When it comes to fabric development or new ways of thinking about manufacturing, more and more the common thread between sustainability and functional fabrics is innovation. Driven by a desire for greener products, especially among China’s younger generations, the innovations at next month’s Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition are set to include a full range of newly developed sustainable denim, functional fabrics, accessories and more across its different product zones.
Set to be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from 28 – 30 March, the fair’s comprehensive, cutting-edge product showcase attracts quality buyers and enables suppliers to tap into China’s rapidly developing market.
With China’s younger generations adopting healthier, more active lifestyles, the country’s activewear market is experiencing rapid growth, and many luxury fashion brands are now offering athleisure to capture this new business potential.
This trend means Functional Lab in hall 5.1, displaying innovative functional fabrics for athleisure, sports and protective wear, has the potential to garner strong attention from buyers. One standout exhibitor, Ascend Performance Materials from the US, is returning to the fair to showcase Acteev® zinc-embedded polyamide fabrics, which provide antimicrobial protection from odour-causing bacteria and fungi.
Sustainability: a global trend at home in Shanghai
In addition to activewear, with several zones dedicated exclusively to sustainability, the fair has long been a champion of green manufacturing – an economic and political cause that is echoed not just in China, but around the world. The European Union, home to a large portion of Intertextile Apparel exhibitors, recently adopted new strategies to make its textile industry plants greener.
The changes will especially impact the wet processing of textiles, including bleaching, dyeing, and property-specific finishing, such as water repellence, by promoting more sustainable production through the substitution of hazardous or environmentally unfriendly chemicals.
The circular economy is another policy priority of the EU, with many apparel brands tailoring their product ranges accordingly. Mango recently launched its first denim collection made from a single type of fibre, with no rivets or jacron labels, to enable easier recycling.
At Intertextile Apparel, these types of fashionable denim products and state-of-the-art solutions will be found at Beyond Denim in hall 7.2. Sustainable denim supplier Bossa Ticaret Ve Sanayi Isletmeleri TAS from Turkey will return to showcase products made using organic cotton and their SaveBlue water-saving dyeing process.
Other green exhibitors will feature in the dedicated zone All About Sustainability, and for several this will be far from their first appearance. Returning exhibitors include the Oeko-Tex 100 certified Shanghai Tiqiao Textile Yarn Dyeing, an innovative dyeing, knitting, and finishing fabric mill, and QIMA, a reputable quality control and compliance organisation.
The International Hall at the upcoming fair will be housed in hall 5.1, with exhibitors categorised by product groups, and domestic exhibitors allocated by product end-use in halls 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2 & 8.1. Other featured zones include the Digital Printing Zone in hall 5.1, set to showcase up-to-date digital printing solutions and trendy printed fabrics; and Accessories Vision in hall 7.2, for all garment and fashion accessories. One accessories supplier set to make an impact is Ideal Fastener Asia, one of the world’s largest zipper manufacturers.
The company is eager to lengthen a client list that includes some of the world’s premier luggage manufacturers, multiple major apparel brands, and NASA.
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2023 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. It will take place alongside the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value from 28 – 30 March at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).
