The recently held 25th autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai trade fair focussed on the various aspects of sustainable future of the fashion industry. Global climate targets and powerful consumer action are a major influence on the future of fashion. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is a platform that displays supreme apparel fabrics and accessories.
Sustainable products were the first on display for many trade buyers. A display area of eco-friendly fabric samples was positioned next to the main south entrance, attracting a high volume of buyers to highlighted exhibitors from the outset. Inside the international halls, the ‘All About Sustainability’ zone housed a selection of green fabric suppliers and testing services, as well as Forum Space, the fringe event area dedicated to sustainability topics, according to a press release on the show.
Even more eco-friendly exhibitors could be found throughout the fair, especially in product zones such as Functional Lab and Beyond Denim. Communication is the key to ensuring a consistently green supply chain. So with more consumers demanding traceability, Intertextile facilitates industry-wide communication, with a high visitor flow from concurrent events spanning the entire supply chain from fibre to garment.
Forum Space is a platform for company product announcements, expert insight and high profile discussions. This year, a major highlight of the fringe programme included FASHIONSUSTAIN, a conference by Messe Frankfurt that brings together key opinion leaders in the sustainable textile industry. Previously held in Berlin, New York City, and Los Angeles, the fair was FASHIONSUSTAIN’s first event in Asia. Other fringe highlights included a panel discussion with Elevate Textiles and their brand, A&E, on sustainability in the supply chain, and a seminar by Testex on Oeko-Tex updates.
Although not every consumer prioritises sustainability when purchasing, some take it into serious consideration and may even pay more for it. Testex, who exhibited in the All About Sustainability zone and participated in a seminar, believe that a good move forward is to focus on making information easily accessible for these consumers, and have introduced a QR code system for product labels. At Intertextile, Testex demonstrated this on a pair of Primark jeans. When scanned by a consumer, every process of the item is instantly indicated on an interactive map. From raw material processing to dyeing, spinning to cutting – every factory was highlighted, as well as the route that the garment took during production.
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