The 26^th edition of SPINEXPO Shanghai, an international trade show for yarns, fibres, knitwear manufacturers and designers, will take place from 1-3 September 2015 at the Shanghai World Expo Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The exhibition will present the Autumn/Winter 2016-17 collections and trends to an international audience, featuring specialist trend areas and networking opportunities for industry professionals.

3D forms

There is a general direction towards growth and 3D forms, with surfaces and structures being the key elements to take into account, organisers believe.

New advancements in technical processes from 3D printing to innovative manufacturing methods and enhanced finishings are allowing the body form to become a central focus, as garments become sculptural and have a dimension of their own, even without a form inside.

Yarns developed in the tradition of tweeds, marls and twists become modernised through softness, lightness and the use of unexpected colour combinations. Intense plush chenille, wools compacted through felting or stretch, new dyeing or printing techniques, as well as lustrous shine create a multi-dimensional feel of tactile layers.

SPINEXCLUSIVE

We are at a moment of changes – sociologically, economically, technologically, and in terms of lifestyle. Fashion illustrates the world’s most pressing changes, and beauty standards are being redefined. To accompany this direction, the SPINEXPO fashion team has added up more segments to its already very sophisticated trend area.

SPINACTIVE, which is a new research platform for activewear and the use of circular knitting techniques, links with SPINEXPOLE that continues to highlight swatch developments associating various yarns from the spinners’ collections. SPINACTIVE targets functional clothing – experimentation with LED bonding, various new materials, research on shoes and socks are to be found.

A more couture targeted part has come to life with six pendent stylists who worked with 18 spinning companies in partnership with one knitwear manufacturer using a specific knitting machine to produce capsule collection styles around yarn. Meant to be the counter part of the innovation and more lifestyle direction of SPINACTIVE, SPINEXCLUSIVE targets a more sophisticated fashion, where the textile chain is totally represented.

Perino fibre

Perino is an innovation by the New Zealand yarn company Woolyarns. Developed in 1992, Perino has played a part in New Zealand’s conservation by productively using the fibre of the non-native New Zealand Brushtail Possum. Since 2010, the range has grown from Merino yarn blends to introduce cashmere and silk, and the more refined Brushtail Possum Down.

The pure downy undercoat fibre is said to have a unique hollow-core offering a world of firsts to the fashion industry, according to organisers. Due to its lightness and warmness, it helps create volume and allow designers be minimal with maximum impact.

The New Zealand Brushtail Possum yarn has already made its way to the international realm with Hermes-Paris featuring a Perino garment in its ready-to-wear women’s collection. Designer Kate Mischler is an advocate of the yarn, and uses Perino as the point of difference in her bespoke knitwear brand, Elka.

www.spinexpo.com