From the Sector

As the global textile industry’s most comprehensive sourcing summit for the spring / summer season, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is naturally the ideal place to find the latest developments in product innovation and sustainability. This is especially true in the fair’s Beyond Denim zone, which this edition will feature over 110 exhibitors from China, Japan, Pakistan, Turkey and elsewhere. Adding to a total of some 3,300 exhibitors from around 22 countries and regions, they provide sourcing options for the entire industry, from fabrics for ladieswear, menswear, suiting, shirting, lingerie and swimwear to high-end wool fabrics, original pattern designs, functional & performance fabrics, sustainability products & services, digital printing technologies, garment & fashion accessories and more.

Denim enriched with volcanic ash: the latest innovation from Orta Anadolu
Volcanic ash is not uncommon in beauty products – it is known as Mother Nature’s skin purifier after all, and used as an exfoliator for example – but it is far less common in the textile industry. Orta Anadolu are set to change that with their BIOWARE denim which is enriched with mineralised volcanic ash to create an odour absorbing effect. This technology captures and absorbs odour compounds that would normally pass through the fabric, neutralising bad bacteria while retaining the helpful bacteria that common deodorisers, which contain harsh substances, normally eliminate. This leads to a more environmentally friendly product that is better for the user’s skin.

Orta will also be presenting BIOCHARGE at Intertextile, which, according to the company, is the world’s first denim fabric for muscle wellness. Infused with minerals, Orta state that BIOCHARGE is medically proven to refresh muscles, relieve muscle tension and optimise body balance. They will also present their BOUNCE stretch range, with high elasticity and a ‘street’ style, while CHRONICLE, another in their S/S 19 range, is a blend of heritage and future styles.

US Denim Mills blend tomorrow’s technology with yesterday’s style
Another innovative denim firm exhibiting at Intertextile Shanghai, and another blending old and new, is US Denim Mills. According to the company, their collection at the fair will “harness tomorrow’s textile advances to revitalise the great style visions of the past by adding fashion, comfort, performance and sustainability advantages to authentic denim looks.” This collection includes:

• Selvedge: using the company’s legacy selvedge looms to produce bi-stretch ‘SelvedgeX’ while experimenting with blends of natural yarns and high-tech fibre blends in its ‘HeritEdge+’ range
• Stretch: including ‘Flex 360’ bi-stretch denim with a slight cross-bias freedom, and ‘Modern Stretches’ with a higher stretch range for intense comfort
• SoftWear: advanced finishing treatments for superior soft touch from natural fibre blended yarns and softness-selected weaves
• Sustainable: new additions to the range of recycled and natural ‘GreenEgo’ denims

Kipas Denim step up their sustainability efforts
Well aware of the effect denim production has on the environment, Kipas Denim’s multi-faceted programme to address this is one of the most comprehensive in the denim sector. Their recycled yarn initiative includes recycling waste yarn from the production process, while it also takes waste cotton yarn and blends it with REPREVE® fibres to create an eco-friendly denim fabric. Kipas also uses BCI cotton and organic cotton, and targets each to be 15% and 5% of total consumption, respectively. Furthermore, their Conservablue technology aims to reduce the environmental impact of the dyeing process by eliminating the use of rinsing overflow boxes before and after the indigo dye boxes, as well as ensuring 100% of applied dyestuff remains on the yarn in the rinsing bath.

As well as the overseas offerings, a wide range of domestic denim exhibitors covering all price and quality points will also feature in Beyond Denim. Some of the more notable brands participating include Advance Denim, Black Peony, Guangzhou Foison and Prosperity Textile.

Denim’s ‘next move’ to be debated in INVISTA panel discussion
The market is changing and so must apparel and textile manufacturers. Low prices and discounts are no longer driving sales the way they used to. Today’s consumer wants better quality, appreciates new technology and is evolving their casualwear style. This is the premise behind the INVISTA-sponsored panel discussion which will take place on day 1 of the fair. Titled ‘Denim’s Next Move – New Opportunities to Keep Growing Sales of Jeans and Casualwear at Retail’, participants will learn what consumers really want in jeans and casualwear, the return of chinos and new fabric technologies that are energising casualwear.

The panel will be moderated by Jane Singer, Director and Head of Market Development at Inside Fashion. Panellists will include representatives from Advance Denim, Guangzhou Conshing Clothing Group, Prosperity Textile and Texhong who will share their latest innovations that will help brands and retailers drive sales and profits.

In addition to Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs also take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, fashion garment fair CHIC and knitting fair PH Value.

• 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.