By Devin Steele
From New York to Las Vegas, Atlanta to Savannah, Chicago to Indianapolis, the SEAMS Association and its members maintained a steady, high-visibility presence across the textile, apparel and sewn products industry in 2025 – reinforcing the association’s role as a connector, advocate, and champion of U.S. manufacturing.
Over the course of the year, SEAMS exhibited, presented and participated in major trade shows, executive forums and technical conferences spanning sourcing, advanced textiles, manufacturing technology, policy, and workforce development. While each stop played a strategic role, two events stood apart as defining moments for the organization: Texprocess Americas and Fabricating the Future Conference in conjunction with AATCC.
Early momentum: sourcing and supplier engagement
SEAMS began the year on the trade show floor, participating in Texworld New York City in January. With a booth presence and educational programming, the association connected with brands and designers actively sourcing fabrics, trims and manufacturing partners.
The event’s emphasis on trends, innovation and product development aligned closely with SEAMS’ mission, particularly through sessions focused on U.S. supply chains and technical design fundamentals. SEAMS representatives highlighted end-to-end domestic sourcing while engaging with attendees navigating increasingly complex global supply decisions.
That same week, SEAMS representatives headed west to Las Vegas for the SHOT Week Supplier Showcase, where the association met directly with manufacturers and brands serving the shooting sports, hunting, and outdoor markets. Among hundreds of global suppliers, SEAMS emphasized supply-chain resilience, backup sourcing strategies, and the depth of U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities – a message that resonated in a sector where reliability and compliance are paramount.
Texprocess Americas: Supply Chain USA
If one event captured the scope, collaboration and ambition of SEAMS in 2025, it was Texprocess Americas, held May 6-8 in Atlanta, where a number of members exhibited in its Supply Chain USA Pavilion.
At the heart of SEAMS’ presence was the Supply Chain USA Showcase, a boutique-style gallery designed to demonstrate – tangibly and visually – that complex products can still be made in America when the supply chain works together.
Led by SEAMS’ board member, Xochil Herrera Scheer, the curated exhibit featured more than 25 finished products created through the collaboration of nearly 70 SEAMS members across fiber, yarn, fabric, trim, cut-and-sew, equipment, and software. From activewear and outdoor apparel to military gear, bedding and accessories, each piece told a story of interconnected domestic manufacturing.
Visitors walked through the space like a museum or gallery, viewing garments up close, handling raw materials and tracing how multiple member companies contributed to a single finished product. Guided media tours, press engagement and strong attendee traffic helped amplify the message beyond the show floor.
More than a static display, the pavilion became a living case study in collaboration – underscoring SEAMS’ core value proposition. As one of the most ambitious exhibits the association has ever mounted, it demonstrated not only capability, but confidence, at a time when questions around reshoring and domestic production remain front and center.
SEAMS Executive Director, Will Duncan, also participated in a panel session, “A Collective Collab: Get to Know the Alphabet Soup Collective,” on the show floor with Lynsey Jones of the Americas Apparel Producers Network (AAPN), Harrie Schoots of AATCC, Maggie McDonald of SPESA, and Devin Steele of the Southern Textile Association (STA)
Collaboration in focus: Fabricating the Future
That collaborative theme carried into the fall with Fabricating the Future, a joint annual conference co-hosted by SEAMS Association and AATCC in Savannah, GA. The inaugural event marked the first official conference to emerge from the Alphabet Soup Collective, bringing multiple associations under one roof to focus on shared challenges and opportunities.
Across two days, industry leaders tackled topics ranging from trade policy and tariffs to sustainability, circularity, automation, and workforce development. Keynotes and panels addressed the realities facing U.S. textiles – including policy threats, economic uncertainty, and global competition – while also spotlighting innovation, storytelling and new business models.
The event reinforced a simple but powerful message: collaboration, not fragmentation, will shape the industry’s future.
Advanced textiles, executive leadership and innovation
In August, SEAMS members attended the SPESA Executive Conference in Chicago, where leaders explored resilience, automation, AI-driven sourcing, circularity, and succession planning. The forum provided high-level insight into how brands, manufacturers, and solution providers are navigating rapid change.
In November, SEAMS returned to the trade show floor at Advanced Textiles Expo in Indianapolis. Alongside a SEAMS booth, 28 member companies exhibited at the event, engaging with buyers, engineers, researchers, and students, focused on specialty and advanced textile applications.
Strong attendance, high-quality conversations and an emphasis on education and emerging technologies reinforced the expo’s value for SEAMS members operating at the intersection of performance, innovation and industrial textiles.
During the expo, SEAMS’ Executive Director, Will Duncan, participated in an Alphabet Soup panel with Steve Schiffman of the Advanced Textiles Association, Maggie McDonald of SPESA, and Matt O’Sickey of INDA.
A year defined by presence and purpose
Taken together, SEAMS’ 2025 trade show and conference activity reflected more than a busy calendar – it demonstrated a deliberate strategy.
Whether promoting domestic sourcing at Texworld, strengthening supplier networks at SHOT Week, showcasing collaborative manufacturing at Texprocess Americas, advancing industry alignment in Savannah or supporting innovation at Advanced Textiles Expo, SEAMS consistently showed up where the industry gathers.
The standout success of the Supply Chain USA Showcase at Texprocess Americas served as both a highlight and a blueprint – proving that when SEAMS members come together, the U.S. textile and sewn products supply chain is not only viable, but powerful.
As the association looks ahead to 2026, the message from 2025 is clear: SEAMS and its members are not sitting on the sidelines – we are shaping the conversation, the connections and the future of the industry.