The sixth edition of Asia’s premier fashion event, Centrestage will be held in a physical format from September 10-12, 2021 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). To be organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the show will feature over 200 brands from over 20 countries and regions and close to 30 fashion events. It will offer an ideal platform for brands and designers to showcase their creativity in the fashion arena and demonstrate their resilience in overcoming the recent challenges. For the first time, the show will open to public visitors for the entire duration of the event.

Centrestage 2021 will have "Chapter Infinity" as its central theme, encouraging those in the fashion industry to take creative approaches and reignite their inspiration in the pandemic era, exploring the countless opportunities that lie ahead. The event will feature three thematic zones: Allure - representing craftsmanship, refinement and elegance; Iconic - displaying avant-garde designs; and Metro - showcasing contemporary, minimalistic expressions of urban life. This year's event will feature over 200 fashion brands, including more than 120 brands from Hong Kong. Although travel restrictions remain in effect between Hong Kong and the rest of the world, some brands and industry organizations outside Hong Kong will send local representatives to participate in the event, including the Taiwan Textile Federation, Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center, Italian fashion promotion organization Ente Moda Italia (EMI) and new joiner Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Amalty from Kazakhstan.

In addition, the show has invited overseas buyers to conduct video business meetings with exhibitors include 3NY from the United States, Germany's Encode Fashion, Thailand's Bluepin and Vietnam's Runway. Local fashion buyers such as Club 21, D-mop, Harvey Nichols, I.T, Lane Crawford and online fashion store Farfetch have also been invited.

On August 12, Authentic Brands Group Inc snapped up Reebok for $2.5 billion, adding the sneakers with the Union Jack emblem to its hodgepodge of brands that includes fast-fashion retailer Forever 21, skateboard specialist Airwalk, outdoor outfitter Eddie Bauer, and shirtmaker Brooks Brothers.

Adidas’s failure to restore Reebok serves as a cautionary tale for any business trying to reignite a brand that’s fallen out of favor with consumers. At the height of its success, Reebok eclipsed even Nike for several years in U.S. sneaker sales, but the boom faded as quickly as it came, no matter how hard Adidas tried to turn back the clock. That task now falls to Authentic Brands, which has made the revival of well-known yet tired brands its specialty.

The challenge for Authentic is whether to simply focus on the Reebok classic styles to create a more profitable niche brand or invest significantly into new styles as well as research and development to try to make a dent in the sales of its former parent and Nike. While Authentic has built its business buying tarnished brands, reviving Reebok may turn out to be a step too far, says Michael Stone, Chairman, Beanstalk

To be held from September 29-30, 2021 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre in China, the 17th Interfiliere Shanghai will host over 180 manufacturers and exporters of fabric, fibre, lace, embroidery, textile design, fashion trends, OEM or ODM manufacturing, textile accessories or machinery or technologies.

The exhibition will span over 12,000 square meters. It will build a business platform for raw materials and accessories for fashion underwear, sportswear, swimwear, etc in the Asia Pacific Region and will provide match services for exhibitors and visitors.

The tradeshow will also feature a number of events for its visitors. The Fashion forum by Concepts Paris, founded by JosBerry, a pioneer of lingerie industry, will keep the visitors updated about Spring Summer fashion trends 2023. The Sportiv’ Forum, title-sponsored by LYCRA and cooperated with French fashion agency, MLC, will provide the latest trends of intimate sportswear dressings for sport brand designers and product development managers.

Several workshops and seminars will also be held at Interfiliere Shanghai 2021, gathering professionals, experts and KOLs from all over the world to discuss the hottest topics in intimate apparel fashion with visitors. Some of the topics for discussions include the release of Spring Summer trend 2023, early spring sports trends, green and sustainable development, future underwear trends, etc.

Interfiliere Shanghai will also have the ‘Green Village’ that will exhibit solutions for green and sustainable development of intimate accessories. In addition, the event will launch the PPP Zone in cooperation with Asosiasi Pertekstilan Indonesia (API). Vanessa, the trend expert of Green village, will make new designs from waste fabrics from 4 textile factories in Indonesia in 2021, and will conduct the prototype fashion show at the event.

Demonstrating its ongoing commitment and investment to the industry, Moda, also known as the National Footwear Show, has revealed a line-up of over 160 footwear, fashion, accessories, and jewellery brands as well as digital clinics by partner and Café sponsor Modular Commerce and buyer benefits for members of headline sponsor the British Footwear Association.

Benefiting from exciting new opportunities and an increase in footfall generated by its co-location with leading home and gift show Autumn Fair from the September 05 – -08, 2021 t NEC Birmingham, Moda also offers an exclusive Hosted Buyer Program providing support and onsite benefits for leading retailers.

Lisa Govier, Director of Footwear, Moda says; whilst the changing and ongoing travel restrictions have impacted a few international exhibitors, Moda is working hard to create partnerships and experiences that will give both exhibitors and visitors a return of investment and time. Over a third of Autumn Fair pre-registrations have specified a primary interest in footwear and apparel, and Moda pre-registrations are looking great despite the challenges of the last year.

Statistics from the US Department of Commerce show, trade volume of silk goods registered a month-on-month decline of 6.77 per cent in May to reach $409 million. However, on a year-on-year basis, the trade volume grew by 113.48 percent, reports China Textiles. The import value declined by 7.01 per cent on a month-on-month basis to $357 million while on a year-on-year basis, it rose by 106.12 percent. The export value declined by 5.11 per cent month-on-month and increased by 182.2 per cent year-on-year to $52.283 million.

Silk imports declined by 18.16 per cent month-on-month while increasing by 86.27 per cent year-on-year to $867,100. The import volume declined 31.29 per cent month-on-month while increasing by 64.08 percent year-on-year to 16.41 ton. The value of these imports increased 20.62 per cent month-on-month to $18.6556 million 66.67 percent year-on-year.

The main sources of imports are China, Vietnam, India, Italy and Honduras The total proportion of the above five sources was 54.33 per cent. The value of silk exports declined by 44.09 per cent to $378,900 while the volume increased by 140.93 per cent year-on-year to 49.17 tonne. The value of silk and satin exports increased by 16.83 percent year-on-year; while the value of finished goods increased by70.71 percent year-on-year.

The main export markets included Mexico, Canada Honduras, El Salvador and Dominican Republic. These five markets accounted for 69.78 percent of the total exports.

The North Face plans to develop sustainable high-performance textiles in collaboration with textile material company Spinnova. As per a SGB Media report, North Face will also access the first commercial volumes of Spinnova fiber that are devoid of armful chemicals and emit minimal carbon dioxide. They also do not contain microplastics and are 100 percent circular.

Janne Poranen, Co-founder and CEO, Spinnova says, through this initiative, his company aims to continue pushing the limits of its material together with The North Face. It aims to set a new standard for the industry in sustainability and high performance. Oliver Lang, Global Vice President, Product Development, The North Face adds, the initiative will help his company build more circular products, develop innovative materials and reduce the environmental impacts of its products.

Around 15 brands including Huit, Kings of Indigo and Dondup are using the Coreva Technology to innovate their products and make the more sustainable. As per Euratex report, Coreva™ technology was developed by Alberto Candiani, President, Candiani Denim whilst was shopping for salami cold cuts in his local delicatessen in Milan.

The new Coreva technology helps replace common synthetic and petrochemical-based elastomers. As a result, the bio-based product can be put in compost and biodegrade in less than six month without releasing any microplastics, conventional elastane or toxic chemicals. The technology follows the EU standard EN13432.

This innovative biodegradable stretch denim fabric made with this technology contains organic cotton wrapped with a natural rubber core. The final is product is a yarn with no plastic corposants.

Patented by Candiani, this technology does not compromise the quality, elasticity and durability of the denims.

Old Navy has overhauled its plus-size strategy in an attempt to win more of the $32 billion US market. As per a Business of Fashion report, the brand closed down divisions that often made the category an afterthought. It has retained only one team for creating all women’s apparel and henceforth will offer all design in plus sizes also. Old Navy is Gap’s largest division and is still vibrant, with sales surging this year. The brand aims to reach its goal of $10 billion in sales by 2023 —from $7.5 billion in 2020.

According to Brian Ehrig, Partner-Global strategy and Management Consulting, Kearney the plus-size women’s market in the US is expected to grow between 4 to 8 per cent annually through 2023. Before the pandemic, it was gaining at a faster rate than the rest of the apparel market. While retailers like Target Corp. and Nordstrom have expanded their plus-size offerings, many chains have been hesitant to invest in the category. Higher costs are often cited as a hurdle, including the increased expense of making apparel with more fabric.

In 2014, Old Navy defended its practice of charging higher prices for plus-size women’s clothing after a shopper started a petition calling the retailer out for not doing the same for men’s clothing. At the time, Old Navy said it used certain stretch materials and design elements that weren’t found in men’s garments to justify the higher price point. Making matters worse is that the company only sold plus-size women’s apparel online. It returned to stores in

Now Old Navy customers will all pay the same price. Other changes include using a wider variety of models on its website, including size 18. In stores, there will be a broader range of mannequins. The retailer is also educating store associates on how plus-size shoppers have often felt ostracized.

To be held on October 13 and 14, 2021 at One Marylebone in London, Textile Fourm-the Fabric Fashion show will showcase UK’s reputed fabric companies like Litmans, Michael’s Bridal Fabrics, Pongees, The London Embroidery Company, Graham Smith, Carrington Fabrics, Partap, Bridal Fabrics, The National Weaving Company, Laurent Garigue, Henry Bertrand and James Hare.

As per Amy Packhan, Event Director, Textile Forum, besides fabrics, the event will showcase accessories, trimmings, buttons, linings, and a group of garment manufacturers supported by UKFT. Since launching in 2002, Textile Forum has cemented itself as London’s premier sourcing event for luxury fashion fabrics, now presented over two floors at our prestigious venue One Marylebone. As per a Drapers Online report, the show attracts fabric buyers from major fashion retailers and brands, established independent design businesses and start-ups, tailors, craft shops, seamstresses and costumiers.

Around 80 per cent of exhibitors at Heimtextil 2020 are expected to participate in the upcoming edition of the fair scheduled to be held from January 11-14, 2022. As per a Textile Network report, highlight of the program of events in 2022 will once again be the Trend Space inspiration area in Hall 4.0. The upcoming edition will highlight the changes caused by the pandemic in people’s lives and their home furnishing methods.

The spectrum of products displayed will be supplemented by digital services. These will include live streams and online contributions from the program of lectures. They will cover a variety of topics, such as ‘sleep’, the Heimtextil Trends and interior, architecture, hospitality, the service for (interior) architects and hospitality experts. Lectures will illuminate the sustainability theme and the Future Materials Library.

Order and data-management portal Nextrade will provide an around-the-clock business relationship between dealers and suppliers. As the first digital B2B marketplace for home and living, Nextrade brings together demand and supply from the entire sector and thus creates significant value added for both sides.