation, with specifically recognizable areas in the Plaza Mayor pavilions.

Sustainability, meanwhile, is once again one of the central themes of the fair. Understood as a common language by all companies participating in Colombiatex, sustainability is part of the minimum required to access global sourcing.

This year the fair has a sustainability route, as well as its traditional trends forum, knowledge set with conferences and debates on the sector and the entrepreneur’s route.

New showroom with a comprehensive offer

As a novelty, Colombiatex has introduced the Complete Package Showroom, where more than 70 companies present their integral manufacturing services, from design to manufacturing.

The space, promoted by Comfama and Clúster Moda, aims to connect brands, entrepreneurs and buyers and highlight the value of the Colombian fashion industry as a complete package. Although Inexmoda had been betting on this category for two years, this is the first time that one of its fairs has a larger space specialized in this type of service.

“This showroom responds to Inexmoda’s internationalization bet, where we want to highlight Colombia as a competitive market in everything that international brands and buyers are looking for,“ said Manuela Gómez, Inexmoda’s internationalization director.

Among the exhibitors participating in this Complete Package Showroom are brands such as Spataro, which specializes in the manufacture of men’s shirts and for which the complete package already represents 70% of its business. “The fair is very important because we can find customers and grow our business, we are already working on women’s collections,“ said Spataro.

Companies specializing in the manufacture of girdles, one of the major strengths of the Colombian fashion industry, also stressed the importance of being able to present a complete service to buyers.

“When we bet on the complete package we are valuing the entire industry, in all its instances and raising our international alliances,“ said Gómez.