The 13th China International Fashion Brand Fair -- Shenzhen (FashionSZshow) -- the largest and most influential fashion exhibition in southern China -- will open July 11 and run through July 13 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. More than 100,000 international and local fashion professionals are expected to converge on this annual industry event.

Co-located with the 2013 Shenzhen International Trade Fair for Apparel Fabrics and Accessories and the 2013 Shenzhen Textile Equipment Fair, the three concurrent shows will feature more than 3,000 booths across 70,000 square meters of exhibition space. Product categories include men's wear, women's wear, maternity and children's wear, women's luxury wear, lingerie, casual wear, fashion accessories, textile equipment and apparel fabrics.

Leading brands and fashion companies set to showcase their latest collections at this year's FashionSZshow include Marisfrolg, Yinger Fashion Group, MYMO, BBLLUUEE, EITIE, OMNIALUO, VERSINO, LIZZY, NAERSI, and sefon.

"With more than a decade of development, FashionSZshow has evolved into an indispensable stage on which China fashion brands can grow and prosper," said Shen Yongfang, President of Shenzhen Garment Industry Association. "And, as the China fashion scene transforms itself from a purely manufacturing-based industry to a design powerhouse, the Fairs are evolving to facilitate this process."

With its rapid and focused development, the output value of Shenzhen's garment industry exceeded 100 billion yuan in 2012 representing 250 percent growth from a decade ago. Exports also saw a tremendous jump to US$10 billion last year.

Global Sources is FashionSZshow's strategic partner for internationalizing the show. Global Sources' Chief Executive Officer, Spenser Au, said: "As one of the industry's most respected events, FashionSZshow has witnessed the evolution of mainland China's fashion industry and has played a significant role in this process. We expect the show to continue making an enormous contribution to the industry's sustainable development."

Value-added activities to enhance effectiveness

A series of tailor-made conference programs and seminars will be held at the Fairs. Catriona MacNab, Chief Creative Officer of WGSN, a leading trend forecaster, will share the research, findings and insights into 2014 fashion trends conducted by more than 200 WGSN specialists. This is a must-attend seminar for fashion buyers and designers as well as fashion brand builders. The seminar is open to all attendees of the Fairs.

Other on-site activities include forums and seminars with themes covering department stores, apparel agents and apparel e-Commerce. Fashion catwalks by well-established brands as well as new designer brands will also be staged to provide attendees with a wide selection of the latest fashion ideas. To encourage new-breed fashion designers to showcase their works, a special feature of collections by students from Shenzhen University's College of Art and Design and Shenzhen Polytechnic will also be displayed at the Fairs.

FashionSZshow is the largest fashion exhibition in southern China for brand owners, retailers, branding specialists and professional fashion buyers.