174 exhibitors partake at Interstoff Asia Essential

Country and regional pavilions from China, Korea and Taiwan increased in size this year demonstrating that the Asian textiles industry is still in good health. “Many exhibitors recorded an increase in the number of buyers they had at their booths, especially those with functional and eco products,” commented Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of fair organiser Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

“Being in Hong Kong, the fair attracts many buyers from Mainland China, as well as locally based companies doing business there. In addition, many international brands have purchasing offices here, so exhibitors also have access to many overseas buyers. What’s more, these buyers know this is a niche fair where they can find the latest high-end fabrics.”

Exhibitors of functional fabrics prove popular with buyers

Interstoff Asia Essential is known in the region as a niche fair where the latest high-end fashionable, functional and eco fabrics and accessories can be found. With a special focus this year on functional fabrics and in keeping with recent market trends, exhibitors within this category recorded large numbers of buyers at their booths. “We are seeing an increase in demand for eco and functional fabrics at this fair, and the trend will continue in the future,” said Wing Fung Ho, New Jersey Enterprises Ltd, Hong Kong. “As there are many buyers from Mainland China at this fair, we can access this market effectively here.”

Taiwan manufacturers’ strength is in functional fabrics according to Jullian Lin from the Taiwan Textile Federation, organisers of the Taiwan Pavilion. “Demand for these fabrics has been going up in recent years,” she said. “And we have met some valuable potential clients here looking for functional fabrics, so our expectations have been met.”

Equally as happy was Kohei Yamamoto, Sunwell, Japan, who are producers of functional synthetic fabrics for sportswear. “We have had so many buyers visit us this time; in fact the first day of the fair was double the number we would normally get,” he said. “And 90% of them were new so this was very pleasing. The buyers here in general are of better quality than other fairs and they are more likely to source new products too.”

Eco products also remained popular with buyers. The Chinese company Shaoxing Huaxue Textile, suppliers of eco-friendly Tencel for the mid-range and high-end markets, noticed an increase in buyers at the fair. “We met 106 new clients during the three days, much more than last year. This included big brands like DKNY and Calvin Klein, so the fair has exceeded my expectations,” said Winnie Wang.

Click here to read more

Messe Frankfurt