CHIC 2019, China International Fashion Fair’s fall event, to be held from September 25-27, will feature 698 exhibitors and brands from 10 countries and regions on more than 62,000 square metres of exhibition space at the National Exhibition & Convention Centre in Shanghai. CHIC’s exhibition areas will have four shows-in-show and nine trade fair segments.
The four shows-in-show will be Chic Young Blood, Chic- Kidz, Chic-Tailoring and the Korean Preview in China. The nine trade fair segments to be included are Urban View (menswear), New Look (womenswear), Heritage (leather and fur), Impulses Showroom (design), Fashion Journey (international), Secret Stars (accessories) and CHIC Bags & Shoes.
Despite the trade dispute with the US, China continues to grow. The strengthening of the domestic market is helping to boost retail sales this year by 3.5 per cent to reach approximately $5.3 trillion. With a strong domestic market and rising exports, except to the US, retail sales in China will surpass those of the US in 2021. Currently, China accounts for 21.1 per cent of global retail sales, the US for 21.9 per cent. With an expected increase in 2019 of 27.3 per cent of e-commerce revenues and a market share of 54.7 per cent, China remains the world’s largest e-commerce market. The Consumer Trend Index scored 115 points in the second quarter of 2019, the three components of the Nielsen Investigation Index: personal finances, the willingness to spend money, and job prospects have stabilised. This positive trend will be reflected at CHIC.
China sees it as a task to strengthen ecological awareness in all areas. For instance, the Sustainable Zone, which always takes place at the autumn fair, once again has a special appearance in the upcoming CHIC edition. It will show the latest sustainable market developments in fashion and lifestyle, environmentally conscious innovations and ecological supply chain solutions this time at two locations: in the Entrance Hall South of the exhibition centre and in the entrance area of the CHIC fashion forum. Meetings and shows on recycling, climate leadership, sustainable production and green innovation will take place here. In China, more than $370 billion has been invested in 16 different sustainability programmes over the past twenty years, notably solar energy, low-carbon transportation, and circular economy approaches.
At Fashion Journey, the area for international brands, country pavilions from Korea will present themselves with 38 brands as part of the Preview in China, from Italy 18 brands, with focus on shoes, including Eddicuomo, Le Ble, Delbyday will show at CHIC.
Further individual labels will be presented in the individual segments of CHIC, such as Joseph Ribkoff from Canada or Blue Wellford / ZNR from Belgium in the area of New Look, the Polish label Mr Gugu & Miss Go and the high-end brand SIIJII from Hong Kong – known for its modern, design-oriented concept for the mix of travel and sports elements ‘cool city meets light sport’ at the CHIC Young Blood segment, Mimozah Kids from Canada and Kids on the Moon from Poland at CHIC Kidz. Solosali from Italy will present tailor-made collections at CHIC Tailoring. It is on the Chinese market since 2011 and has become one of the most popular bespoke labels in China.
At the platform for designers ‘Impulses’, well-known Chinese designers such as Feng Sansan, one of the winners of the title ‘China’s Top Ten Fashion Designer’; Mao Nen and Wei Jianfei, both winners of the CHIC Market Potential Award can be found.
The topics supply chain solutions, smart retail, laser technology and data usage are bundled in ‘Future Link’.
Since the existence of CHIC with its 26 years of experience, the organiser has increasingly invested in its data base, which includes all the innovations in the market. In addition, CHIC will conduct an intensive visitor marketing campaign in which the fair will be promoted via all of the 200,000 personalised contacts of the CHIC database in advance of the event: big data promotion, SMS dispatches, telephone calls, WeChat promotion, newsletter distribution individually for each segment of CHIC.
For international exhibitors, a number of VIP match making activities will be organised during the fair, with the opportunity to network with important contacts of Chinese retailers at CHIC. Representatives of all distribution channels for distribution in the Chinese market will be among the visitors of the fair, such as Tmall, JD.com, vip.com, Yoho for online trading; MRS Studios, CHIC Joc, Yigoo for the C-Shops; lifestyle shops like Mumuso, Yi or Westlink as well as Lane Crawford, Joy City, 3.3 etc.
CHIC Talk is a big name in China’s trade show industry: WGSN’s “A / W 20/21 Women’s Wear Forecast & Buyers” Trend Preview, Dalian Hi-Think Computer Co.’s Omni Channel Digital Innovation Forum, features ‘Digital Drainage, Reshaping Retail’, CHIC informs with the ‘E-Commerce Purchasing Demand Release’. Many more lectures on current trends in the Chinese fashion market are in the programme.
CHIC is owned by Beijing Fashion Expo Co Ltd and China World Exhibitions, supported by the China National Garment Association, the Sub-Council of the Textile Industry (CCPIT) and the China World Trade Center.
