L'Istanbul Fashion Connection (IFCO) will move its summer edition from August to September starting in 2027. The next summer edition will be held from 8 to 10 September at the Istanbul Expo Center.
This change follows the tenth edition of the trade show, held from 19 to 21 August 2026, which brought together 208 exhibitors across 11,000 square metres spread over three halls. Organisers were expecting around 20,000 trade visitors from more than 130 countries, though final figures had not yet been released at the time of publication.
A summer slot deemed penalising
Organisers explained that the August slot discouraged participation by European buyers, many of whom are still on holiday when the show opens. IFCO's winter edition, held every year in February, is not affected by this change.
The new calendar places IFCO just ahead of the Italian footwear trade show Micam, scheduled for 12 to 14 September 2027.
Turkish garment exports as backdrop
This repositioning comes as Turquie exported $16.8 billion worth of clothing worldwide in 2025, 60.6% of it to the Union européenne, according to HKİB's annual report. L'Allemagne remains the top individual market with $2.6 billion, ahead of Pays-Bas, Espagne and Royaume-Uni.
IFCO's president, Mustafa Paşahan, who also heads HKİB, confirmed at the show the country's ambition to bring more Turkish labels onto the international stage. L'espace for designers, The Core, was redesigned for the occasion, built around a staging that highlighted 20 Turkish designers.
