Organised by the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA) and UBM Asia, the third edition of Cashmere World, a trade fair dedicated to cashmere and other fine fibres has ended on a positive note on in Hong Kong. This year, companies from Afghanistan, China, Hong Kong, India, Mongolia, and Thailand and major players from Mongolia have returned to Cashmere World held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.
According to the moderator of the Cashmere World Forum, Alessandra Cocchi, the event has proved itself as a window to the latest information about the industry. Taking into account the wide range of styles, quality, designs and services offered by the trade fair participants, this was certainly the case. Held alongside Fashion Access, Asia’s leading fashion accessories event, Cashmere World’s presentation was quite spectacular with its white carpeted aisles, entrance area and stands. The carpeting enhanced the product selections and reflected the inherent luxury for which cashmere fashion items are famous the world over.
A steady but not overwhelming flow of international buyers kept exhibitors on their toes 
and more importantly, it was the professional quality of the buyers that lent even more credibility to this already well-established event. The mix of exhibitors represented the main cashmere producing nations of the world – Afghanistan, China and Mongolia as well as other participants notably from India and Indonesia. Commenting on the buyer response, Indian exhibitor Tarrlochan Singh, Proprietor of Geetanjali International from New Delhi stated, “We made contacts from Mongolia and Italy and have developed clients from past shows. Cashmere World is a business platform and allows the customers to get to know us – and us to know them.”
Another Indian exhibitor Parminar Singh, General Manager of Old Village Overseas also from New Delhi displayed a wide range of cashmere fashion scarves. He had about 200 designs on show in both cashmere and blended fibres and after a busy day on the first day and having received visitors from Chile, Spain and Canada, he noted that he will return to Cashmere World next year and will also exhibit at Fashion Access in March 2015.
Even Inna Lee, Sales Manager of Viction (Inner Mongolia) Cashmere Co from Northern China, a returning exhibitor, expressed, “We are satisfied with the fair as it is a dedicated business platform for selling our products internationally”. Katherine Jin, Business Executive of Ningxia St. Edelweiss Cashmere Products Co, also from Inner Mongolia commented, “Hong Kong is an excellent place to meet our international customers as Cashmere World is a focused business platform. We offer contract manufacturing of all types such as cashmere accessories – gloves, hats, scarves, shawls, etc.”
Present for the first time at Cashmere World was the Thailand Textile Institute that was promoting a combined silk and cashmere project funded by the Thai Royal Family. The objective is to reinvigorate the Thai silk industry by combining silk with cashmere imported from Mongolia to create exclusively designed and luxury garments. The Director of the Technology Department, Dr. Chanchai Sirikasemlert noted that most of the promotion for this project has been carried out in Thailand and that Cashmere World was the only international business platform where it has been presented.
What makes Cashmere World unique for the sector is its integral nature. The trade fair is complemented and strengthened by the organisation of the Cashmere World Forum held during the first two days of the fair. The speakers at the forum include international authorities on the subject and this year the keynote address will be delivered by Karl Spilhaus, President of the Cashmere & Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute, USA, on ‘The Development of Objective Methods for the Identification of Cashmere’. Other subjects covered include ‘Branding Fine Fibres: the example of the Mohair Mark’ and ‘Retailing Cashmere: Trends Forecast & Innovation’.
