BEIJING, CHINA - Breaking last year’s record exhibitor figure of 3,751, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2014 kicks off today reaching a new record with over 3,800 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions taking part in what also doubles as the fair’s 20th anniversary edition. Domestic and overseas suppliers will showcase their apparel fabrics and accessories in 15 halls covering 175,020 sqm of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 20 to 23 October 2014.
To mark the 20th year of the fair, a number of special events and displays have been planned, many of which are centred on the 20th Anniversary Celebration Corner. The fair’s fashion show designer, Walter Ma, has created a special 20th anniversary gown, and the Fabric Wall, created from fabric swatches of different exhibitors, creates a visual record of the show and captures the spirit of the 20th anniversary. Visitors to the Corner can also take in the celebration video which offers a retrospective take on previous editions of the fair.
15 halls featuring full range of apparel fabrics and accessories
With so much on offer at the fair, a number of pavilions and product zones have been created to help buyers streamline their sourcing experience. International halls (W1 – half of hall W4) include:
- SalonEurope (hall W1): pavilions from Germany, the Milano Unica Pavilion from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the UK, as well as the France zone feature here
- Verve for Design (hall W1): showcases collections from Australia, China, France, Italy, Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the UK
- Premium Wool zone (hall W1): features premium and luxury wool fabrics from Belgium, France, Italy and the UK
- Country pavilions and regions (halls W2 & W3): from India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand
- Group pavilions (halls W2 & W3): including Birla Planet, Cotton Council International, DuPont, Hyosung, Invista, KCFA, KTTA and Lenzing All About Sustainability zone (hall W4): including an Educational Zone and ecoBoutique display area along with the Oeko-Tex Pavilion featuring wool knitted, knitted, woven and yarn eco fabrics and lace & embroidery.
- Further halls include:
- Beyond Denim hall (hall W5): expanded this year to cover an entire hall and revamped by renowned French studio the NellyRodiTM Agency, this hall features over 150 exhibitors and a new Denim Forum to reveal upcoming trends
- Accessories halls (halls E6 & E7): over 550 international and domestic suppliers will showcase their garment and fashion accessories
- Domestic exhibitors can be found in halls W4 – W5, E1 – E5 and N1 – N3, and have been grouped together by product end-use:
- Shirting fabrics (W4) Suiting fabrics (E1 & E2)
- Casualwear fabrics (E3 & E4) Functional wear / Sportswear fabrics (E5)
- Accessories (E6 & E7)
- Lingerie and Swimwear fabrics (N1)
- Ladieswear fabrics (N1 – N3)
Fringe programme features something for everyone
To meet the needs of as much of the industry as possible, this year’s fringe programme contains a wide range of events and displays. Providing ideas for autumn / winter 2015-16 fashions, a total of four trend forums can be found at the fair, including the international- focused Intertextile Directions Trend Forum (hall W1), and the domestic Fabrics China Trend Forums for suitings (hall E2), casualwear (hall E4) and ladieswear (hall N2). These trend forums use exhibitor’s fabrics to interpret what will be popular next season, while four product display zones also feature exhibitor’s latest products: accessories (hall E7), Beyond Denim Forum (hall W5), Linen / Ramie Chic (hall E3) and the ecoBoutique (hall W4).
Following the trends in the domestic market, as well as those of the wider market, this year sees an expanded All About Sustainability zone (hall W4) featuring 32 exhibitors. Meanwhile, in Innotex Space (hall E5), the Department of Science and Technology Development of the China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC) will highlight a wide range of new applications, and innovative technologies and products.
This year’s seminar programme promises to be highly popular again, with design and trend presentations led by representatives from Huafu, Milano Unica, the NellyRodiTM Agency, Peclers Paris and others. Speakers from Control Union, Jintex Corp, Lineapelle, Oeko- Tex Association, SGS, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, TESTEX and Unifi will conduct seminars on sustainability issues. And other presentations will be made on market information and business strategies, technology and solutions, and legal issues. Product presentations by exhibitors including Birla Jinwei Fibres Co Ltd, Hohenstein Institute Hong Kong Laboratory, Jintex Corp and Far Eastern New Century will also be held.
By Beijing Correspondent, Lim Chang-hyun (changfan@koreaittimes.com)
