My first time attending Heimtextil: Tips & Overview

Heimtextil 2025 caught me completely off-guard. My brain still partially in the Caribbean from a week prior I was unprepared for the size of this show. And somehow it used to be way bigger! I left the 4-day show with more new information than I can process on the plane to Paris for Maison & Objet...

Courtesy of Messe Frankfurt/ Jean-Luc Valentin

Heimtextil, happening every January in Frankfurt, is one of the biggest trade shows for home and contract textiles and this year it hosted over 2800 exhibitors. Buyers from major retailers attend the event to talk "new" and place orders although a lot of them I'm sure were holding back with the looming Trump administration and tariffs. Although I'm neither a manufacturer nor a buyer, for me, the show was a big opportunity to get acquainted more with the industry as a whole, place myself in the shoes and heads of my clients, and hopefully find new ones to do business with this year. I focused mostly on bedding and bath textiles but also wandered around the print studios and the trend display in Hall 3.

The trend section curated by a design platform Alcova of Milan left lots to be desired in my opinion. With 3 overarching themes – digital-aesthetic textures, regenerative fibers, and naturally uneven raw materials, it showcased samples from exhibitors that could fit those themes. There was no description or background on any of the samples. Next time I will make sure to go to the trend tour to learn more. A single attention grabbing aspect here was an installation by AATB – a conveyor belt of fabric and two robotic arms handling samples with precision which I personally found a bit unsettling. Perhaps because just prior I was spotting a lot of blatantly Ai-generated artwork at multiple print studio and high-end bedding textile booths towards which as a print and textile designer I am still dismissive.

Courtesy of Messe Frankfurt GmbH

Strolling through Halls 8-12 one could notice muted greens still trending, sometimes venturing into chartreuse for accents and more earthy tones. Although we are approaching spring there was a surprising amount of jewel tones usually more fitted for Fall. Terracotta and deep mauves dominated the warm tones and of course raw fibers took center stage in the off-white and warm grey spectrum. Reduce, reuse, recycle is switching to “restore, renew, replenish” in favor of non-extractive, regenerative farming and use of more natural fibers.

There were Innovations like dyeing using ultrasound by Aizome, natural dyes made from fungi, new fiber from date palms by Valorizen —and many other proposed forms of sustainable processes. Unfortunately I was not able to make it to all the sustainability booths, talks and events due to some poor planning.

What would I have done differently:

• Really narrow down my plan of action and set priorities. This would be easier to do as I am now more familiar with the kind of manufacturers are exhibiting.

• Divide the days based on the objective (trend watch vs. networking)

• Strategically choose a coatcheck where I plan to finish the day. By the end, you'll be so exhausted that you won't want to walk 15 min through four halls to reach the coat check.

• Bring cash for the coat check - you can skip a line for credit cards.

• Plan for lots of breaks. I found that going to talks refreshed me but going to one of the many cafes really helped reset my brain. If only there was an equivalent of smelling coffee beans to rebalance your sense of smell in a perfume store but for the eyes!

• Ideally, dedicate each day to no more than 1-2 categories if you're trying to see the whole show.

• Tackle the most challenging tasks, such as networking, during the first two days and in the mornings. It's difficult to maintain energy throughout the day, and you want to present your best self. Additionally, exhibitors tend to be more energized in the mornings.

Things I'm glad I did:

• Wore comfortable shoes.

• Dressed in layers. It was freezing outside and inconsistently warm in the halls.

• Spent some time with my clients and got to see the show through their eyes and objectives.

• Brought my own lunch. The cafes are abundant but pricy.

• Went to some talks and prioritized topics that are most relevant to me.

• Saved money by e-scootering to the show everyday from my Airbnb. The city has an abundance of very safe bike lanes and nearby hotels were pricy.

• Took a half-day break to explore the city and reset.

I walked into Messe Frankfurt on the first day not really knowing how to apply myself as a freelancer there. But i'm very glad I took the time and resources to go because I came away with so much inspiration, insight, and tools to implement in my practice and client relationships. And now i'm ready to reap double the benefits on my next visit as I'll be more prepared.