Autumn edition of Intertextile Apparel sees 33% exhibitor increase
The autumn editions of textile trade shows Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics (Intertextile Apparel), Yarn Expo, knitting exhibition PH Value and ready-to-wear fashion fair Chic are all under way in the east-central Chinese megacity.
Based in separate areas of the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center, which covers 500,000 square-metres of exhibition space, all contained within a single building, each event is running from August 28-30.
Co-organiser Messe Frankfurt (Hong Kong) said the current edition of Intertextile Apparel alone counts almost 4,000 suppliers, an increase of 33% on the almost 3,000 exhibitors who participated in the fair’s first post-covid outing back in March. This represents 21.7% growth on figures for 2019.
Fibre manufacturers Lycra, Lenzing, Sorona and Hyosung are among those with dedicated pavilions, accompanied by Japan, South Korea, Italy (Milano Unica), France, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Australia, Peru, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, Indonesia and Macau are all exhibiting for the very first time.
Japan-based Takisada Nagoya notably took home first prize in the show’s textile trends awards for a dark gold “functional polyester” knit from shape memory filaments in a tactile, textured structure, co-created with researchers from Hong Kong artificial intelligence-led hub AiDLab.
Talking with Japan Fashion Week representatives at the country’s national pavilion, sportstextiles discussed how the domestic apparel industry’s reliance on smaller-scale, slower production continues to shape a more craft- and innovation-led attitude towards clothing consumption, generally reflected in the approach of local value chain partners.
Messe Frankfurt executive board member Uwe Behm (pictured far right) painted a positive picture of Shanghai on his first trip back to the city following its reopening in the wake of China’s covid lockdowns. “Everything is back,” he said. “Life is back, business is back, eye contact is back [and] it is a good feeling.”
Image: Mr Behm celebrates the winners of Intertextile Apparel’s 20 years’ award on stage at a launch dinner for the autumn edition.
Credit: World Trades Publishing.
