Buyers searching for inspiration for next season’s trends will find all they are looking for in the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum at this year’s Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics.

Held from 21 – 24 October at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, visitors to the fair can also experience the Fabrics China Trend Forum, Intertextile Catwalk Shows, China International Fabrics Design Competition, the Planet Textiles Conference and a range of seminars.

Around 3,500 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions will display their latest collections of apparel fabrics and accessories during this four-day event. Some of this year’s highlights include SalonEurope, the Milano Unica Pavilion, the Premium Wool Zone and Verve for Design, as well as Group Pavilions organised by prominent fibre and yarn companies.

The Intertextile Directions Trend Committee, comprised of industry experts from Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo, have developed four themes which will help explain the Autumn / Winter 2014-15 trends in the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum (hall W1).

These themes are Arty, Melancholia, Protection and Visionary, and include explanations of the colour, fabric and print styles that will be in vogue next season. Exhibitors’ fabrics will be on display here, with special labelling to identify functional and eco fabrics.

Three Fabrics China Trend Forums for suitings, casual wear and ladieswear can be found in halls E2, E4 and N2, respectively. The domestic trends will also be explained through the use of exhibitors’ fabrics that fit within four themes: Affective Exaltation, Appositional Culture, Magical Nature and Soft Industry.

Industry-leading companies confirmed in wide-ranging seminar programme

A range of informative seminars will take place on 22 and 23 October with topics including Design & Trends, Market Information, Technology & Solutions, Certification & Testing and Legal matters. Companies at the forefront of their respective industries that will give presentations include Elementi Moda, Far Eastern, GOTS, Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn, Lectra, NellyRodyTM Agency, Oeko-Tex, Peclers Paris, SGS, TESTEX, WGSN and The Woolmark Company.

The ever-popular Intertextile Catwalk Shows will take place once again, with six shows held in the outdoor tent (outside hall W4) during the fair. Reputed Hong Kong designers Chen Dao and Mountain Yam will use fabrics from exhibitors to design cutting-edge garments that are a reflection of next season’s trends. Exhibitors including Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn and Luthai Textile will exclusively present their own collections in their show.

For the second time, the China International Fabrics Design Competition – the most authoritative competition of its kind in the Chinese textile industry – will provide visitors to the fair with an opportunity to see the winning entries in the fashion show.

It aims to explore design talent and cultivate innovation within the textile industry. Suppliers, including some of the fair’s exhibitors, submitted their fabrics to a judging panel including retailers, designers and global buyers, with categories including best colour application, best weave design and best technological innovation. An awards presentation ceremony will take place during the fair.

Sustainability to the forefront at the Planet Textiles Conference

Now in its fifth year, the Planet Textiles Conference is Asia’s premier annual event dedicated to reducing the impact of textiles on the environment. Run concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, this conference aims to address crucial sustainability issues in the global textiles sector.

Held on 22 October in the Kerry Hotel, adjacent to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, a number of prominent companies including China National Textile & Apparel Council, Ecotextile News, GOTS, H&M on behalf of the Zero Discharge Roadmap Group, Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, I:CO, Jiangsu Lianfa Textile, Marks & Spencer, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Otto Group, RESET Carbon, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Textile Exchange, VF Corporation and more will share their expertise.