From the Sector

This autumn, following the success of the first collaboration with Swizz Beatz, Bally joins forces on another unique collection with the Grammy Award-winning music producer and global entrepreneur, inviting meticulously talented pioneer of aerosol X-ray art SHOK-1 to conceptualise and direct a new capsule collection which presents a diagnostic look at contemporary culture through cutting edge expression.

A founding member of the street art movement and a scientist with a degree in Applied Chemistry, SHOK-1 selected three key icons from his back catalogue - X-ray paintings of a hand gesture, a fly and ’The Consumer’ - that symbolise subcultures from his youth that also connect to Bally’s past. The artworks are represented across shoes, accessories and ready to wear. Talking about his vision for the project, SHOK-1 explained that he wanted ‘the collection to speak to the longstanding tradition of subcultures co-opting brands that weren’t meant for them.’ ‘I strongly believe that quality and excellence are universal concepts that can transcend class and cultural boundaries. The Bally that I remember as a kid has this fantastic relationship with subculture. It’s also a brand that has the same kind of attention to detail and production values that I aspire to in my own work, so there was a synergy there.’ Familiar with SHOK-1’s work, Swizz Beatz saw the potential and contacted him to discuss the opportunity: ‘SHOK-1 is a master artist and I chose him because our focus for this capsule was on exploring the art of X-ray and he’s a legend at his craft.’

As with all Bally collaborations, the metamorphosis that naturally evolves from creative cooperation is integral to the process.  Part of the ‘Bally Collective, curated by Swizz Beatz’, this collaboration continues the brand’s commitment to creating a platform to playfully empower artistic license across emerging and established talent.

The exclusive collection will launch in Bally stores worldwide and bally.com in October 2018.

• Debut BCI Pavilion joined by Sateri and Birla Planet Pavilions to showcase eco-friendly products
• Six special display zones cater to latest industry trends

Green products continue to be sought after more and more by consumers nowadays, and textiles are no exception. In order to promote sustainable development throughout the industry, a number of yarn and fibre manufacturers have endeavoured to introduce green products into the early stages of textile production, and Yarn Expo, as the leading yarn and fibre business platform in Asia, serves as an ideal stage for these suppliers to gain exposure to buyers looking for such products.

Debut BCI Pavilion joined by Sateri and Birla Planet Pavilions to showcase eco-friendly products

Amongst a record number of exhibitors at this October’s Yarn Expo Autumn, the debut BCI Pavilion as well as the Sateri Pavilion and Birla Planet Pavilion that include eco-friendly products are certainly amongst the highlights this year. Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a global organisation with more than 1,000 members including spinners, weavers and garment manufacturers throughout the entire cotton sector. It aims to promote sustainable cotton production, benefiting workers, customers and the environment as a whole. They will form the BCI Pavilion in Yarn Expo for the first time, with five spinners showcasing their cotton yarn manufactured with eco-friendly cotton.

Sateri is a well-known brand in China which specialises in viscose rayon. This natural and high-quality fibre is made from trees grown on renewable plantations. They are the largest producer of viscose fibre in China with three mills and an annual capacity of 550,000 tons, and also have Oeko-Tex certification. This October, nine other domestic exhibitors will form the Sateri Pavilion to demonstrate their comfortable textiles and skin-friendly hygiene products made from viscose fibre.

With over 50 years of experience in manufacturing cellulosic fibres, Birla Group strives to provide greener, purer and safer products to its customers. The Group has operated in China for three years now, and values Yarn Expo’s effectiveness in helping them to promote their brand and attract a wide range of buyers. “We managed to get connected with a number of downstream buyers at the fair. We have introduced our company and products to them that there is great chance for future cooperation.” said Mr Peter Dong, Senior Manager of Aditya Birla Group.   Coming back this year, the Birla Planet Pavilion will feature three of their highlighted fibres – Birla Viscose, Birla Modal and Birla Spunshades at the fair.

Six special display zones cater to latest industry trends

The textile industry in China is undergoing a structural change with keen competition, so domestic suppliers have to develop innovative and quality products to satisfy the ever-changing markets. To match the specific needs of various buyers, Yarn Expo has established six distinct display zones gathering the leading domestic companies, namely Colourful Chemical Zone, Natural Cotton Yarn Zone, Fancy Yarn Zone, Quality Wool Zone, Green Linen Zone and e-Commerce Zone.

Not only are a number of chemical fibre products with innovative, eco-friendly and health & comfort properties on offer from exhibitors, but visitors can also gain insights into product trends in these areas from the 2017/18 China Fibre Trend Area and Innovative Textile Material Forum, both of which feature in the Colourful Chemical Zone. The Natural Cotton Yarn Zone is another highlight of the three-day show, where exhibitors will showcase their natural cotton yarn and a range of functional products. Around 50 suppliers will also showcase their latest collections in the expanded Fancy Yarn Zone.
In response to the strong demand for fibre and yarn products in China and the Asian region, the coming autumn edition of Yarn Expo will double its exhibition space, and will accommodate around 500 global yarn suppliers from 13 countries and regions. Together with Yarn Expo Autumn 2017, three other textile trade fairs are held concurrently from 11 – 13 October in the same venue: Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, PH Value and the China International Fashion Fair (CHIC).

Yarn Expo Autumn is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; The Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; China Cotton Textile Association; China Wool Textile Association; China Chemical Fiber Association; China Bast & Leaf Fibres Textiles Association; and China Textile Information Centre.