Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, Ms Wendy Wen commented following the fair: “We have been extremely pleased to welcome more of the global industry at this Autumn Edition of Intertextile Apparel. Notably, SalonEurope including the Made in Germany area and Milano Unica Pavilion, were greatly received by domestic buyers, with the latter returning for the first time since the pandemic. Together with Asian country and region pavilions, and other international companies, onsite reports from these exhibitors cemented the continued potential for overseas brands in the Chinese market and showed a clear sourcing demand for new, innovative products among Chinese buyers and consumers. This is accompanied by an overwhelming optimism for future prospects in the growing market. Exhibitors also noted that the vast majority of visitors were serious buyers with high purchasing power.”
Ms Wen continued: “It is also apparent that sustainability has and will, remain at the forefront of the industry while environmental protection continues to be a pressing issue for the fashion world and amidst global societies. Therefore, fairgoers appreciated the extra focus placed on this issue, which was mirrored by the numerous sustainable products in high-demand among visitors. Our concentration on sustainability is reinforced by our wider Texpertise Network goals to accelerate innovation and change within the textile sector to advance the UN’s Decade of Action and help deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” she concluded.
In the international halls, there were significant increases in exhibitors among the product zones reflecting the strong recovery in the industry, including a square metre growth of 115% in the overseas Accessories Vision zone, 70% in the Functional Lab and 54% in the Premium Wool Zone. Meanwhile, the Korea and Taiwan pavilions increased by over 100%, while the Japan Pavilion grew by 75%. Almost all of the fair’s group pavilions from the likes of DuPont, Hyosung Group, The Lenzing Satellite and The LYCRA Company also increased their exhibitor numbers, expanding sourcing options for buyers.
Fair promotes a more sustainable apparel textile industry
Over the years, Intertextile has placed increasing focus on sustainability issues and solutions for a more eco-friendly industry. This edition was no exception, with even more exhibitors showcasing sustainable products and even more fringe programme activities dedicated to the issue. At the All About Sustainability zone, the ecoBoutique hosted a special designated area to display sustainable outfits, whilst in the domestic area, visitors could explore the Sustainable Fashion Zone display and Sustainability Trend Forum.
Some eco-friendly products on show included the Naia™ Renew cellulose fibres made from sustainably sourced wood pulp and recycled plastic waste by Eastman Chemical Co Ltd and Waste2Wear’s fully transparent and traceable materials made from plastic bottles from the ocean. Biodegradable, recycled and organic fabrics were also on display from BYR International and Cotton Council International, among many others.
Meanwhile, sustainability was also one of the four key themes of the fringe programme and included a ‘Make Sustainable Fashion Accessible to Everyone’ forum, along with a series of seminars covering sustainable processes, products, strategies, circular economy, carbon neutrality and more. This dominance of sustainability at the fair sends a clear message about the efforts being made by the industry to work towards a more environmentally friendly future.
Exhibitors’ experiences
“Our main products are recycled denim fabrics made from sustainable processes. These products are already popular in Europe and the US but we have seen that Chinese brands are also willing to pay for these high-quality fabrics, which is why we have brought them to the fair. So far, we have been in contact with many customers including independent designers and e-commerce stores that are looking for something new and different.”
Mr Anson Su, Sales Agent, Bossa Ticaret Ve Sanayi Isletmeleri TAS, Turkey
“We participate in Intertextile Apparel regularly and like the opportunity to actively learn about the changes in the domestic market. After all, the fastest growing market in the world is China, so I think overseas suppliers will continue to meet new customers and increase their exploration and investments in the textiles sector here.”
Ms Mona Liu, Product Manager, Alumo AG, Switzerland
“We join Intertextile in order to meet new customers, particularly designer and high-end brands. Each edition we get to meet a lot of existing and new customers, around 40-50% are new. The visitor flow has been good this edition and yesterday we had 20 new customers place orders, which is better than we expected. Overall I think prospects in China’s market are positive, particularly for the textile printing industry, as more Chinese consumers pursue individuality through their fashion choices. ”
Mr Guanlian Yuan, Chinese Agent, Design Union, UK
“In the past two years and since the pandemic, people are more aware of environmental protection, climate change and carbon reduction, and all of our customers are asking if we are carbon-neutral, so we are focusing on our bio-based and Sorona® products. Intertextile is the most important fair for us and the concurrent events increase the business opportunities available; all our customers are here and so we must be here too.”
Ms Tina Li, Marketing Consultant – Greater China, DuPont Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, China
“We have brought our sustainable series to the show as most brands are currently looking for renewable, organic and low-carbon products. Each time we join Intertextile Apparel, our goal is to promote our brand, introduce new products and meet new customers. We choose this fair because of its professionalism and influence in the industry. This edition, we have achieved our expected goals and think the fair has even improved compared to previous editions.”
Mr James Pan, General Manager, Danx HongKong Trading Co Ltd, Hong Kong
“Our products are popular because they are natural and biodegradable, which are common requirements at the moment. At the fair, we have been in contact with brands such as Uniqlo, along with domestic brands and particularly those sourcing for childrenswear which need to be comfortable and functional. I think our products will continue to be popular in the Chinese market as they satisfy the demand for functionality and sustainability. An advantage in China is that product information is shared online and on social media for maximum brand exposure.”
Mr David Liu, Chief Executive Officer, BYR International, Italy
Visitors’ feedback
“This time at the fair, besides looking for fabrics for lingerie and shirts, I was also looking for the latest trends. I visit the fair every year because Intertextile is a large-scale and comprehensive fair with both product and trend displays. Although we are a lingerie company, we also have needs for outerwear, so the fair is like a one-stop platform for big trading businesses like us. Our company is also looking for suppliers that offer sustainable and recycled materials, to help us develop our products.”
Ms Lydia Wang, Director of Product Department, Zhejiang Merrige Health Technology Co Ltd, China
“I am sourcing for functional fabrics and there are so many options to choose from, it’s really exciting. The fair is a very efficient sourcing platform, because I can find all the suppliers I need here, in one place. Our brand is also choosing to use sustainable products because this is an issue that is important to us. Looking ahead, I’m definitely optimistic about the Chinese market, as there’s more innovation and more developments in the industry happening here than ever before.”
Ms Eva Nixon Wang, Co-Founder, Nuvelle, China
Fringe programme participants
“At this edition I presented about our research report on consumer behaviour related to sustainable fashion in China. We want to relay our findings to the industry and show what consumers are demanding, as more and more are now interested in sustainability and environmental protection. We have also noticed a lot more Chinese companies investing more into this issue. Therefore, in addition to releasing our report, this forum session also featured some leading sustainable brands such as Eastman and The LYCRA Company. We hope that their sharing can further inspire our peers so that our synergy effect will allow us to do better in being sustainable.”
Ms Karen Du, Managing Director, R.I.S.E. Sustainable Fashion Lab / Sustainable Fashion Partner, Impact Hub Shanghai, China
“Intertextile is one of the largest and most international textile platforms globally and the overall impression at this edition has been good. I really benefit from attending the forum sessions, especially Ms Hebe Zhang’s session that I just joined provided useful information about exporting products to Saudi Arabia, which is useful for my company’s customers. The topics and knowledge discussed at Intertextile’s forum sessions were comprehensive and met the different demands of industry players.”
Ms Li Juan, Technical Service Engineer, Shanghai Huangu New Material Technology Development Co Ltd, China
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition took place alongside Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition, Yarn Expo Autumn, CHIC and PH Value. The Spring Editions of these fairs will take place from 9 – 11 March 2022, while the Autumn Editions will be held in August 2022.
The fair is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Center. For more details, please visit: http://www.intertextileapparel.com/. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: www.texpertise-network.com.
-end-
Notes to editors:
Further press information & picture material
https://intertextile-shanghai-apparel-fabrics-autumn.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shanghai/en/press.html
Newsroom
Information from the international textiles sector and Messe Frankfurt’s textiles fairs worldwide can be found at: www.texpertise-network.com.
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The Group employs approximately 2,450 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries around the world. The company generated annual sales of approximately €257 million in 2020 after having recorded sales of €736 million the previous year. Even in difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are globally networked with our industry sectors. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are expanding our digital expertise with new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent). For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
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