As the next Amsterdam appointment is nearing, the Kingpins show is announcing how it aims t further expand globally.
The show’s European edition (LINK) taking place on 15 and 16 April at Sugar Factory, will host over 100 exhibitors and host many events, talks, and get-togethers, along with a celebration of the most beloved Adriano Goldschmied on 15 April at 4pm.
But there is more happening. After the launch of its Chinese edition, from 2027 the show will hit another US denim capital in January—Los Angeles. Why include a new destination? And while sustainability regulations are becoming more stringent, how is the show amplifying companies’ progress?
Vivian Wang, CEO, Kingpins, describes how the show is evolving to meet the needs of a fast evolving industry scene.
Kingpins Shows are held in New York, Amsterdam and Hangzhou, with a new city, Los Angeles, added in 2027. How do the shows reflect the cities and regions they’re in?
Someone once told me that Kingpins has a soul, and that really stayed with me—because what we’ve built over the past 20+ years is not just a show; it’s a global community.
When Kingpins travels to New York, Amsterdam, Hangzhou, or Los Angeles, we’re not just changing geography. Each city represents a different part of the global denim ecosystem: New York is where we started and remains the commercial center for many US retailers and brands; Amsterdam connects us to European fashion and sustainability; Hangzhou connects us to the industry’s manufacturing heartbeat and an emerging consumer base.
Why did you choose to move the New York January edition to Los Angeles?
Next year, we will return to Los Angeles—the birthplace of premium denim and a growing nearshoring hub.
We want each show to feel like a part of that city—the creative energy, the industry relationships, the local identity. That’s what makes Kingpins something more than a traveling roadshow.
What criteria guide your decision to make the show happen in a different city?
From the beginning, Kingpins was never just about putting mills and manufacturers in a room together. It’s always been about context. Where you have a conversation shapes the conversation itself.
At the same time, the business changes, and we need to move with it. That’s where the pop-ups come in. They allow us to ask, where do we need to be that we haven’t been yet? Sourcing regions shift, creative communities emerge, and regulations change and create new centers. Pop-ups let us move with that change rather than wait for it. That agility has always been part of who we are.
How are you keeping the denim community apprised about the EU Green Deal, and how do your exhibitor compliance requirements help that effort?
The EU Green Deal is a real attempt to put sustainability goals and efforts into measurable action. Many Kingpins exhibitors are well ahead of this effort, implementing these goals across their businesses—from sustainable, renewable, and recyclable materials to machinery upgrades to save water, energy, chemicals, and time.
At Kingpins, we’ve always believed the show floor should reflect the industry we want to exist, not just the one that does. So we built compliance and transparency directly into our exhibitor application process.
Have you introduced new admission criteria since you became CEO?
When I became CEO, I took that process a step further. We introduced an advisory board and expanded the application process to look more closely at each exhibitor’s approach to compliance, traceability, and social responsibility.
At its core, what we’re doing is an extension of something Kingpins has always stood for: accountability.
Did exhibitors and visitors notice or benefit from the change?
We want the companies on our show floor to be genuinely engaged with where the industry is heading—not just where it’s been. Our attendees deserve that, and frankly, so do our exhibitors who have already done the work. They deserve to be in a room with others who have done it too.
This is about changing how the industry operates and how denim and jeans are made. When buyers and brands walk our show floor, we want them to feel confident they’re meeting suppliers who care about how their products are made and have put that commitment into action.
For companies that have been building responsibly and preparing for it, the Green Deal is a validation of those efforts.