From the Sector

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition reports more than 900 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions and nearly 36,000 visitors representing 113 markets. The show covered more than 100,000 square metres and included bedding, upholstery fabrics, curtains, carpets and design-led collections.

Messe Frankfurt says sustainability, new technologies and supply-chain transparency were increasingly visible in buying discussions. Exhibitors presented established sourcing categories alongside functional textiles, more sustainable materials and technology-enabled solutions. Buyer representation was especially strong from Greater China and Southeast Asia, with growing participation from Central Asia.

The fringe programme also moved beyond trend forecasting into operational questions. Sessions covered AI implementation in the home-textile sector, urban renewal, product development, changing lifestyles and opportunities in Latin America. The mix suggests that home-textile sourcing is becoming more closely linked to material innovation, digital tools and verifiable sustainability requirements.

The new Horizon Europe project MELANGE aims to reorganise how colour is designed and applied in interior textiles. Rather than treating coloration mainly as a finishing-stage operation, the project moves colour decisions upstream and explores fibre-stage technologies including spin, dope and solution dyeing, as well as the use of pre-coloured recycled fibres. The rationale is that conventional coloration consumes substantial water, energy and chemicals, while the pursuit of near-perfect uniformity can drive additional trials and material losses.

MELANGE brings together nine partners from seven European countries under the leadership of Aalto University, with Textile ETP responsible for dissemination and stakeholder engagement. The project proposes treating variation as a design feature rather than automatically as a defect. It draws inspiration from Prato’s practice of blending pre-coloured recycled fibres by shade to avoid re-dyeing. According to the project communication, the approach aims to reduce water and chemical use by up to 50% compared with conventional finishing-stage processes. Business models, B2B marketing, standards and policy are also part of the work.