From the Sector

from both inside and outside of Asia. Looking ahead, the stage will be set once again at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) next year, allowing exhibitors and buyers from the industry to match their trading needs onsite. Thanks to the resumption of global travel and the ongoing industry recovery, the next Autumn edition is slated to attract even more multinational fairgoers and diverse home and contract textile collections. The fair will return in 14 – 16 August 2024.

A recent study showed a significant rise in corporate travel in 2023, driven largely by the resurgence of live business events and the easing of restrictions following several turbulent years. Adding to this, the Chinese government has announced several measures in a bid to attract more international visitors, including a simplified visa application process as the latest initiative.
 
As one of the largest economies in the world, China is renowned for producing high-value products across the home textile spectrum, making Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles an essential stop for global suppliers and buyers aiming to kick off the next business season.  
 
Emerging markets have become a significant focus for the industry in recent years. China's exports of home textiles to the ASEAN market amounted to around USD 2.09 billion in the first quarter of 2023, with an increase of 18% year-on-year; of which around USD 1.38 billion was exported in finished goods, seeing a rise of over 42% year-on-year[3]. With this growth in trade, buyers from fast growing emerging markets are expected to increasingly benefit from the Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles platform to fulfil their sourcing needs.
 
The upcoming Autumn edition will continue to comprise a wide range of home textile products, including bedding & towelling, rugs, table & kitchen linen, upholstery & curtain fabrics, editors, home textile technologies and textile design.
 
Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).

Following a strong start at the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles early this year, global industry players have turned their sights to the next international event in August. As the first Autumn Edition to be held in the wake of China lifting many of its pandemic-related border restrictions, the three-day fair will gather around 1,000 international and domestic exhibitors. Traders looking to meet market demand will be able to source from an extensive range of trending and specialised home and contract textile products from 16 – 18 August 2023.

According to a recent market report, the global home textile market is expected to show a CAGR of 5.6% from 2023 – 2028 to reach USD 174.1 billion by the end of the forecast period. Asia-Pacific has dominated the global market in recent years, with China one of its most significant contributors.^[1]

As a manufacturing hub for home textiles, China is gradually recovering from social and business disruptions caused by the pandemic. Speaking at the recent Spring Edition, Ms Rosemary Li, Domestic Sales Manager of Zhangjiagang Coolist Life Technology Co Ltd, a long-time exhibitor specialised in bio-based and functional bedding products, said: “Since China relaxed its pandemic-related control and prevention measures, after Chinese New Year we have been flooded with orders. With both domestic and export orders increasing, it has been almost impossible for the production line to fulfil the order demand.”

While the spring show’s promising visitor flow was a positive start to the Chinese home textile industry’s post-pandemic era, a higher participation of overseas exhibitors and buyers is expected at the upcoming Autumn Edition

The return of special zones and international pavilions
Later this year in Shanghai, exhibitors will showcase their most up-to-date home and contract textile products, ranging from bedding & towelling, rugs, table & kitchen linen, upholstery & curtain fabrics, editors, home textile technologies and textile design. With a wealth of choices for buyers, several show highlights are listed below:

• Editor & Designer Zone: located in hall 5.1, the zone will feature international, high-end editor and designer brands brought by leading exhibitors J&C, Julai, Qianbaihui, Prestigious, Shanghai Lotus, SohoCut, Yada, and more.
• Country and region pavilions: premium suppliers from Belgium, Türkiye and Taiwan (China) will exhibit quality products in their designated pavilions in hall 6.1.
• Textile Designs: textile design studios from Japan, Portugal and Taiwan (China), namely Amilia Design Studio, Fine Art Inc and Tela's Design Lda, will also showcase their seasonal designs in hall 6.1.

Adding to buyers’ sourcing options, a multitude of domestic players from different categories will also showcase their respective products. Highlighted exhibitors include top curtain and curtain fabric suppliers Fu-Tex, Hangzhou Aico, Hexin and Xiaoxuanchuang; bedding suppliers Coolist, Huizhou Wah Shing and Yantai North Home; as well as Hightex, Huatex, Maya and Suzhou Roufang from the upholstery and sofa fabric sector.

Fairgoers can also learn more about the upcoming global trends and designs by visiting the ‘2023 – 2024 Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend’ area. In aid of this, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles has joined forces with NellyRodi™, the renowned French forecasting agency, to present the design theme for 2023 – 2024: ‘ALIVE’. HUMAN CAPITAL, ROUSING COMMITMENT and UNREAL REALITIES are the theme’s three main trends.

^[1] Globe Newswire: Global Home Textile Market Report 2023-2028: Increase in Consumer Spending on Home Renovation and Decoration Bodes Well for the Sector. https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/03/08/2622718/28124/en/Global-Home-Textile-Market-Report-2023-2028-Increase-in-Consumer-Spending-on-Home-Renovation-and-Decoration-Bodes-Well-for-the-Sector.html

Hologenix’s CELLIANT® infrared technology, an ingredient in textiles across many categories including bedding, is now offered in a new line of sustainable dog beds. The first performance fabric product from AVANTI, RESPOND is a wellness collection that promotes good health not only for pets but also for the planet. It is made from 100% recycled PET and uses patented CELLIANT technology for unmatched performance.

CELLIANT transforms the body’s heat into full-spectrum infrared energy. This energy is reflected back to the body, making it possible for the tissue and muscle to absorb it, promoting local circulation and tissue oxygenation. This technology helps keep the body dry and at the appropriate temperature. CELLIANT has been demonstrated to enhance energy, endurance, strength, stamina and comfort as well as promote faster recovery and more restful sleep. The RESPOND beds’ orthopedic memory foam filler adds an extra layer of comfort and wellness.

Introduced at Interzoo in Germany in May, RESPOND dog bedding was the result of determination by AVANTI leaders Raghav and Devika Modi to become champions of pet wellness and performance products while also aligning with the New Delhi, India-based company’s focus on sustainability.  

Ideal for ailing and senior pets, RESPOND beds are made from GRS-certified 100% recycled polyester CELLIANT yarns and orthopedic memory foam and have natural latex-coated bases for extra skid-resistance. AVANTI pet bed covers are removable and washable.

RESPOND dog beds are offered in nine SKUs, three different shapes and three colorways of each shape: grey, blue/grey and green/grey in shades that are associated with wellness.

The Techtextil and Heimtextil Summer Special exhibitions, taking place together in Frankfurt from June 21-24, represent an opportunity for Monforts to showcase its finishing and coating technologies for two of its major markets – especially at a time when energy prices continue to soar for textile manufacturers in Europe.

Existing customers of Monforts include many manufacturers in the field of home textiles, as well as those making geotextiles, automotive fabrics and other functional materials – all of whom will be well represented in Frankfurt this June. Dedicated Montex lines have also been supplied to producers of airbags, flame retardant barrier fabrics and spacer fabrics, as well as high-temperature filter materials.

Energy prices are rising steeply everywhere and a particular emphasis for Monforts in Frankfurt will be on the energy and heat recovery that can be achieved with Montex stenters, through features such as better insulation of the treatment chambers or the MonforClean system, in which waste heat from the drying process is used to pre-heat the drying air resulting in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required compared to gas and thermal oil heating. The modular system for heat recovery can also be extended for exhaust air cleaning and odour elimination. Monforts can provide a range of further resource-saving and energy recovery options tailored to each individual line installation including modification of the heating source.

With the Qualitex 800 visualization software, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

The Qualitex 800 system is available for the automatic and continuous operation of the company’s Montex stenters, as well as its Thermex continuous dyeing ranges, Monfortex shrinking systems and Montex®Coat coating units.

Monforts Montex®Coat coating units serve an equally diverse number of markets, including tents, tarpaulins and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments and solvent coatings (in explosion-proof conditions) with knife coating, roller coating or screen printing can all be accommodated with this system.

All of these very different materials require coating and finishing for maximum efficiency, using Monforts technologies which provide the ultimate in flexibility and the ability to switch quickly from one fabric run to the next, without compromising on the economical use of energy or raw materials.

The Monforts EcoApplicator offers further potential for sustainably achieving perfect finishes via a precise direct application system, as an alternative to conventional padding – where fabrics are immersed in a bath of the required finishing chemicals. It can significantly further reduce the energy and water required and finishes can be applied on just one side of the fabric, or both, and even separately on each side, to be sealed in place via different heating zones in the stenter.

DOMOTEX will not take place in January 2022. This was announced by Deutsche Messe AG as organizer of the leading trade show for carpets and floor coverings.

"We have been fighting for DOMOTEX together with the exhibiting companies until the very end, and have been in daily communication with the industry for months," says Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director DOMOTEX, Deutsche Messe AG.

"DOMOTEX is particularly affected by the impact of the Corona pandemic, as the vast majority of DOMOTEX exhibitors and attendees come from abroad. However, given the current pandemic situation, international business travel is not expected to recover in the short term," adds Wedell-Castellano.

Just over a month ago, the organizers wanted to stage DOMOTEX in the southern part of the Hannover exhibition grounds in a compact format as a Re-Start event in three halls, thus giving the industry a chance to meet physically after almost two years of pandemic.

Wedell-Castellano: "What was considered a realistic and promising Re-Start scenario a month ago, and was also well received by the market, has proven to be no longer feasible in recent days."

The organizers are looking into a DOMOTEX date later in the 2022 calendar year. 

WEIDMANN GmbH in Süßen is known worldwide as a specialist for the finishing of fiber and down-proof articles and woven industrial fabrics. Customers particularly appreciate the company's reliability and flexibility with regard to their individu-al requirements, and consistently high quality of its products. The Swabian textile manufacturer finishes premium fabrics, mainly for the bedding industry, using the latest technology and in an environmentally conscious manner.

The complex production and finishing processes for high-quality fabrics require a reliable and efficient machine technology. With this in mind, WEIDMANN has always relied on the proven stenter technolo-gy from BRÜCKNER. For many decades, the German textile machinery manufacturer has been a world leader in the con-struction of production lines for the finishing of classical textiles, woven industrial  fabrics, nonwovens, glass fabrics and floor coverings. In addition to stenters, the company's production program also in-cludes coating lines, relaxation dryers, sanfor lines, continuous dyeing lines as well as ovens for the bonding of nonwovens and other special lines. All machines are produced 100% in-house in Germany.

Both companies continuously invest in new and innovative technology in order to be successful and competitive today and in the future. Only Recently, a completely newly developed BRÜCKNER stenter was installed in the ultra-modern plant at WEIDMANN. During the intensive project engineering phase it soon became clear which features are of special importance for their daily production requirements:

• uniform moisture distribution in the machine entry and during pick-up of the specialized   chemicals in the finishing padder before the thermoprocess
• weft-straight fabric flow with minimized residual distortion
• very good accessibility for maintenance and daily cleaning
• sensor technology and automation of setting parameters for energy optimization
• heat-recovery with hot water generation for the dye house
• the line must be fully Industry 4.0 capable

After starting the first "Dibella up" circular-flow concept in August 2020, thousands of high-quality bags have already been made from used hotel textiles. Now the company is presenting another upcycling project: As part of a feasibility study, organic Fairtrade napkins that could no longer be rented out by the company were turned into jeans.

The second "Dibella up" project promises successful recycling of used object textiles. Within the framework of a feasibility study, almost 5,000 discarded napkins were used for jeans production in Pakistan. The special feature of the process is the traceability of the raw materials through all processing stages.

The napkins made of pure organic Fairtrade cotton originated in India. There, the fibres were grown and harvested by micro-farmers of the Chetna cooperative and then processed into durable textiles by a certified company. From Dibella, the napkins went to Lamme Textile Management, where they went through the use process in laundry and catering for many years. All stages were traceable by means of a "Respect Code" with which each piece was marked.

In the recycling project, the original supply chain was reversed: Dibella transported the organic Fairtrade napkins discarded by Lamme Textile Management to Pakistan. There, the goods were shredded and the organic Fairtrade cotton fibres recovered in a full-scale textile plant specialising in sustainability. In the next step, they were mixed with "fresh fibres", spun into yarns for denim production, woven, finished with sustainable processes, subjected to quality tests and then made up into jeans.

Hologenix, creators of Celliant®, infrared responsive technology, and Kelheim Fibres, a world-leading manufacturer of viscose specialty fibers, have partnered to launch Celliant Viscose at ISPO Munich 2021. Celliant Viscose is a finalist in Best Products by ISPO and will be showcased in the Fibers & Insulations Category for ISPO Textrends, where realistic views and 3-D simulations will be available for each material.

The introduction of nature-based Celliant Viscose will be the first in-fiber infrared sustainable solution on the market and meets a consumer demand for more environmentally friendly textiles. An alternative to synthetic fibers and extremely versatile, Celliant Viscose blends beautifully with cotton, micromodal, lyocell, wool varieties including cashmere. It also has many applications across industries as it is ideal for performance wear, luxury loungewear, casual wear and bedding.

Celliant Viscose features natural, ethically sourced minerals embedded into plant-based fibers to create infrared products that capture and convert body heat into infrared, increasing local circulation and improved cellular oxygenation. This results in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep.

Celliant Viscose provides all the benefits of being a viscose fiber — lightweight, soft, highly breathable, excellent moisture management — as well as fiber enhancements from Celliant infrared technology. Celliant’s proprietary blend of natural minerals allows textiles to capture and convert body heat into full-spectrum infrared energy, resulting in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep. In addition, Celliant is durable and will not wash out, lasting the useful life of the product it powers.

An Affordable, Long-lasting Solution with Diverse Applications
As opposed to other IR viscose products which are coatings based, Celliant Viscose’s in-fiber solution increases wearability and longevity with a soft feel, durability from washing and longer life. The combination of Kelheim’s distinctive technology and the Celliant additives creates this unique fiber that provides full functionality without the need for any additional processing step — a new standard in the field of sustainable IR viscose fibers. This single processing also makes Celliant Viscose more cost-effective and time-efficient than coatings.

In addition, Kelheim’s flexible technology allows targeted interventions in the viscose fiber process. By modifying the fiber’s dimensions or cross sections or by incorporating additives into the fiber matrix, Kelheim can precisely define the fiber’s properties according to the specific needs of the end product.

Highly Sustainable
Celliant Viscose is a plant and mineral-based solution for brands seeking an alternative to synthetic fibers. It contains natural raw materials that are from the earth and can return safely to the earth.

Nature-based Celliant Viscose is certified by FSC® or PEFC™, which guarantees the origin in sustainably managed plantations, and is part of the CanopyStyle initiative to protect ancient and endangered forests. The production of Celliant Viscose takes place exclusively at the Kelheim facilities in Germany, complying with the country’s strict environmental laws and guaranteeing an overall eco-friendly product.

Backed by Science
Celliant is rigorously tested by a Science Advisory Board composed of experts in the fields of physics, biology, chemistry and medicine. The Science Advisory Board has overseen 10 clinical, technical and physical trials, and seven published studies that demonstrate Celliant’s effectiveness and the benefits of infrared energy.

For more information, visit www.celliant.com/celliant-viscose/

•   Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII Printers for Faster, High-Quality Textile Printing

Amsterdam - Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, announces today that Pakistani textile company, Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd., is leveraging multiple Mimaki Tiger industrial textile printing units to take its business to the next level. As a result of on the outstanding performance and process optimisation delivered by the Mimaki digital printing equipment, the company has been able to adapt to changes in the textile industry and is now projected to reinforce its market position and expand its capabilities in high-quality textile production.

Headquartered in Faisalabad, Punjab province – the second largest textile hub in Pakistan –, Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. mainly serves the high fashion industry and uses its cutting-edge technology to print about 100,000 metres daily. Faced with recent challenges in the global textile market, management at Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. embarked on innovating the company’s business model, shifting from conventional to digital printing. In doing so, the company invested in Mimaki’s advanced industrial textile technology and installed three Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII units. “We were – and still are – experiencing a massive transformation in the printing segment, with brands demanding high quality products delivered within short deadlines. This change in our customers’ requirements urged us to move to digital printing,” says Muhammad Asif, CEO at Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. “Our choice has already proved sound as our brand-new Tiger-1800B MkII printing systems have enabled us to cope with the high standards of the fashion industry in terms of both quality and delivery times. In addition, we have been able to gradually enhance our production processes in a cost-effective way.”

The Tiger-1800B MkII is Mimaki’s flagship industrial volume textile printer, available either in dye sublimation configuration for transfer printing or with reactive ink for direct-to-textile printing. Of the three Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII solutions operating at Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd., two are equipped with reactive inks, enabling the company to directly print onto natural fibres such as cotton and linen, as well as onto manufactured cellulose fibres, including rayon and nylon. The third Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII features sublimation inks serves the ever-growing printed polyester market, allowing the company to strategically diversify its product portfolio.

“There are several features of the Tiger-1800B MkII that benefit our production and our business at large. The MAPS (Mimaki Advanced Pass System), just to name one, prevents banding and colour-shifting to deliver a higher standard of quality, while the NRS (Nozzle Recovery System) provides uninterrupted production, minimising downtime and ensuring superior results. The sticky belt system together with the large-size ink tanks (with a capacity of 10kg) and the high-performance software RIP TxLink3 are some of the other features that make these printers efficient, user-friendly and reliable,” says Asif.

Asif concludes, “Looking at the future, our aim is to set up a print department featuring only Mimaki’s technologies. We are already considering the next steps to make this possible, knowing that we can count on the support of Signtrade, Mimaki’s dealer in the region and our trustworthy partner.”

Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. was founded in 1992 by Muhammad Asif’s father Haji Muhammad Yousaf and his partner Haji Rasheed Ahmad. Established as a dyeing company, Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. was able to gradually diversify the business over the years to become an advanced textile printing specialist. Today, the company is an established provider to the high fashion industry in Pakistan and on an international level.

“The story of Moti Fabrics is incredibly inspiring. Belonging to a region with such rooted textile printing heritage, the company has been able to embrace a new, challenging business model in order to stay at pace with the changing demand from the textile industry and has succeeded,” comments Ronald van den Broek, General Sales Manager at Mimaki Europe. “Customers like Moti Fabrics make us proud as they demonstrate how our advanced Mimaki Tiger industrial textile series can be the enabling technology for those textile companies planning the shift from conventional to digital printing.”

August’s Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles embraces the revitalised home textile market in China
As China’s economy is getting back on track with the GDP growth rate standing at 6.9% in 2017, the home textile market is also showing strong signs of recovery before Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles returns this August.

With 23 years’ history, the show is well regarded as the most influential home textile trade fair in Asia. Over 1,000 suppliers from around 30 countries and regions will showcase a wide variety of home textile products ranging from bedding, bath, table & kitchen, curtains & upholstery and textile designs & technology to editors, whole home, sun protection, wallcoverings and carpets & rugs. In turn, over 38,000 trade buyers are expected to source at the fair.

According to Askci Consulting, one of the leading Chinese industry research institutions, China’s home textile market has been growing steadily with an average rate of around 10% between 2010 and 2015. The overall size has increased from USD 18.4 billion in 2010 to USD 29.5 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach USD 38.3 billion in 2020. What’s more, the consumption of home textiles only accounts for about 29% of the total textile consumption of the country. Given the fact that the relevant ratio in developed countries such as the US and Japan is between 33 to 38%, there still lies huge room for the Chinese market to expand. Foreign analysts share this optimism, with Euromonitor expecting an annual increase of 5.3% and 5.9% for China’s entire home textile and bedding product markets respectively.

Thanks to the improving quality and competitive price, there is also growing demand for China’s home textile products from buyers around the world. Customs statistics show that the export value for home textile products increased 2.25% to USD 39.5 billion in 2017. Among all China’s export countries and regions, the US has the largest share, followed by the EU, ASEAN and Japan.
With all these favourable conditions in place, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, to be held from 27 – 30 August, serves as an ideal platform for industry players to capture these business opportunities. “The rapid urbanisation and the consumption upgrade is unleashing unprecedented purchasing power in China. Participants can expect to benefit from this huge potential at our show,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd added.

Contract business sees big potential in Chinese market
The constant growth of Chinese consumers’ disposable income not only results in increased spending on home textile products, but also stimulates the development of tourism. A report from the General Office of the State Council of China stated that the annual number of domestic trips has nearly doubled, from 2.1 billion in 2010 to 4.4 billion in 2016. It is expected that domestic travel-related consumption will reach USD 869 billion in 2020 and contribute to over 5% of GDP.

The hotel industry in particular has benefited from this development, with the number of limited service hotels increasing 30% in the past seven years. This also implies remarkable opportunities for the home textile industry players doing contract business since quality products including furnishing fabrics, bedding & towelling and more will be sought after by the hotels.
Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).

To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com.
For more information about Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.