As Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2014 prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary this October, it expands the Verve for Design zone that will offer original fabric designs from some of the industry’s leading studios in both knitted and woven textiles.

To date, 20 design studios from eight countries and regions have confirmed their participation in this zone, which will be 56% larger than last year’s version.

The fair will play host to an expected 3,500-plus exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions, and will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 20-23 October.

Increasing demand

With the demand in China for creative and inspirational textile design showing no sign of slowing down, textile designers will present their creative designs in the increasingly popular Verve for Design zone. Exhibitors will showcase their inspirations in textile and apparel design, targeting textile and apparel manufacturers, trend book publishers and other traders.

For many of the studios featuring in this zone, their decision to participate is due to the increasing demand in the Chinese market for premium textile products. “The Chinese market is interested in finding out about European trends and tendencies,” explained Patricia Grinzato, the Owner of Musticstyle Srl from Italy. “This is a very international fair so we can meet people from all over the world, but it is also good for us to learn about the Chinese market here too.”

British firm Circleline Design believes the Chinese fashion and textile industry is hungry for fresh and exciting ideas, and will present their new collection of printed textile designs for Autumn Winter 15/16 and Summer 16. In addition to Italy and the UK, other studios from Spain, Australia, China, France, Korea and Taiwan will also take part.

Upcoming trends

The fair is also said to be the ideal platform to discover next season’s fashion trends, both in China and internationally. The Intertextile Directions Trend Forum uses exhibitors’ fabrics to illustrate the Autumn/Winter 2015-16 international trends, and is designed around four themes:

• Taste of Sugar: a soft feminine and delicate story made of sweet couture to savour like a cake. New fabric associations render a comfortable mood.
• Sense of Earth: a modern tribute to Mother Nature and the richness of the ground. Ancestral methods are renovated using actual technology.
• Fragrance of Berries: an intriguing decorative story perfumed with a dark, magical atmosphere. Both a historical and contemporary story, this range is a sumptuous and poetic feast.
• Optical Cocktail: A positive flashback to the glamour 70’s expressing pleasure and fun with a sporty spirit. Pop art re-emergence is the sign of a new energetic enthusiasm.

These trends were envisioned by the Directions Trend Committee, comprised of experts from four of the world’s leading trend forecasting agencies: the NellyRodi Agency (France), Elementi Moda (Italy), Doneger Creative Services (USA) and Sachiko Inoue (Japan). This year the committee is led by the NellyRodi Agency, and also includes a greater focus on eco and functional fabrics.

www.intertextileapparel.com