COTTON USA, a non-profit and promoter of US cotton fibre, has joined forces with Chinese designer Liu Wei to present collections of US cotton school uniforms at Shanghai International Occupational Uniform Exhibition (OUE) from July 23-25. As a result of the show, COTTON USA gained three new uniform licensees representing 10,800 bales of US cotton.
Themed “Growing Everyday” the COTTON USA X Liu Wei 2020 Chinese student uniform trend presentation featured more than 60 outfits showcasing the fashion innovation, sustainability and functional diversity of US cotton. The collections combined high quality US cotton with selected technical fabrics and included basics, sports and winter collections targeting the large student uniform market.
Five COTTON USA licensees joined COTTON USA at the exhibition, including Qingdao Jifa Xinheng Textile Co Ltd; Beijing Xinyi Textile Co Ltd; Shanghai Meijue Brand Management Co Ltd; Beijing Kefang Technology Co Ltd; and Ningbo Yuanzhen Ecological Textile Technology Co Ltd.
“COTTON USA is representative of the natural and sustainable raw materials in high demand,” Liu Wei said in a press release. “School uniforms accompany a child from pre-school through high school, bearing the memory of each day’s growth. In recent years, the concept of environmental sustainability has been adopted within the uniform industry. Society as a whole, including parents, students, schools, governments, and media, have embraced the concept of ‘green safety’ for students’ wear.”
At the COTTON USA booth, as well as at launch show onsite, buyers were impressed by the COTTON USA performance collections. An exciting addition to this year’s COTTON USA booth was the focus on the newly-introduced US Cotton Trust Protocol.
“The global sustainable development process cannot rely solely on the strength of one person, one enterprise, and one industry,” Karin Malmstrom, director for China and Northeast Asia at Cotton Council International, said. “It requires the joint efforts of everyone in different industries and different supply chains. The implementation of the US Cotton Trust Protocol will enable enterprises along the entire textile supply chain to track and verify their improvements in sustainable sourcing and reporting. Retailers and consumers will also benefit by knowing they are also contributing to building a more sustainable world by integrating US cotton into the products they produce and purchase.”
OUE, themed “Tribute to Creativity, Empowering Workers,” covered occupational and school uniforms, business casual wear, high-end customisation, fabric and accessories. More than 200 exhibitors attended and attracted around 20,000 visitors during the three-day period.
