The fair as a whole is the industry’s largest apparel fabrics and accessories event, and takes place at the brand-new National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from 13 – 15 October.

According to Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd’s Senior General Manager, Ms Wendy Wen, this re-designed and significantly larger area will be a major drawcard for buyers. “The premium product areas of Intertextile Shanghai are already well-known in the industry and attract a lot of high-end buyers from around the world, including SalonEurope, the Milano Unica Pavilion, the Premium Wool Zone and Verve for Design. We believe with the changes we have made to the Beyond Denim concept, including the fact buyers can now find everything in this sector under one roof, this will elevate this area to the same reputation in the industry these others have. In addition, exhibitors from across the supply chain will be able to conduct business amongst themselves, further increasing the fair’s effectiveness for participants.”

First held at the 2014 Autumn Edition, Beyond Denim expands in size this year by over 70% as a wider range of exhibitors participate. This includes a large number of ready-to-wear denim suppliers from CHIC, the concurrent fashion garment fair. Doneger Creative Services has also created a Denim Forum which will showcase different denim products, trends and technology, and features five trend themes: Dwell, Western, Cyber, Artisan and Wanderer.

Amongst the many exhibitors taking part in this hall is a debut Italian company, as well as two Hong Kong suppliers:

• SEI S.p.A (Italy) will showcase its unique ‘Flexi Denim’ laser system which includes proprietary technology that allows for production speeds of up to three times faster than other machines with the same laser capacity. This system can substitute traditional methods of stone washing, whiskering, fading, sanding, ripping and more on denim and finished garments.

• Lucky Textiles Group (Hong Kong) specialises in corduroy, twill and denim products, and will feature products with features such as nanotech, iron-free (high & low temperatures), water & oil repellence, anti-pollution protection and more.

• H.W. Textiles (Hong Kong) is a joint venture company with Japanese firm Kurabo. They boast spinning, dyeing and finishing capabilities, and will feature their Kuga, Rogi, Flexi, Vintage and Boy Friend Denim collections at the fair.

Many of China’s leading fabric and garment suppliers will also feature at the fair, including Advance Denim, Benjie Textile, Black Peony Group, Foshan Huafeng Textile, Foshan Lisheng Textile, Foshan Seazon Textile and Garment, Freedom Denim, Panther Textiles Holding, Prosperity Textiles, Shan Dong Dai Yin Textile Group and Zibo Haitian Textile.

Asian pavilions showcase region’s diverse range of products and innovations

Buyers looking to discover new and innovative products can find them in six country and region pavilions from India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand in halls 5.2 and 6.2. The Japan Pavilion promises to be one of the most innovative at the fair, with a number of exhibitors among the 36 participants showcasing state-of-the-art products and technologies according to Mr Akira Kawashima, Senior Director, Textile Division of the Japan Fashion Week Organization, organisers of the pavilion.

Saiei Orimono Co Ltd is bringing what it calls ‘fairy feather’ to the fair, a very thin and flexible yarn-dyed silk fabric made from 8 denier silk threads which they spent four years developing. Seiren Co Ltd will exhibit products which are produced with their self-developed digital printing system, which uses up to one-fifth less water than other methods. Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation, meanwhile, is displaying a range of cuprammonium rayon, or Benberg, as well as their Roica elastane fibre spandex. Daiichi Orimono Co Ltd will present their functional ‘super-dense fabric’ which is supplied around the world to the industry’s top brands. And Toray Industries Inc will exhibit their ‘ultrasuede’ product, a suede-like artificial leather.

One other supplier in the pavilion is Kumazawa Shoji Co Ltd which specialises in triacetate products. Mr Kawashima explains that colourful variations of this product are quite popular in the Chinese market, and he goes on to say that he expects Japanese products to be “more reachable at this year’s fair due to the weaker yen.” Apart from China, he says that “Japanese companies receive attention from around the world at the fair, not only for the quality materials they produce, but also their strict production controls and flexible delivery services.”

The Taiwan Pavilion, organised by the Taiwan Textile Federation, will also be home to some innovative and unique products. Far Eastern New Century Corp is focusing on sustainable, smart-textile and multifunctional fabric ranges, which includes anti-static heat-generating fabrics, quick-dry fabrics and stretchable and lightweight eco fabrics. The company reports that these products match with the increasing demand in China at present for casualwear and sportswear fabrics. Singtex Industrial Co Ltd, meanwhile, are exhibiting their award-winning P4DRY fabric which is made by printing ground coffee grounds onto the cloth to absorb moisture and reduce odours. And their AIRMEM eco-friendly biofilm uses modified coffee oil and hydrophilic agents to improve moisture permeability and water repellency.

Another self-developed cotton and nylon fabric printing technology on display at the fair is from New Wide Group. Its Eco-Trans Printing process not only produces delicate patterns, but also reduces water and energy consumption. Dr. Long International Co Ltd will showcase fabrics with features such as permanent antistatic, far infrared heating and instant dry. Lastly, Full Blossom Co Ltd will present their collections of cotton and natural fibres in a range of Western-style series.

While Korean suppliers are known for their innovative and functional fabrics, they also place much emphasis on the latest trends as Mr Yoon Young-Sang, Vice Chairman of pavilion organiser Korea Fashion Textile Association explains. “Korean products at the fair will reflect the trend sentiments, which for Autumn / Winter include fabrics of natural texture and natural fabrics with functionality. Functional fabrics from Korea have excellent value for money, and are drawing a lot of attention, particularly for sportswear and casualwear.”

Eight Group Pavilions by industry’s biggest firms to feature

In addition to innovative products from Asia, cutting-edge fabrics can be found in the eight Group Pavilions to feature at this year’s fair. The pavilions, which are organised by leading fibre and yarn companies and feature their partner mills, include Birla Cellulose (Grasim), DuPont, Hyosung, INVISTA, the Korea Chemical Fibers Association (KCFA), the Korea Textile Trade Association (KTTA), Lenzing and Oeko-Tex. All pavilions are housed in hall 5.2, including the Oeko-Tex Pavilion which features in the All About Sustainability zone.

Always a popular stop for buyers to discover cutting-edge products is the Lenzing Pavilion, which returns again to this edition 10 years after first appearing. Ms Maggie Shen, Marketing Communication Manager, China, at Lenzing Fibers (Shanghai) explains: “Lenzing has invited our partners from the whole supply chain to participate in the pavilion, including yarn spinners, fabric mills and even garment makers. All Lenzing Satellite members will exhibit their products made of Lenzing fibres such as TENCEL®, Modal®, ProModal®, Viscose® and more.” On the Chinese market, she said: “Local customers are interested in innovative and high-quality products nowadays, while sustainability has also become a hot topic in the last two years.”

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2015 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre.

For more details on this fair, please visit: www.intertextileapparel.com.