From the Sector

Wie verändert die Pandemie unsere Art zu wohnen? Mit dieser zentralen Frage beschäftigte sich das Heimtextil Trend Council, das kürzlich zu einem digitalen Workshop zusammenkam. Die internationalen Trendexperten machten es sich zur Aufgabe, die dominierenden Designthemen für die Saison 2022/23 zu verifizieren. Damit nimmt die Heimtextil die Planungen für die Trends zur nächsten Messeausgabe vom 11. bis 14. Januar 2022 in Frankfurt am Main auf.

Zum wiederholten Mal setzt sich das Trend Council aus den drei international renommierten Agenturen SPOTT Trends & Business (Dänemark), Studio FranklinTill (Großbritannien) und Stijlinstituut Amsterdam (Niederlande) zusammen. Erneut übernimmt Anja Bisgaard Gaede mit ihrem Team von SPOTT Trends & Business die Leitung des Projekts und verleiht damit den Heimtextil Trends 22/23 einen skandinavischen Touch. Zum Aufgabenbereich der Dänen zählt neben der Ausarbeitung des Contents auch die Konzeption der Trend-Präsentation während der Messe im Januar. Alljährlich markiert das Treffen des Heimtextil Trend Councils im Frühjahr den Auftakt der Vorbereitungen für die Fachmesse im kommenden Januar. Zugleich geben die Trendforscher dabei einen ersten Einblick, wohin die Reise in puncto Einrichtungsdesign in der nächsten Saison gehen wird. Damit legen die Trendforscher und die Messeverantwortlichen den Grundstein für die globale Trendaussage.

Darüber hinaus wird es in der nächsten Saison darum gehen, wie die Pandemie unser Leben und damit auch unsere Art des Einrichtens verändert hat. Besonderer Fokus liegt dabei auf dem Megathema New Work, das mit neuen Facetten betrachtet wird. Erste Einblicke in die Trendthemen der Saison 2022/23 und nähere Informationen zu den künftigen Designentwicklungen geben die Heimtextil-Verantwortlichen gemeinsam mit den Mitgliedern des Trend Council im Rahmen der digitalen Trend Preview  im September.

With the spring textile trade fair season in China just around the corner, a number of leading domestic and international suppliers are confirmed to take part in Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition. The fair will now take place at a slightly later date of 17 – 19 March. Together with the concurrent fairs Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, Yarn Expo, CHIC and PH Value, these five events will form the first major in-person gathering for the textile industry this year.

From bedding and towelling, rugs and table & kitchen linen to home textile technologies and textile designs, buyers will have a wide range of the latest collections to source from this month at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center. International exhibitors such as Lenzing and Cotton Council International as well as leading domestic brands including Coolist, Luolai, Soluffy and Yunjie Textile are amongst those signed up to take part this year.

Exhibitor highlights

• Lenzing Fibers: will showcase their flagship brand for textiles, TENCEL™. Used for a variety of highly specialised applications, TENCEL™ fibres are soft to the skin and excellent in thermal regulation and moisture absorption.
• Cotton Council International (CCI) is a non-profit association that promotes US cotton fibre and cotton products throughout the world.
• Zhangjiagang Coolist Life Technology: this Chinese company designs and produces a range of functional pillow collections including their Filmless Gel, Hydrophilic, Air, Flexible and Organic pillow series. Their unique Coolist design features patented technology, and is made from organic and environmental-friendly materials.
• Anhui Million Feather: located in Anhui province’s Lu’an city, known in China as the ‘Kingdom of Geese’, the company produces a range of down and feather products and various bedding items.
• Wujiang City Yunjie Textiles: specialising in wide-width fabrics including microfibre, satin and suede.
• Yantai Zhonglian Industry: their main products include sheets, pillowcases, quilt covers, bed skirts, comforters, coverlets, pillows and more.

• CHIC Shanghai, March 17 to 19, 2021 (due to new regulation to control the infection rate)
• 905 exhibitors are present at CHIC
• Parallel: CHIC ONLINE as a digital platform with upgrade of the CHIC
• APP
• CHIC GARDEN: puts fashion and sustainability in the limelight

The CHIC spring event takes place from March 17th to 19th under strict hygiene guidelines in the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai parallel to Intertextile Shanghai, Yarn Expo and PH Value.

The Chinese economy has recovered again after the pandemic in China and already reached pre-crisis level with 6.5% growth in the fourth quarter of 2020. McKinsey estimates are a 5 to 10% growth in sales in China in 2021 compared to 2019. Thanks to good sales in China, the fashion luxury brands in particular have been able to improve their sales figures. But also regarding online trade, Chinese ecommerce sales were in first place worldwide for the eighth year in a row. The average per capita income of consumers rose by 3.8% last year.

905 exhibitors and 932 brands will present themselves on site at CHIC. Around 95,000 trade visitors from all retail areas, including all relevant online sales platforms, are expected. The CHIC's online and live streaming events, which run parallel to the trade fairs, have recorded an average of 150,000 clicks on each show since April last year.

CHIC Garden
China is to become climate neutral by 2060, which of course also affects the fashion sector. Overall, the awareness of Chinese consumers has developed even more towards high-quality, sustainable collections. In their "State of Fashion 2021" report, McKinsey & BoF analyze the awareness development in China that consumers and producers are increasingly recognizing the importance of joint efforts by all participants in the value chain to work together in order to achieve sustainability in the fashion industry.

The CHIC flagship event visualizes this topic with the "CHIC Garden" theme. With the help of garden design experts, the fair is transformed into an inspiring garden paradise that reflects closeness to nature and the appreciation of natural resources.

As an exception, the CHIC autumn event, CHIC Shanghai will take place in August this year (25th to 27th August 2021).

From 25 – 27 August, 2021, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition will join forces with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, Yarn Expo Autumn, PH Value and CHIC to showcase the latest products and services within the entire textile sector. Collectively, the fairs are set to offer valuable synergistic effects for the home décor, apparel, yarn and fibre industries.

Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, the Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles 2020 was able to go ahead as scheduled to support the industry’s recovery. The three-day show welcomed a total of 26,673 trade buyers from 43 countries & regions, as well as 643 exhibitors from 11 countries & regions. What’s more, the show’s virtual events drew 558,179 attendees from across the world.

“We are delighted that Intertextile 2020 was able to run as planned and received positive feedback from participants. It is a confirmation of our leading position in the Asian industry, and our unwavering commitment to providing the best trade platform for our exhibitors and visitors that reflects market demands,” said Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. “As we continue to navigate through these challenging times, we look forward to developing more creative and flexible solutions to adapt to the ever-changing business environment. The 2021 edition will continue with the hybrid format that combines both physical and virtual events, in order to facilitate contacts between suppliers and buyers worldwide, and open up new opportunities in the post-pandemic era.”
 
“Additionally, we decided to hold Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo next year. Holding these three events at the same time and place will generate exciting synergistic effects, as well as provide a comprehensive sourcing platform for participants. And, of course, the show will present a series of high-quality fringe events for fairgoers to gain the latest market trends and insights,” Ms Wen added.

Discover a new season of inspiration at Intertextile
At the upcoming fair, exhibitors will fill four halls at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), occupying an area of 100,000 sqm. To offer a more efficient and convenient sourcing experience for buyers, the fair will once again feature an array of product zones and country & region pavilions including:

• Country & region pavilions: presented by Belgium, India, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey.
• Carpet zone: featuring renowned domestic and international providers of carpets and floor coverings.
• Editor zone: offering high-quality upholstery fabrics from prominent European manufacturers.
• Finished product zone: international suppliers will showcase their latest finished goods for a variety of applications.
• Textile design zone: leading design studios will exhibit their creative ideas and products for all areas of the interior markets.
• Textile technology zone: presenting cutting-edge textile technologies which can achieve flexibility, efficiency and sustainability.
• Contract business: leading suppliers will offer a vast portfolio of functional fabrics catering to different interior settings such as hotels, restaurants and public spaces.

The Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will return to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from 10 – 12 March 2021, together with four other textile events including Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value. The fairs will offer an all-round business platform and a host of exciting synergy effects for the sector.

High-quality finished products to be offered
In March 2021, the Spring Edition will showcase a selection of home textile products including bedding & towelling, rugs, table & kitchen linen, home textile technologies, textile design and many more. Additionally, the fair will be held concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value, offering a comprehensive sourcing platform for the sector.

Lenzing views Intertextile as an ideal platform to present their sustainable home products
The Lenzing Group, a leading producer of man-made cellulose fibres, is amongst the major industry players who have already confirmed their participation in the upcoming fair. Ms Lesley Wu, Home Textile Business Development at Lenzing Fibers (Shanghai), talked about new market trends in the post-pandemic era and the reasons they decided to join the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles:

“Even though the home textile industry has, to some extent, been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, there are both opportunities and challenges for the sector. Without a doubt, environmental protection and sustainable development are the hottest topics in today’s society. Consumers are paying more attention to healthy lifestyles and looking to make a shift to green consumption as a result of the pandemic. More and more consumers are opting for functional and sustainable raw materials. Environmentally sustainable fibres are therefore gaining popularity.”

“Right now, we expect the home textile industry will continue its steady recovery. Home textile companies may look for opportunities in product and marketing innovations, such as developing functional and sustainable home textile products and exploring various O2O business model options,” Ms Wu added.

Lastly, Ms Wu shared why they chose to participate in Intertextile: “We decided to exhibit at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles because it is an influential trade fair for the industry. As the Lenzing Group has been expanding in the home textile market, we want to use this platform to showcase the applications for TENCEL™ branded fibres in home textiles, and to further promote sustainability through our TENCEL™ Home cellulosic fibres.”

To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com

Online exhibit to feature complete portfolio of systems for sustainable production on demand, end-to-end workflow solutions, expert demonstration and consultation

Kornit Digital (Nasdaq: KRNT), a worldwide market leader in digital textile printing technology, is pleased to join the 2020 Innovate Textile & Apparel Virtual Trade Show, WTiN’s annual global exhibition highlighting the true innovators in technology, production, and value chain leadership for the textile and apparel industry.

For this year’s event, which is free to attend, Kornit will be exhibiting its latest capabilities for digital direct-to-garment and roll-to-roll production, including the only single-step process for delivering durable, retail-quality impressions on multiple fabrics within minutes. Visitors will find opportunities to learn more about:

• Kornit’s portfolio of industry-leading DTG systems, offering brands and fulfillers pushbutton efficiency in any quantity, to eliminate inventory risk and waste.
• Kornit Presto, foundation of any microfactory production concept, for consolidating operations and minimizing supply chain risk.
• Kornit’s new Softener solution, which enables photorealistic detail combined with handfeel meeting the most rigorous demands of high fashion and home décor.
• Kornit’s range of available pallets, empowering brands and fulfillers to expand their catalog and offer customers any applications they demand, including baby and children’s apparel, zipper hoodies, handbags, and the industry’s first DTG solution for custom neck tags.
• Kornit’s acquisition of Custom Gateway, which promises end-to-end production efficiency, for building or enhancing online stores, ensuring visibility and control across multiple production sites, optimizing the production floor, and getting products out the door quickly, meeting the speed and logistics challenges of the e-commerce age.

In addition to sharing diverse customer testimonials, Kornit will be hosting live consultations with system experts, to answer all questions and present Kornit’s value proposition for ongoing business needs. The company will also be leading a seminar presentation during the event.

“While we certainly miss the face-to-face engagement traditional trade shows offer, the upside of these web-based expositions is that there’s no limit to the systems, applications, and personnel Kornit can and will leverage to present its case for mastering the e-commerce age with efficient, sustainable digital capabilities,” said Chris Govier, Kornit Digital Managing Director—EMEA. “With our expanding suite of workflow and visibility software, Kornit gives manufacturers large and small the ability to scale their end-to-end business, while eliminating overproduction risks and establishing responsible production practices. These systems are critical to surviving the retail apocalypse and COVID-like disruptions, and event attendees will see why.”

The 26th edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles concluded on 26 August, following a successful three-day run at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). It was Messe Frankfurt’s first event to take place in Shanghai in 2020 following disruptions from the pandemic. Amid the challenges presented by the pandemic, this year’s fair provided a vital opportunity for the international home and contract textile industries to source and reconnect through virtual and in-person meetings. Offering a comprehensive range of home and commercial textile products, the fair welcomed over 600 exhibitors and attracted more than 25,000 trade buyers.

Speaking as the fair concluded, Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd commented: “Intertextile has always been dedicated to providing an ideal platform for the international home textile industry and we are delighted to continue to do so during these unprecedented, challenging times. In view of the current global travel restrictions, this year’s fair offered a series of digital tools in addition to the traditional exhibition, allowing the fair to reach as wide an audience as possible. We are glad that this new format was highly recognised by the participating exhibitors and buyers alike.”

“Whilst economic activity in China is progressively recovering and domestic consumption continues to grow, the country’s exports are taking longer to rebound,” Ms Wen added. “One of the main objectives of this year’s fair was to connect domestic and international suppliers and buyers who are eager to make personal contacts and get back to business. As evidenced by feedback from numerous exhibitors and visitors, the fair has been able to help and support the industry’s recovery, so we are delighted with the results.”

Online business matching platform connected worldwide companies
 
In view of the current international travel restrictions, this year’s fair launched a brand new online business matching platform, which connected around 200 buyers from over 50 countries and regions to 60 exhibitors. The platform introduced multiple new functions, such as live-stream product presentations and a real-time chat platform to better facilitate business exchanges between suppliers and buyers from around the world. One exhibitor participating in the platform was Suzhou Roufang Textile Technology Co Ltd. “Yesterday we had a live-stream product presentation, which attracted around 200 buyers. The online platform is useful for us as we could showcase our new products and design concepts to overseas buyers, and let them know that we are still here to serve them,” the company’s Business Manager Ms Yu Qian Ru explained.

Mr Azam Osman, Manager of the Factory Depot (Pty) Ltd from South Africa expressed his satisfaction about the online platform: “I am glad that the fair provided the online business matching service where I have seen a lot of quality furniture and decorative fabric exhibitors. I’m interested in connecting with them.” Another buyer, Ms Elena Freyuk from Ziptown Trading Inc. said: "I am pleased that the fair offered both live-stream and video recording product presentations as I was unable to watch the live presentation due to time difference. The services were very thoughtful!”

A source of inspiration for the industry
 
To ensure fairgoers can discover the latest design and industry trends and insights, this year’s fringe programme presented a series of high quality events, covering the industry’s hottest topics. Some of the highlights included the 2021 Intertextile Trend Forum, which was led by Shen Lei, the Chinese representative of the Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend Committee. The forum brought together five prominent Chinese designers including Ben Chen, Ben Wu, Meng Ye, Paul Pang and Xie Ke, who presented an in-depth interpretation of the theme of 2021 Intertextile Trends, “BOUND”. Other events included Ride the Storm – Home Textile Digital Printing Forum, Tmall Seminar on industry digitalisation, Furniture & Home Textile Direct Negotiation Event and more.

Gestiegene Ausstellerzahlen, doppelt so viele Fachbesucher, das Thema Nachhaltigkeit stand so hoch im Kurs wie noch nie – so lautete das Resümee der Neonyt im Januar. All das sollte zur Sommerausgabe Ende Juni 2020 nochmals getoppt werden. Aber Corona macht der Messe Frankfurt als Veranstalter einen Strich durch die Rechnung. Nun ist auch klar, dass es keine virtuelle Ausgabe der Neonyt im Sommer geben wird.

Gemeinsam die Mode verändern. Durch Kollaboration, Kommunikation und Unternehmertum – Das ist die Vision der Neonyt. Angesichts der weiterhin angespannten Lage rund um Covid-19 hat sich das Management der Messe Frankfurt dazu entschieden, die Neonyt als physisches Event in diesem Jahr nicht mehr auszurichten. Eine eigene digitale Plattform zu entwickeln, um die Neonyt und ihre Aussteller in virtuellen Showrooms abzubilden, sehen die Verantwortlichen als nicht zielführend an. Stattdessen setzt die Neonyt auf eine Zusammenarbeit mit zwei bestehenden B2B-Online-Marketplaces.

Ziel ist es, die Neonyt zur nächsten Winterausgabe wieder wie gewohnt für die Communities auszurichten. In der Zwischenzeit bietet die Neonyt durch die Partnerschaft mit den beiden B2B-Marketplaces The Brand Show Circular und Joor Ausstellern die Möglichkeit, sich in einem internationalen Order-Umfeld zu positionieren und den Blick nach vorne auf eine Zeit nach der Corona-Pandemie zu richten.

The Brand Show Circular ist eine B2B-Marketing- und Orderplattform, auf der es neben den digitalen Showrooms und dem Ordergeschäft für Brands auch die Möglichkeit gibt, Video-Content zu veröffentlichen. Nachhaltige Mode steht bei Circular im Fokus und viele Neonyt-Aussteller sind dort bereits mit digitalen Showrooms vertreten.

Die Kooperation mit Joor, der weltweit führenden B2B-Plattform für Marken und Einzelhändler, und der Premium Group, dem Veranstalter der Premium, Seek und der Fashiontech Konferenz, bietet Neonyt-Ausstellern ebenfalls umfangreiche digitale Services. Diese werden interessierten Ausstellern in Kürze präsentiert.

Fashionsustain
Für die Fashionsustain-Konferenz wurde eine digitale Lösung auf Basis der bestehenden Kanäle gefunden: In der Woche vom 13. – 17. Juli 2020 werden sich Speaker aus der nachhaltigen und digitalen Modebranche in Live-Talks und verschiedenen Audio- und Videoformaten auf den Social-Media-Kanälen der Neonyt und der Fashionsustain mit Themen rund um Innovation, Nachhaltigkeit und Technologie auseinandersetzen. Das vollständige Programm wird in den kommenden Wochen bekannt gegeben.

Mitten in der gegenwärtigen Coronakrise erfährt die Heimtextil für ihre nächste Ausgabe vom 12. bis 15. Januar 2021 in Frankfurt am Main sehr großen Zuspruch: Mehr als 95 Prozent der 2020 belegten Fläche sind bislang gebucht.

Eine Neuerung erwartet Aussteller und Besucher der Heimtextil in Sachen Programmstruktur: Um die zahlreichen Events, die auf diverse Zielgruppen ausgerichtet sind, klarer und übersichtlicher zu ordnen und eine gute Orientierung zu bieten, stellen die Messeverantwortlichen die Heimtextil künftig auf drei Säulen auf: „Show“, „Trend“ und „Conference“ werden ab sofort die drei wesentlichen Elemente der Messe sein, die den Heimtextil-Teilnehmern umfassende Informationen und Inspirationen bieten.

„Show“ steht dabei für die Präsentationen der internationalen Aussteller an deren Ständen in den Hallen 3 bis 12 – also für die Messe im eigentlichen Sinne. Die Highlights der Messe bekommen Besucher bei geführten Touren vorgestellt. Zum Beispiel führen renommierte Architekten und Einrichtungsexperten die Besucher gezielt zu innovativen und trendsetzenden Unternehmen machen spannende Produktlösungen erlebbar.

Als Trendbarometer und erste Anlaufstelle in Sachen Design-, Trend- und Marktprognosen bietet die Heimtextil mit dem „Trend“ eine weltweit einzigartige Präsentation und erstklassige Inspirationsmöglichkeiten. So tiefgreifend und umfangreich wie keine andere Veranstaltung weltweit, bildet der „Trend Space“ in der Halle 3.0 Farben, Materialien und Designs der kommenden Saison ab – kuratiert und inszeniert von Anja Bisgaard Gaede und ihrem Team von SPOTT Trends & Business.

Die dritte Komponente „Conference“ bündelt alle Vorträge, Diskussionsrunden und Workshops, die auf der Heimtextil in fünf Arealen für unterschiedliche Besucherzielgruppen angeboten werden. Workshops und Vorträge von Einrichtungsexperten gibt es im DecoTeam (Halle 8.0). Darüber hinaus bietet die Heimtextil Expertenbeiträge zu den Themenkomplexen „Textile Technologies“ (Halle 3.0), „Design Dialog“ (Halle 4.2), „Sleep“ (Halle 11.0, Foyer) und „Green“ (Halle 11.0, Foyer).

Captivating colours, optimum cost efficiency and a sustainable value chain: these are some of the typical features of Sappi’s Inkjet and Dye Sublimation Papers. The global manufacturer will showcase its diverse, high-quality product ranges at FESPA Madrid, in hall 3, stand D30.

• Transjet Drive dye sublimation paper tailored to industrial printing machines with a glue-belt system
• Scrolljet, a large inkjet paper, with impressively razor-sharp lines
• Digitally printed corrugated board with Fusion Topliner for consumer goods packing and displays

Eye-catching posters, textiles with excellent prints and labels that stand out clearly, this is how brand owners, advertising companies and retailers draw attention to themselves and their products. The comprehensive range of Sappi’s Dye Sublimation Papers, Inkjet Papers and Silicone Base Papers form the perfect basis for impressive brand communication. Customers and potential customers can come and convince themselves at this year’s FESPA event in Madrid, which takes place from 24 to 27 March.

Paper with impressive sustainable qualities
At its large exhibition stand in the Digital Printing hall, Sappi will showcase its Transjet range, which represents highest quality and optimal cost efficiency, offering also environmental advantages, such as low ink consumption and low transfer times. Minimal shrinkage of high elastic textiles is one of the key features of the Sportsline tacky grades. The special Transjet Drive, its extremely smooth backside and fast ink drying on the printable side, allow more efficient production on high-speed printers with glue belt systems. Sappi stands for much more than just the highest paper quality. Professional support through a special team of technical application engineers, Digital Solutions assist customers from their initial product idea to final production ensuring impressive results.

Differentiation through precision and sharpness
With its range of Inkjet papers, Sappi will demonstrate its considerable expertise in large format digital printing in Madrid. At the heart of the exhibition presentation is Scrolljet, a multi-layered coated paper for a wide range of outdoor applications, such as city light and mega light scrolling systems. DT-Plot and Swiss Matt are the best choice for graphic drawings and poster printing due to their exceptional colour results and the high precision and sharpness of the print.

Everything from a single, innovative source
When it comes to making classic packaging, shelf-ready packaging and POS displays stand out from the rest, marketing managers, brand owners and designers can always count on Fusion Topliner with its high degree of whiteness. As the topliner reproduces colours brilliantly and can be processed excellently, products made with this clearly stand out and attract attention. The product range presented by the paper and paperboard specialist is topped off by Silicone Base Papers for self-adhesive applications such as car wrapping, outdoor advertising and office supplies. This makes Sappi a versatile, long-term partner on which customers can rely. Sappi’s paper and paperboard thus go far beyond FESPA 2020: “Where colour comes alive.”