#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2025-04-10

Fashion InStyle unveils future materials at Asia's creative hub

The immense potential of Hong Kong's creative industries is being highlighted by the HKSAR Government, which is actively developing the sector as a new economic driver and working to position Hong Kong as Asia's creative hub. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is echoing this development direction by hosting seven large-scale events, spanning lifestyle products and licensing opportunities, that will further enhance the city's reputation as a creative hotspot.

Fashion InStyle launches the new NEXT@Fashion InStyle highlighted zone this year. Today’s press conference featured a fashion piece created by designer Kinyan Lam using Gambier Canton Silk, and another created by designer Arto Wong using Lotuxilk © 2025 HKTDC

The seven mega events include the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, Home InStyle and Fashion InStyle (27-30 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, HKCEC); the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair and DeLuxe PrintPack Hong Kong (held concurrently at AsiaWorld-Expo, 27-30 April); and the Hong Kong International Licensing Show and Asian Licensing Conference (28-30 April at the HKCEC). The events will serve as a bridge connecting Hong Kong's creative industries with Mainland China and international markets while reinforcing the city’s positioning as a regional creative hub.

Speaking at a press conference held today to introduce the upcoming events, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong said: "This year's seven lifestyle and licensing mega events will be gathered in the final week of April. Beyond showcasing cultural creative designs and functional products from around the world, they will specifically address emerging market trends, including silver economy solutions and sustainable products and materials. The consolidated fair period provides buyers with a diverse one-stop sourcing opportunity while facilitating cross-industry and cross-sector business connections to generate synergies."

Ms Chong added that the seven exhibitions and conference are expected to attract some 6,000 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions, including Mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as Australia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand from the Asia-Pacific region, and Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United States from the European and North American regions. Fashion InStyle will welcome first-time exhibitors from Austria and the UK, while the Printing & Packaging Fair will feature a new participant from Cambodia.

Innovative fashion materials converge at Fashion InStyle

The 2025 edition of Fashion InStyle sees the launch of NEXT@Fashion InStyle, a new highlighted zone organised by the HKTDC and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the HKSAR Government, bringing together some 60 global material suppliers to showcase advanced fashion materials. Five local designers have been specially invited to create fashion pieces using some of these innovative materials. Designer Han Chong, founder of the internationally acclaimed brand Self-Portrait, will serve as the ambassador and share insights on-site. Thailand is the Strategic Partner of NEXT@Fashion InStyle, powered by the Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA) and National Soft Power Development Committee. They will bring some 30 Thai exhibitors showcasing fashion materials that blend Thai cultural heritage, sustainability and innovative technology.

EXHIBITION+ model extends business opportunities

The HKTDC will continue employing its EXHIBITION+ online-offline integrated model for the fairs, allowing exhibitors to leverage the AI-powered Click2Match business matching platform, hktdc.com Sourcing platform and the Intelligence Hub to extend physical exhibition interactions onto online platforms. Buyers can use the Scan2Match function in the HKTDC Marketplace App to scan exhibitor and product showcase QR codes, record favourite exhibitors, browse product information and make inquiries, allowing discussions to continue online during and after the exhibition. Starting this month, the online promotion period for exhibitors will be extended to one year. For convenience, buyers can register on the HKTDC Marketplace App and download free eBadges for direct venue entry.

Collaboration between film director and four local designers boosts interdisciplinary interplay in Hong Kong

The Fashion Hong Kong Runway Show rounded off the first day of CENTRESTAGE, the annual Asian fashion extravaganza, last night (4 September). Building on the previous year's fusion of fashion and ballet, this year's event took interdisciplinary collaboration one step further, enlisting Weeds of Fire director Steve Chan to narrate the latest collections of four Hong Kong fashion brands – ANGUS TSUI, röyksopp gakkai, selfFab. and Z I D I – through cinematic storytelling, inviting the audience to explore the fashion realm from a new perspective.

Fashion extravaganza CENTRESTAGE returns in September

CENTRESTAGE, the annual fashion extravaganza organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), will showcase a rich tapestry of style from 4 to 7 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event will feature a plethora of fashion shows, parades and seminars led by industry heavyweights, with attendees able to gain insights into the latest industry trends and cutting-edge designs, as well as explore business opportunities.

The Technology Hub for global denim trends: ITM 2026

The ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, to be held at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul from June 9–13, 2026, brings together groundbreaking technologies in denim production. From smart production systems to eco-friendly raw materials, from digital washing solutions to laser effect technologies, innovations that will shape the future of denim will be showcased for the first time at ITM 2026.

YKK receives ISPO Textrends Awards for circular innovations

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) is pleased to announce that the ISPO Textrends judges have selected YKK's 3D Composite Puller as the Best Product in the Accessories category. They also selected YKK’s NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ zipper with Recycled PET Open Parts as a Top 5 item in the same category. The competition, held twice a year in conjunction with the ISPO trade show, recognizes the most innovative performance textiles, components, and apparel.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris unveils redesigned show layout for 2026

From February 2 to 4, 2026, Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris will once again bring together all the key players in textiles and clothing at the Paris-Le Bourget Exhibition Center. For 3 days, visitors will discover, compare and select among 1,300 suppliers who will shape the collections of tomorrow, from ready-to-wear to luxury.

Asteks and Nexrone launch global investment initiative

A new joint investment company, Westure Ventures, has been founded by Asteks and Nexrone to focus on the development of next-generation transformative technologies. Türkiye’s long-established industrial powerhouse Asteks and one of the rising innovative forces in Europe’s startup ecosystem Nexrone Global announced the launch of their new investment company built on a shared vision: Westure Ventures.

Mimaki demonstrates versatile, simple TRAPIS textile printing at Heimtextil 2026

Mimaki’s textile pigment transfer printing system, TRAPIS, is able to print on a diverse range of fabrics - unlike traditional processes - including natural fibres and synthetic fabrics. The full solution will be shown on Mimaki’s booth (Hall 3.0 Stand A97), as the company returns to Heimtextil to showcase its advancements in sustainable, high quality and efficient textile printing.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen: Let´s Talk about Cotton!

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, to be held on 25-27 March 2026 in Bremen’s parliament building on market square, once again sends a powerful signal for professional excellence and international dialogue. The focus is on the latest market trends and technical innovations throughout the entire value chain – from agriculture and quality assurance to processing and the circular economy. With its high-calibre speakers, the conference remains an indispensable forum for anyone involved in shaping the cotton industry scientifically, technically, or economically.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.