Amidst huge population and rising number of high-income households in China who associate European brands with quality, the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, to be held during September 25-27, presents great opportunity for exhibitors from Europe, over 140, who will gather at the SalonEurope, looking for lucrative partnerships.
Rising high-end Chinese designers seek fabrics with high-quality materials and designs, which can be found from international suppliers. According to McKinsey’s 2019 China Luxury Report, 10.2 million of China’s luxury consumers were born during the 1980s, and account for more than half of the country’s total luxury spending. At the peak of their career and earnings, this generation of Chinese consumers spend to show off their success, and to demonstrate individualism within their populous urban landscape. Products that stand out from the market for design and quality therefore provide the ideal status symbol.
At Intertextile, SalonEurope will gather a comprehensive over 140 exhibitors from countries such as Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK, while focused product zones include Premium Wool Zone and Verve for Design.
“This is a good platform to demonstrate the quality of our premium lace. There are now many higher income consumers in China and they love traditional, European haute couture. Now, there are Chinese designers who want to create a Chinese brand with the same quality of materials and design as these European brands,” said Julien Bracq, general manager and commercial director of Jean Bracq from France, who exhibited within SalonEurope at the 2019 Spring Edition.
Michael Bonzom, creative director China of NellyRodi Agency from France, offered advice to overseas brands after delivering a trend seminar at the 2019 Spring Edition. “Accept the Chinese consumer’s mind-set. Adapt to the local calendar, the digital market and distribution channels. Observe key Chinese designers as well, to keep abreast of local trends as they are very important in the market nowadays. Stay close to young Chinese talent, as they are the future of the industry. Reactivity is also key; everything moves much faster here, so brands must be flexible to adapt quickly.”
The Premium Wool Zone is in the heart of SalonEurope, featuring some of the world’s finest wool suppliers from Europe, as well as other countries and regions. At the 2019 Autumn Edition, the zone will feature over 20 suppliers from France, Italy, Hong Kong, Peru and the UK. As demand for luxury wool continues to grow in China and worldwide, thanks to its long-lasting quality, and fine appearance and feel, future prospects look good for this Intertextile product zone.
With a line-up of premium exhibitors, globally renowned for their heritage and fine quality, highlights of the Premium Wool Zone include Abraham Moon & Sons (UK) with pure wool fabrics, including lambswool, worsted and Shetland wool, Dino Filarte (Italy) which bring superfine merino wool, with a long fibre length and high strength, Dormeuil (France) who will feature their Amadeus fabric, woven from 200 Australian wool, Mongolian cashmere and Chinese silk, Harrisons of Edinburgh (UK) who will feature wool fabrics with high performance, durability and drape, ideal for tailoring, and Taylor & Lodge (UK): highly regarded for worsted manufacturing, using fine Australian merino wool who supply to high-end brands such as Givenchy, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent.
Robert Wong, managing director of Loa Hai Shing (Scabal) from Hong Kong, commented on the success of the Premium Wool Zone at the 2019 Spring Edition. “Buyers from a comprehensive range of countries come to visit Intertextile. I see the demand for premium tailoring as an uptrend. The younger generation these days are highly educated and have higher incomes – not just in China, but all over the world, and they do care about presenting themselves well. They want higher quality fabrics that last well.”
As well as benefiting from the growth of China’s luxury menswear industry, premium wool can also meet demands from global high-end activewear and outdoor brands, who see high potential in wool – in particular merino – for its natural performance properties, which include temperature regulation, moisture-wicking and resilience, as well as biodegradability.
Original prints can be found from over 25 design studios in the Verve for Design product zone. Jane Han Zhang, creative director of long-time exhibitors Fairbairn & Wolf Studio from the UK, explained, “The demand for original prints in China is huge because the market is always looking for something different. A lot of design studios exclusively exhibit at Intertextile. This is a big event on the calendar for lots of our customers.”
There will be six new design studios at the vibrant Verve for Design – Found Design Studio (UK), Fusion (Denmark), Les Dessines (France), Owens and Kim (UK), Soge Studio (USA), and Tek Desen (Turkey).
