In recent years, the fair has expanded to include the full product XBH 2013spectrum of upholstery fabrics, bedding and towelling, carpets and rugs, wallcoverings, design artwork, digital printing, sun protection systems, non-textile curtain accessories and more. In her inaugural speech, Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) said, “Domestic suppliers are out in force again this year, with more than 1,000 taking part, while 14 Chinese regional pavilions feature, as do a number of trend forums and product zones. And this year’s International Hall features country and region pavilions from Belgium, India, Italy, Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey.
Exquisite Europe zone in focus
Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is regarded Asia’s leading trade fair, particularly for its offerings of premium products from overseas, in addition to the wide range of price and quality options provided by Chinese suppliers. The premium offerings are evident in ‘Exquisite Europe’ zone, which features exhibitors from 12 countries. This include: Casadeco, Designers Guild, JAB, Jean Paul Gaultier and Prestigious, bedding and towelling exhibitors including Curt Bauer, Mundotextil and Traumina, and upholstery fabrics suppliers Fiorete and Trevira. Exquisite Europe will also include pavilions from Belgium and Italy, while other pavilions from India, Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey will also feature in the International Hall.
“We also have two new product areas this year: a digital printing zone which is a fast-emerging sector of the industry, and a Whole-Home Style zone featuring exhibitors with multiple products displayed in a real-home setting,” said Wen, elaborating on the fair layout.
Buyers on the lookout for original service designs and artwork for fabric and product development will have a wide selection to choose from in the Intertextile Design Boutique. Design studios participating include Antoinette et Freddy, Diane Harrison, Elka Studio and Simon Ashby Studios. A carpet & rug zone also returns to the fair again as suppliers from Asia and the Middle East will visit to take advantage of the increasing interest in these products from Chinese consumers.
InterDesign – Revamped fringe programme
To meet the needs of the industry, this year’s fringe program has been revamped, with a new name for the design and trend section called InterDesign. The InterDesign programme has been developed in response to increasing interest of Chinese consumers in design and trends, with some of the industry’s biggest players participating this year. The InterDesign Programme includes three special areas in the International Hall: a Trend Area, Trend Concept Show and Forum Space.
The International Lifestyle Trend Area, which is designed by the NellyRod Agency, has featured the 2016 lifestyle trend concepts, while the Trend Concept Show brings these trends to life in a practical home setting. The show is coordinated this year by leading Chinese designer Shen Lei, who is also a member of the 2015 Trend Committee which developed the 2016 trends. He has recruited some of China’s best interior designers, who have been paired with the industry’s leading brands – to create displays which help buyers visualise the latest trends.
Leading design, trend experts show the way
A comprehensive seminar program with sessions conducted by industry’s top experts is also on offer. In the Design & Trends category, the highlights include a talk on day two by Vincent Grégoire of the NellyRodi Agency, who will explain in detail the 2016 trends found in the International Lifestyle Trend Area. On day one, a forum talk was led by Shen Lei with an open discussion with the designers about their featured work in the Trend Concept Show.
Seminars, tours of the International Lifestyle Trend Area are being conducted by members of the Trend Committee. This year, they are led on first and second day by Grégoire as well as Dan Namura from Dan Project of Japan. Namura has also worked with Heimtextil Frankfurt, the parent fair of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, for a number of years. Seminars covering market information and testing & certifications are organised during the fair.
A strong feature of this year’s fair is the wide range of Chinese exhibitors taking part, which are grouped by region and product category to ensure sourcing efficiency for buyers. This include the Emerging Players Hall featuring new companies, the Glamorous Brands Hall showcasing branded decorative fabrics and the Home Experience Hall, which highlighted Chinese fabric trends, and also include regional pavilions from Binzhou, Gaoyang, Guangzhou, Huzhou, Nantong including Haimen and Tongzhou, Pujiang, Zhenze and Zhouquan. In total, 13 regional pavilions will feature, with the biggest ones being the Colourful Haining Hall, the Fashionable Yuhang Hall and the Premium Two-City Hall, featuring the Tongxiang and Shaoxing Pavilions.
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