At Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center, which spans 190,000 square meters and has over 3,000 exhibitors, the exhibition will showcase a wide variety of goods and services. The textile industry is moving closer to sustainable methods, just like the majority of other industries. The growing use of recycled materials and bio-based fibers in functional textiles is one encouraging development that reflects this trend across the value chain. Functional sustainability, which has gained popularity at recent Intertextile Apparel editions, will be evident across the fairground at the next Spring Edition, especially at Econogy Hub and Functional Lab, two of the show’s main zones.
Together with Econogy Finder, the dedicated Econogy Hub will make its debut at the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics after a successful debut at the Autumn Edition last year. This will enable exhibitors who have successfully completed the independent Econogy Check to inform buyers of their green credentials. At the same time, Functional Lab’s exclusive display space, The CUBE, which will feature a variety of carefully chosen, trendy functional textiles, will debut at the spring show.
Functional clothing companies are increasingly using recycled plastics, organic cotton, and other sustainable materials in their goods as consumer environmental consciousness grows in tandem with the current activewear trend. Many of these materials are purchased via events like Intertextile Apparel.
A number of significant industry participants will return to Functional Lab with functional sustainability as a top priority, including:
- 3M China Limited: The multinational will display its patented Thinsulate Insulation, a lightweight, warm microfiber with a high ratio of warmth to thickness. From stretchiness to water and flame resistance, the Thinsulate series offers a variety of products with differing amounts of recycled material.
- Henglun Textile (Vietnam) Co Ltd: The company specializes in knitted denim, piece-dyed knit, and print knit fabrics, and its manufacturing facilities in China and Vietnam can produce over 20,000 tons annually. They hold sustainability certifications from OEKO-TEX®, BCI, and GRS, among others.
Speaking at the previous Autumn Edition, Ms Jackie Liu, APAC Business Leader of 3M China Limited, said: “Sustainable development, environmental protection and digitalisation are hot topics in the industry, and also the top priorities for our product planning. We integrate sustainable technology into the development of each new product and make it recyclable, while our products use renewable raw materials to reduce environmental harm. Sustainability has permeated all aspects of the company’s daily operations and product development.”
Other leading suppliers blending sustainability with functionality
In addition to those exhibiting in Functional Lab, a variety of exhibitors from the fairground’s functional fabrics and accessories will demonstrate sustainable products at the next Spring Edition. Among the featured exhibitors are:
- Eastman Chemical Company: demonstrating NaiaTM Renew fiber, which is made from 60% wood pulp that is supplied responsibly and 40% certified recycled waste material using mass balance accounting. This helps companies become more sustainable without sacrificing comfort, quality, or style.
- Esquel Enterprises Ltd: Esquel, a full-service supplier of luxury cotton textiles and clothing, has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The company even makes its own accessories and packaging out of surplus yarn and fabrics.
- Grasim Industries Limited: a major business of the Aditya Birla Group, one of the leading publicly traded firms in India. Grasim is a prominent manufacturer of fashion yarns and textiles, diverse chemicals, and cellulosic fibers.
Key to the industry’s sustainable movement is certification and traceability across the value chain. Alongside sustainable fabrics suppliers, the Spring Edition’s Econogy Hub will host a range of certifiers and testing institutes, including Ecocert, Hohenstein, and Testex AG.
“This fair has got much greener, as evidenced at our booth. It’s also become more professional and more digital,” said Mr Marc Sidler, Group CMO at Testex AG, speaking at last year’s autumn show. “It’s amazing to see how customers and partners visit us at our booth. There is strong interest in Made in Green, it’s our most sustainable product, where you can really see the transparency of the supply chain towards the end consumer.”
The fair is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. It will take place alongside Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, CHIC and PH Value at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). For more details on this fair, please visit: www.intertextileapparel.com.
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition will be held from 11 – 13 March 2025.
Other upcoming shows:
Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies
26 – 28 February 2025, Ho Chi Minh City
Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics / Yarn Expo Shenzhen
11 – 13 June 2025, Shenzhen (Futian)
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition / Yarn Expo Autumn
2 – 4 September 2025, Shanghai
