"The much awaited Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics–Spring Edition 2016 is scheduled to open its doors on March 16, 2016. The 3,000 plus apparel fabrics and accessories suppliers who will exhibit at the show will come from 20-plus countries and are expected to participate at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai) during the mega fair."

Asia’s most comprehensive trade fair for apparel fabrics and accessories is gearing up for its biggest ever Spring Edition scheduled for March 2016. Over 3,000 exhibitors from around the world have already confirmed their presence at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, which runs from March 16 to 18 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai.

The much awaited Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics–Spring Edition 2016 isscheduled to open its doors on March 16, 2016. The 3,000 plus apparel fabrics and accessories suppliers who will exhibit at the show will come from 20-plus countries and are expected to participate at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai) during the mega fair. The event will feature a number of country and region pavilions as well as new and returning product zones to ensure exhibitors can more effectively meet their target buyers, and to make sure these buyers can more easily find the products they are looking for.

Sustainability in focus

The entire textile sustainability supply chain will be on offer at the fair. The a new area for the Spring Edition which caters to the fast-growing high-performance active wear market will feature ‘Accessories Zone’ with both garment and fashion accessories from China and abroad. In addition to these areas, group pavilions organised by the industry’s leading mills will present the latest innovative products, while domestic exhibitors will once again be grouped by product end-use as well as in various pavilions.

Opportunities for exhibitors and buyers

As one of the key dates on the global industry’s calendar, Intertextile Shanghai is  more than just a place to source fabrics and accessories. Fairgoers can discover next season’s trends in the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum, which is created by experts from the NellyRodi Agency (France), Elementi Moda (Italy), Doneger Creative Services (USA) and Inoue (Japan) among others.

Opportunities for exhibitors and buyers

Intertextile Shanghai is more than just a place to source fabrics and accessories. Fairgoers can discover next season’s trends in the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum, which is created by experts from the NellyRodi Agency (France), Elementi Moda (Italy) and Doneger Creative Services (USA), as well as Ms Sachiko Inoue (Japan). What’s more, a wide range of design and trend ideas, the latest market news as well as industry technologies will be presented and discussed by experts in seminars and forums.

Further opportunities also will be there for exhibitors and buyers with four other textile fairs taking place concurrently. This includes the addition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, and the return of Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value.

The International Zone is housed in hall 7.2, while domestic exhibitors are in halls 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2. Domestic and international denim exhibitors are grouped together in Beyond Denim (hall 7.2), while Chinese and overseas accessories suppliers are located in hall 8.1. A relatively new addition to hall 7.2 is the France Zone, which expands in size this year after a strong debut showing at the 2015 Spring Edition. Some of France’s leading suppliers have already confirmed to take part, including Malhia Kent with its fabrics for luxury pret-a-porter and haute-couture, as well as high-end lace and embroidery producer Solstiss Sarl. Malhia Kent exhibited at last October’s Autumn Edition.

Located inside SalonEurope, the France Zone is the destination to find high-end apparel fabrics and accessories producers from Europe. The leading brands returning to the fair this year include Miroglio Textile from Italy, Turkey’s Soktas Tekstil and Liberty Art Fabrics from the UK. And a highlight for many buyers at the fair is the Milano Unica Pavilion from Italy, which this year features around 100 of Italy’s best textile producers showcasing their latest collections for women’s wear and men’s wear.

This year will see the addition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition to the line-up of concurrent fairs held alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics. Taking place in Hall 5.2, it is complemented by Yarn Expo Spring in hall 5.1, CHIC in halls 1, 2, 3 and 4.1, and PH Value in hall 1.

Asian pavilions to focus on innovation and products

The Asian pavilions will be the place to find a range of innovative offerings. The Japan Pavilion returns with over 20 exhibitors, while the Korea Pavilion with more than 70 participants features a large selection of man-made and functional fabrics to cater the strong demand for Korean products.

One of the largest zones at the fair is the Taiwan Pavilion, organised by the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), which have over 50 exhibitors of accessories, cotton, denim, embroidery, jacquard, knit, lace, polyester, spandex and wool blended & woven fabrics suitable for mass to luxury markets. Rounding out the pavilions from Asia are the Pakistan Pavilion featuring cotton fabrics for casual wear and jeanswear and organised by the Commercial Section, Embassy of Pakistan, and the Texprocil (The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council) Pavilion from India.

Enhancing sourcing options

The fair being held in Shanghai after two years, has truly established itself as the key sourcing destination in Asia for the spring / summer season, with a growing variety of trendy and creative products and ideas for the apparel fabrics and accessories industry on offer. Next month’s fair will once again play host to the Verve for Design area, where design studios from around the world display their original fabric pattern designs to an increasingly eager market for these products.

The Spring Edition 2016 will see more countries represented in Verve for Design compared to the 2015 spring fair, with exhibitors from Japan, Russia and Switzerland taking part this edition, in addition to returning countries Australia, France, Italy and the UK. The new countries are represented by Atelier Mineeda and Nix from Japan, Solstudio Textile Design from Russia and Gibson Design Studio from Switzerland. Longina Phillips Designs and Creations Robert Vernet, from Australia and France, respectively, return to the fair again, while the Italy contingent includes Anteprima Disegni, Bernini Studio, Blue Studio, Musticstyle, New Age and Studio 33. Confirmed exhibitors so far from the UK include Acorn Conceptual Textiles, Amanda Kelly Design Studio, Circleline Design Studio, Design Union, Fairbairn and Wolf and Westcott Design.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2016 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre.