Main themes emerging from the fair this year included an increase in innovative products resulting from the pandemic, the benefits for both domestic and international companies to have an in-person event, encouraging prospects in the Chinese market as it continues to rebound, and hope that more of the main textile markets will do the same as 2021 progresses.

Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd elaborated at the fair: “Following the two Intertextile Apparel editions in China in the second half of last year, we are delighted that we could offer another hybrid platform with new online solutions for the global industry to utilise this season. It was pleasing to see the number of exhibitors showcasing new products in response to the pandemic, particularly in the Functional Lab and All About Sustainability zones. And there are many positive signs and belief from participants here this week that the post-pandemic recovery in China will maintain its strength this year. We hope that by the Autumn Edition this August more of the global industry can gather here in Shanghai in-person to take advantage of this.”

Innovative and sustainable products in high demand

With consumers’ increasing focus on the health protection their garments can offer as well as the ecological footprint, the fair’s Functional Lab and All About Sustainability zones were must-visits for many buyers this edition, while innovations could be found in other areas also. Just a few of the many exhibitors offering products in response to the latest trends were Alumo AG from Switzerland, with their Alumo & weba brands, who cooperated with HeiQ Viroblock to apply antibacterial and antiviral technology into their fabrics. Biella Manifatture Tessili from Italy showcased their Defender collection which uses ViralOff technology to reduce the instance of viruses by 99%. Hong Kong’s Hansk New Materials presented their health protection, hygiene protection and anti-insect collections, while Successori Reda from Italy, a manufacturer of sustainable pure Merino wool fabrics, created their S/S 2022 collection in a fully digital manner so as to ensure greater waste reduction.

This edition’s fringe programme featured a number of events touching on innovation and sustainability, as well as opportunities in the current market climate, while the themes in the fair’s ever-popular Intertextile Directions Trend Forum were heavily influenced by how society’s model is being challenged by the pandemic. And rounding out the complete sourcing experience for the textile industry, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics was once again held alongside Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, Yarn Expo Autumn, CHIC and PH Value.

Exhibitors’ responses

“Intertextile is the industry’s most important trade fair in China, so we’ve been participating for many years. We have brought the latest prints sent over from London to showcase at the fair. Today the visitor flow is high and we’ve seen a lot of brand designers and fabric directors, who are all decision-makers.”

Mr Guanlian Yuan, Chinese Agent, Design Union, UK

“Celeli has joined Intertextile for many years because it is a large-scale, professional exhibition with a good reputation. The fair is an important channel to discover new customers and since the pandemic, it has brought the industry together to create more opportunities for business exchange. As a high-end fabric supplier, we saw that pandemic restrictions had led to the increase of high-end fabrics in China. In the future, I think the domestic demand for imported fabrics will continue to grow and that Asian markets, especially China’s, have huge potential.”

Ms Leanne Li, Operations Manager, Celeli (Shanghai) Trading Co Ltd, China

“Intertextile is an influential and well-known platform for the industry and we are able to discover the latest trends here. To target the market changes amid the pandemic, we have brought functional products including anti-bacterial viscose fibres and plant-dyed fabrics which match the current industry trends. Our export business is gradually recovering and we are optimistic about the future development of the industry.”

Ms Lynn Bao, Marketing Executive, Bros Eastern Co Ltd, China

“We have brought our new S/S 2022 collection including our main hemp based range to the fair. We have focused on hemp because it is a sustainable material and naturally has anti-bacterial properties, making it a globally popular product right now. Because of the relatively quick recovery and rebound in the Chinese market, we have focused on the domestic market over the past year.”

Mr Jackal Tsang, Regional Sales, Orta Anadolu, Turkey

“The fair is very effective for promoting our brand and our booth had an estimated 300-plus visitors yesterday. As the current trend is about environmental protection, our products are made with recyclable and eco-friendly materials and they meet the biggest sourcing needs in China. After participating in last year’s Autumn edition, we have increased our domestic sales and so we intend to participate in the August edition as well as the November edition in Shenzhen this year.”

Mr Yonghui Zheng, Manager, Shanghai IRIS Garment Accessories Co Ltd, Japan

“Our embroidery products have been particularly popular this year, and we have already received orders of more than 1,000 yards ready to be produced. Our customers all placed orders directly and we received orders with a total of around RMB 200,000. We welcomed about 30 groups of customers, and among them 12 groups were new.”

Mr Robert Wang, Senior Manager, Wedtex Industrial Corp, Taiwan