From October 11 and global apparel fabrics & accessories industry will congregate in Shanghai to showcase the latest and the best trends the industry for the three-day Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics event. Shanghai will become a point of intersection between East and West. And as Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) explains, “Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is first and foremost a business-focused sales platform. Nowhere else can over 4,500 quality suppliers from across the entire apparel sector be in immediate reach of buyers. And at no other event can these suppliers gain exposure to so many trade buyers from the international market. It is this unrivalled combination that creates the right conditions for business to flourish.”

As a global sourcing hub, the fair attracts buyers big and small, domestic and international. It is also a major source of inspiration for leading fashion brands which will participate in the fair’s business matching programme. This includes labels such as American Eagle Outfitters, Bestseller, C&A, Calvin Klein, E.Land, Eral, GVSSJEE, Joeone, L.L.Bean, Lily, Ports, PurCotton, Quiksilver, s.Oliver, Skechers, Trands and many more.

Autumn edition 2017 at a glance

The latest edition has a lineup of 4,538 exhibitors from 32 countries & regions, and is set to host close to 70,000+ trade buyers from 100+ countries & regions. There are country specific pavilions from France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Milano Unica (Italy), Pakistan, Taiwan and Thailand. Chinese exhibitors are grouped by product end-use in eight halls. And there are group pavilions by Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Button & Garment Accessories Industry Chamber, DuPont, ECOCERT, Hyosung, INVISTA, Lenzing, OEKO-TEX and more. Innovative product zones such as Accessories Vision, All about Sustainability, Beyond Denim, Functional Lab, Premium Wool Zone and Verve for Design, would enthrall the visitors. Fringe programme comprising of eight international and domestic trend forums, seven panel discussions, 30+ seminars, Digital Printing Forum and more, would keep the visitors engaged during the show. There are concurrent fairs held alongside the expo, including Yarn Expo Autumn, fashion garment fair CHIC and knitting fair PH Value to cash in on the potential.

Convergence of fashion & innovation

While an unmatched event in terms of sourcing from the entire apparel fabrics and accessories product spectrum, Intertextile Shanghai is also valued by buyers for its quality of products as well. Those looking for up-to-the-minute fashions are well served with the likes of the France and Japan Pavilions, while SalonEurope area presents the best of Europe. Cutting-edge original pattern designs can be found in Verve for Design, stylish accessories are on offer in Accessories Vision, while many new Chinese fashion brands are beginning to emerge at the fair.

The fair is also a focal point for fabric innovations. The Functional Lab is the centerpiece of the fair’s innovative offerings, there is plenty more to be discovered, especially from around the Asian region. Korea and Taiwan, in particular, are breeding grounds for textile innovation, and their pavilions will draw crowds of buyers from the first to the last minute of the fair. The Group Pavilions are a showcase of the industry’s best innovators, combined with the wide range of solutions offered by their partner mills within the pavilions. There are also many innovative products and solutions for environmental protection on offer at the fair this year, naturally in the All about Sustainability zone, but also in Accessories Vision and Beyond Denim, as well as throughout the domestic exhibitor halls.