#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.

Coats to showcase innovative reinforcement and filler materials for leather goods and accessories at APLF 2026

Coats, a world-class Tier 2 manufacturer and trusted partner for the apparel and footwear industries, will be promoting four advanced materials from its ‘Lifestyle Solutions’ portfolio at APLF 2026 in Hong Kong in March. Each innovation has been specifically engineered to help luxury and premium brands elevate the craft, durability, sustainability and creative expression required in the manufacturing of handbags, purses, and other high-end designer accessories.

Design, innovation and sustainability propel VIATT 2026’s expanding role in ASEAN textile sourcing

At its third edition, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles, and Textile Technologies (VIATT) further reinforced its role as a key sourcing and business platform for ASEAN’s textile industry. The three-day fair welcomed over 17,000 visits from 54 countries and regions, and featured over 460 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions across 18,000 sqm. The 2026 edition was marked by the introduction of new international pavilions and zones, broadening the fair’s sourcing scope across new geographies and product categories. The fringe programme, headlined by the debut Trend Forum, further distinguished VIATT as the region’s most integrated textile trade platform – uniquely spanning the entire value chain.

Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® wins the iF Design Award 2026

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereinafter “YKK”) is proud to announce that its Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® has been awarded the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD 2026, an award that recognizes excellence in design and quality, organized by iF Design Foundation.

Driving WARP KNIT Inspiration

KARL MAYER sees performance fabrics and next-level textile solutions in particular as potential growth drivers for its customers, as a motor for business development and as real game changers for the entire textile industry. Innovation does not happen by chance. It is the result of close exchange with customers & brands, textile expertise and competence in textile machine engineering. This is why KARL MAYER is investing in progress and collaborative development and opening its TEXTILE INNOVATION CEN-TER (TIC) – a place to be for the entire textile world.

DIENES at Techtextil 2026: Flexible pilot lines for bio-based fiber development

The growing relevance of bio-based materials in technical textiles is accompanied by increasing demands for reproducibility, high-quality data, and scalable process routes. Especially when working with cellulose and its derivatives, chitosan, lignin-based approaches, or bio-based PAN as a carbon-fiber precursor, R&D teams face variable feedstock quality, tighter process windows, and the need for reliable comparability across trials. This calls for flexible, data-driven experimental setups that can be reconfigured efficiently when recipes, solvents, and raw-material batches change.

Gunold showcases embroidery product range and services at Texprocess

At Texprocess 2026, GUNOLD will present numerous hands-on examples related to embroidery in Hall 8, Booth E20. The focus is on creative embroidery designs as well as the extensive product range of threads, nonwovens, and accessories for embroidery and embellishment. “Trade visitors can once again look forward to many new and creative embroidery designs. Of course, we will also showcase the matching products required to bring these ideas to life,” announces Marketing Manager Stephan Gunold.

A Powerful Opening: Global thought leaders launch the International Cotton Conference Bremen

The International Cotton Conference Bremen will open on 25 March 2026 in the Parliament building of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen with a keynote session of exceptional calibre. Distinguished international experts will set the stage for the conference by offering incisive perspectives on the most pressing challenges and the defining trends shaping the future of the global cotton trade. Their insights will span a broad spectrum — from geopolitically driven disruptions affecting global supply chains to the opportunities emerging from innovation-led agriculture capable of supporting a growing world population. Together, these opening keynotes will frame the dialogue of the conference, highlighting both the complexity of today’s market environment and the pathways toward a resilient and forward-looking cotton sector.