More than 140 sustainable-certified textile suppliers will converge on the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York from July 7-9 for the Summer 2026 edition of Functional Fabric Fair, the trade-exclusive sourcing event dedicated to high-performance functional textiles.
Powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS, the three-day event opens with a Day 0 Sustainability Workshop on July 7, followed by two full days of exhibit hall sourcing and Expert Talks programming on July 8 and 9. The workshop will be curated by Todd Copeland of Copeland Consultancy LLC, Eric Brody of Soft Advantage, and Kevin Myette of bluesign technologies, covering sustainability fundamentals, regulatory updates and case studies. Separate paid registration is required for the workshop, and seating is limited.
The exhibit hall, running 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 8 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 9, will feature fabric mills, branded technology companies and material innovators presenting functional fabrics, finishes, trims, laminates and accessories including yarns, tapes, prints, buttons and zippers. Organizers said exhibitors will include European technical mills alongside Asia-Pacific performance suppliers, with sourcing decisions geared toward the Summer 2027/2028 seasons.
Steve McCullough, Functional Fabric Fair’s event vice president, said New York City remains a natural home for the summer edition given its concentration of athletic, outdoor and functional fashion brands and designers on the East Coast. McCullough noted that scheduling adjustments this year were driven by limited availability at the Javits Center and heightened hotel demand tied to the FIFA World Cup.
The show’s Summer Spotlight will center on fabrics for outdoor activity, all-weather gear, bodywear and shapewear, reflecting broader category shifts across sportswear, workwear and lifestyle apparel. Attendees can also source through the Performance Forum, a jury-selected showcase in which participating exhibitors submit their top textile and accessory innovations for display, searchable by code, company or booth number.
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Beyond the sourcing floor, the event will offer Expert Talks sessions, live demonstrations and curated discovery areas including a Trend Forum and a Future Fabrics Expo Innovation Hub, alongside networking events and social gatherings. Programming will continue an ongoing conversation around the circular economy, with a specific focus this year on collectors and sorters involved in textile-to-textile recycling, examining the systems, technologies and collaborations shaping the earliest stage of the circular value chain.
Functional Fabric Fair positions itself as the premier U.S. marketplace where apparel CEOs, designers and product development executives source functional fabrics, finishes, trims and accessories from a curated roster of mills and branded technology firms. The organizers have built the show around a sustainable, minimal-waste exhibition model that relies on biodegradable, recycled and reusable materials for booths and signage.
Entry to the exhibit hall remains free for verified designers, product managers, purchasing managers and material managers sourcing for outdoor, sportive performance and lifestyle apparel categories, though the event is closed to the general public. The fair is organized by RX (Reed Exhibitions) in partnership with PERFORMANCE DAYS, the international functional fabrics fair staged twice yearly in Munich and produced by Design & Development GmbH Textile Consult of Germany.
The New York stop is one of four North American editions planned for 2026, alongside a winter edition in Orlando held alongside the PGA Show, a spring edition in Portland, and a fall edition rounding out the calendar. Facebook listings for the fair confirm Portland dates of October 26-28, 2026, and an Orlando edition set for January 27-28, 2027.
Since its 2018 launch, the New York edition has grown substantially in exhibitor count, and this year’s floor continues that trajectory with a supplier base organizers describe as sustainability-certified across the board. Media and industry partners supporting the event include Sourcing Journal, WWD, Fibre2Fashion, Textile Insight and California Apparel News.