From the Sector

• 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.

Wohin entwickeln sich aktuell die Farbtrends, welche Colorits erobern schon bald die Innenräume? Die Kreativen von drapilux, dem führenden Anbieter flammhemmender Gardinen und Dekorationsstoffe, sind immer „am Puls der Zeit“: Auf Reisen und Messen holen sie sich regelmäßig Impulse für neue Dessins. Aktuell inspirieren diese acht ausgewählten Trendtöne und sind aus dem Textilbereich nicht wegzudenken.

• Weiß/Creme
  „Für den Interior-Bereich ist Weiß als Basis ein Muss, im Moment ist es sogar besonders gefragt“, erläutert Kirstin Herrmann, Leiterin des Designateliers bei drapilux. Die Nuance zeigt sich als echter Teamplayer: Sie lässt andere Farben leuchten und strahlt dadurch selber.
• Blush Pale Pink
  „Rosé ist jetzt gewissermaßen erwachsen geworden und hat sein leicht kitschiges Prinzessinnen-Image verloren“, erklärt die Designerin. Blush Pale Pink wirkt sanft und entspannend – mit gedeckten Tönen wie Grau erscheint es sehr elegant.
• Coral
  Hip, hipper, coral: Aktuell ist Orangerot einer der wichtigsten Trends – zumindest für Akzente wie Kissen oder Kerzen. Auch das satte Orange ist mit all seiner Intensität und Brillanz zurück, nachdem es in den 70er Jahren erst übermäßig eingesetzt wurde und dann eine ganze Zeit lang aus dem Innenbereich verschwunden war.
• Buttercup-Gelb
  Gelb ist ebenfalls für Akzente stark im Kommen. „In der Fläche wirkt es – ähnlich wie Coral – zu laut und grell, deshalb sollte es immer dosiert, akzentuiert oder kombiniert eingesetzt werden“, rät Kirstin Herrmann. Nachdem es vor einigen Jahren seinen Siegeszug als Lemongrün startete, wurde es von Saison zu Saison gelber und erfrischt nun als kräftiges, sattes Butterblumen-Gelb.
• Infused Pastels
  „Infused Pastels“ enthalten viele Grauanteile und kommen den Non-Colours näher als den süßlichen, pastelligen Candy-Tönen. Die Designerin verdeutlicht: „Neben Pale Pink gehören Leinen und Hellgrau sowie helle Minttöne und angegraute Hellblau-Nuancen in dieses Farbspektrum.“
• Non-Colours
  Schon seit Jahren sind die Non-Colours aus dem Einrichtungsbereich nicht mehr wegzudenken. Kirstin Herrmann weiß: „Das Erfolgsgeheimnis des „Übertrends“ liegt darin, dass die Non-Colours schick, trendy und gleichzeitig gemütlich sind. Dunkel gestrichene Wände wirken nicht mehr trist, sondern verbreiten eine elegante und sehr lifestylige Atmosphäre.“
• Aquablau
  „Blau ist das neue Schwarz“, so Kirstin Herrmann. „Es ist und bleibt als Basis absolut wichtig.“ Im Home-Bereich breitet es sich immer mehr aus: an Wänden, als Couch oder Kissen. Nicht nur das beliebte Marine spielt eine große Rolle. Immer häufiger werden unterschiedliche Blau-Facetten eingesetzt – von Dunkelblau über satte Nuancen bis hin zu wässrigen Aquatönen.
• Metallglanz
  „Metallfarben sind kein neuer Trend: Was mit Kupfer anfing, umfasst inzwischen sämtliche metallischen Töne. Neu sind allerdings glänzende Blau- und Türkisnuancen“, erklärt Kirstin Herrmann die ungebrochene Beliebtheit der glänzenden Highlights.

With digitalization transforming the way consumers shop, today’s fashion companies are playing a neverending game of catch-up, as they compete for the attention of a generation of connected, fickle-minded millennials who want it all: personalization, sustainability, quality and speed, accessible at all times, across multiple channels, and at the lowest price. Industry 4.0 is not only revolutionizing how manufacturers operate, but also how brands and retailers need to function, if they want to be fast and agile enough to meet the needs of this demanding new consumer. The stakes are high and how effectively companies harness technology to put the consumer at the heart of their process will be the deciding factor in who comes out ahead and who gets left behind.

Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 has undergone a drastic reboot to give fashion and apparel companies the speed and agility they need to tackle the challenges of Industry 4.0 head on. Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0, with the widest functional scope on the market, acts as an intelligent nerve center to the digital supply chain, from planning through design to production. This ensures a consistent flow of error-free data between processes, technologies and people. The system connects CAD, industry-standard software such as Adobe Illustrator, company IT systems (such as ERP) and external suppliers, so that actors across the supply chain can work on, save and share information on the platform, ensuring data integrity.
The solution also draws on best practices, fashion-business intelligence and real-world scenarios to automate administrative and repetitive tasks, with templates, standard libraries and shortcuts that allows more time for value-added activities. The final result is a fast, connected digital supply chain that helps fashion companies jump on trends quickly and deliver products that fulfill their customer’s expectations.