This year’s Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is poised to be the most diverse Spring edition yet, with a number of product zones adding to the flavour of the fair. This edition’s one of the larger product zones is ‘Beyond Denim,’ with over 90 exhibitors presenting their latest products including innovative denim yarn as well as stretch, embroidered, jacquard and knit denim fabrics.

 

Over 3,000 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions (in 2015 there were 2,636 exhibitors from 24 countries) are converging on Shanghai for the latest Spring edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics. The fair takes place from March 16 to 18 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The organisers have focused a lot attention since the last edition on improving existing services and facilities and adding new ones to increase the convenience for participants.

Infrastructure improvements

As Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) says exhibitors and buyers will notice a lot of improvements to the fairground this year, particularly around the entrance to the venue and services inside the halls. Some of these services include a number of new restaurants, cafes, cloak rooms, free massage area, charging stations for electronic devices and a hotel shuttle bus service.

Numerous groupings of exhibitors by country/region and product also assist buyers in their sourcing experience. The International Hall (Hall 7.2) houses SalonEurope, Premium Wool Zone, Verve for Design, Functional Lab, All About Sustainability and the Beyond Denim product zones. If it’s a particular country buyers are after, then the Milano Unica Pavilion from Italy, France, Germany and Portugal Zones as well as country/region pavilions from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan and the TEXPROCIL Pavilion from India are all located in this hall.

Meanwhile, Hall 8.1 features the Accessories Zone with overseas and domestic fashion and garment accessories suppliers. Domestic exhibitors feature in this and four other halls: 6.1, 6.2 and 8.2 for ladieswear, 6.1 for lingerie and swimwear, 7.1 for suiting and shirting, 8.1 for functional and sportswear and 8.2 for casual wear.

Options to choose from

The fair has plenty of options on-hand for buyers that prefer to start their sourcing experience by discovering the S/S 2017 trends first. The Intertextile Directions Trend Forum is located in Hall 7.2, while three domestic forums include the new Fashion Focus trend forum in Hall 6.2, and areas for suiting trends in Hall 7.1 and ladieswear in Hall 6.1. Trend Forum Tours also take place on days 1 and 2. More in-depth knowledge can be garnered from seminars on design and trends, sustainability, market information, technology and more, as well as new panel discussions focusing on denim, sustainability and functional fabrics.

In addition to apparel fabrics and accessories, four other textile fairs occur concurrently: Yarn Expo Spring (Hall 5.1), Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition (Hall 5.2), CHIC (Halls 1-3 and 4.1) and PH Value (Hall 1).

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