The Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, the world’s largest apparel fabrics and accessories fair, which was being held from March 14 to 16, 2018, at the National Convention & Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, China, recorded a huge 15 per cent increase in the buyer figure this year, up to 82,314, from 104 countries with 3,386 exhibitors from 22 countries.
Strong growth was registered in buyers from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and India, this edition’s top four countries and regions, while Italy and Bangladesh entered the top ten list this year, in eight and tenth places respectively, alongside the US, Taiwan, Russia, and the UK.
Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said, “After the strong increase in the buyer figure at last October’s Autumn edition and the generally favourable outlook of the global textile industry in recent months, we were expecting a strong result this year, but the increased number of exhibitors and buyers placing their trust in this fair as their main business platform has completely exceeded our expectations. With the quality & quantity of buyers this edition and the tangible outcomes reported to us by exhibitors, the fair has reached a new level as the kick-off event for the spring / summer season.”
Seven halls and 187,000 square metres, equal to 2017, were in use at this edition, with everything from fabrics for ladieswear, menswear, suiting, shirting, lingerie, and swimwear to high-end wool fabrics, original pattern designs, functional & performance fabrics, sustainability products & services, digital printing technologies, garment & fashion accessories and more on display.
Growth areas this edition included the Premium Wool Zone, with the exhibitor number doubling from last year, reflecting the evolving use of wool in spring / summer collections. The international area of the Beyond Denim zone also doubled in size this year, while overseas presence in Accessories Vision grew by 73 per cent.
