Hello, everyone! ✨ My name is Riho from the exhibition team.
From March 22 (Fri) to March 24 (Sun), 2024, the international handicraft trade fair “H+H Cologne 2024” was held in Cologne, Germany.
I’m excited to share with you the event highlights and what the exhibition was all about!
I hope you enjoy reading this article and feel like you were there with us! 😊
目次
What is h+h cologne？
H+H Cologne is one of the world’s largest international trade fairs for handmade and craft supplies.
It is also held outside of Germany, and in 2024, there will be an exhibition in Chicago from May 1 to May 3.
This event brings together craft manufacturers and wholesalers from around the world to showcase their products, place orders, and negotiate deals with visitors.
Sometimes, companies participating in the exhibition also negotiate with each other!
Most of the exhibitors were European companies, with many of them from Germany.
The main craft items at this exhibition were knitting-related products, such as yarn.
Knitting has been a popular and long-standing category in Europe.
In addition to knitting, many companies also showcased fabrics, embroidery supplies, ribbons, and sewing tools.
Here’s a look at the exhibition venue! 😊
The venue had three floors.
On the 1st floor, many exhibitors showcased yarn and knitting-related products.
The 2nd floor featured fabrics, sewing tools, ribbons, and similar items.
On the 3rd floor, exhibitors included companies like Clover and Prym, whose products are handled by Chuko, as well as RICODESIGN, a well-known European yarn manufacturer.
1F｜Many knitting-related exhibits, such as yarns
The 1st floor had a lot of booths featuring yarn and knitting, and the displays were incredibly eye-catching!
They showcased knitwear and cardigans made from yarn on mannequins, and there was even a giraffe covered in flower motif knits. The creative ideas from overseas were so fresh and inspiring—it made walking through the venue really exciting! ✨
2F｜There was [Acufactum], which we also handle!
On the 2nd floor, many booths featured fabrics, sewing tools, and ribbons.
The booth from Acufactum was so well-designed—it really captured their unique world! ♡
Zweigart, a German embroidery fabric manufacturer, showcased high-quality fabrics. We not only visited the exhibition but also did some sourcing during this trip.
We brought back cross-stitch embroidery fabrics and embroidery tape from Zweigart, and we can’t wait to share these new products with you soon! 😊
3F｜Talk shows, workshops and other events in addition to manufacturers, etc.
PRYM, which is also handled by our company, had the largest booth at this year’s event, partly because it was held in its home country of Germany.
Among them, as many as 30 new products of the popular “VARIO Creative Tool” hand press series were introduced.
We are planning to deliver the powered-up VARIO series around this summer!
【Prym（プリム）】 VARIO（ヴァリオ） Creative Tool 家庭用ハンドプレス機取り扱い中
The third floor also had an event area where there were talk shows and a creative zone.
In the talk shows, there were “how to” lectures for those who want to try their hand at business, and in the Creative Zone, there were workshops on knitting using beads and sequins, designing knitwear, etc.
What were the most popular products?
This is what our Chuko booth looked like! We created a booth with a Japanese image.
We brought sashiko, fasteners, embroidery, fabrics, crape parts, snap buttons, handles, lace motifs, linen blend tapes, scissors, poke-ori (pocket pockets), dovetails and caulkers, and our new product, a badge machine.
Here are some of the products that were popular among our overseas customers, especially in Europe.
- Sashiko
- Zipper
- Scissors, fabric, bag handles
Sashiko
Sashiko, the most popular type of stitching, is said to be very popular in Europe right now!
It is said that overseas, when you go to Japanese restaurants, you will find lunch mats and other items made with Sashiko. One of the participants also mentioned that they would like to teach their children how to do it.
Sashiko seems to be easy to learn and gives you a very relaxing time, so I want to teach it! I want to spread it! I want to spread it!
Chuko Onlineオンラインストアでご注文
Chuko Online
![OS-20M-6SET Olympus オリムパス 刺し子糸 [単色] 20ｍ 同色6カセセット (セット)](https://www.nippon-chuko.co.jp/shop/html/upload/save_image/0206122358_65c1a64e49f0f.jpg)
Zipper
I got the impression that many customers were very interested in zipper designs.
Many visitors were interested in the Chuko booth after taking a closer look at the zipper section, perhaps because the fabric part of the zipper was gingham check or transparent, and the color variations of dull and pastel colors were rare.
Chuko Onlineオンラインストアでご注文
Chuko Online
Scissors, fabric
Japanese scissors were so popular that one of them said he wanted to buy some right away and take them home! Some people said they wanted to buy a pair of Japanese scissors to take home with them. Some were also impressed by the small size of the “micro scissors”.
Japanese patterns were popular, and we got the impression that customers were more interested in fabrics that are hard to find overseas.
Chuko Onlineオンラインストアでご注文
Chuko Online
We have participated in exhibitions before.
Feel free to check out our past events!
From 2018
From 2019
From 2023
Finally
It was the first time for me to participate in an overseas event, and I learned a lot from the booth size and the way the works were displayed, which were very cute and impactful.
I was also able to see what categories of handicrafts are popular overseas and what people overseas like, and I was able to learn about the differences between Japan and other countries through conversations.
Extra Edition – Introduction to German Handicraft Shops
In between Ivets, we also visited a German handicraft store~ ministry!
１store：STOFF＆STIL‘（Yarns, fabrics, sewing supplies, embroidery, paint, etc.）
I visited a handicraft store called “STOFF & STIL” in Cologne, Germany!
The store was a very spacious one floor with popular knitting related products at the entrance, sewing supplies such as fasteners, buttons, needles and scissors, paint craft supplies, embroidery supplies, ribbons, patches, and a large amount of fabrics sold in the back.
It was very impressive to see so many different types of buttons spread all over the walls 😲✨.
The fabrics are also mostly large patterned fabrics, and it is really a great space for Scandinavian pattern lovers.
Many other handicraft stores
The way the fabrics are placed is so cute and the patterns are so easy to see, you can’t help but be excited from the moment you enter the store♪
There was a very popular Gobelins fabric that Chuko also carries.
Looking closely, I found a Gobelins fabric with the same pattern for sale!
I knew it was cute!
There was also a store specializing in felt!
They sold everything from felt fabric to finished products, and I was amazed at how many products could be developed from felt.
Please also see this Blog.
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