“The response from fairgoers this autumn reflected strong demand for practical solutions and meaningful industry exchange,” said Wilmet Shea, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. “Across design, performance, sustainability and digitalisation, the fair helped visitors navigate a complex market, connect with relevant partners, and procure the ideas and technologies needed for their next stage of development.”

The fair’s four key pillars – Fashion Forward, Performance Textiles, Sustainability, and Textile Future – helped organise a wide spectrum of exhibitor showcases and shape buyer discussions. Together, they reflected how textile sourcing decisions increasingly combine creativity, technical performance, environmental responsibility and digital capabilities.

Under Fashion Forward, exhibitors presented seasonal collections, creative material concepts and design-led solutions for upcoming product development. For Joshua Lane, Regional Director – Asia at Holland & Sherry, participation also provided direct feedback for future collections.

“We brought eight or nine updated collection books to the fair. By being here, we gain a clear understanding of where the market is,” Lane said. “We listen to feedback from customers, and it gives us important information as we create our next seasons’ collections.”

The Performance Textiles pillar gained added visibility through the upgraded Functional Lab, where buyers could assess fabric innovation in a more application-driven setting. Its enhanced display area, The CUBE, brought together fabric samples, product presentations and testing demonstrations, including technical displays from IDFL Laboratory and Institute and Sunshinetex International Holdings covering airshift and waterproof testing, down proof testing and down inspection applications.

Across the fairground, functional fabric suppliers highlighted applications around four key themes: thermal regulation, sustainability + comfort, moisture management, and protection. Prutex Nylon partnered with INVISTA to showcase performance materials, functional yarns and more sustainable solutions, including PRUECO® OCEAN, which uses discarded fishing nets as a raw material for nylon 6,6.

Molly Kremidas, Global Sales & Marketing Director of Prutex Nylon, said the combination of sustainability and functionality was attracting particular attention from buyers. “Feedback at the show has been fantastic. Buyers here are looking for sustainable functional alternatives, and to be able to add our performance capabilities – like cooling or moisture movement – into PRUECO® OCEAN yarn is unique.”

The fair’s Sustainability pillar was headlined by the Econogy Hub, while material and process innovations could also be found across the fairground. Suppliers presented bio-based and recycled materials, lower-impact production processes, traceability tools and alternatives to virgin petroleum-based products.

For Global Standards, the fair provided an opportunity to introduce its upcoming Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS) to potential users. “We are preparing to launch the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS), which will expand our scope to include responsibly produced fibres such as lyocell, animal fibres, silk, wool and recycled synthetics,” said Rahul Bhajekar, Managing Director of Global Standards. “At Intertextile Apparel, we are introducing GRTS and speaking with companies that may be interested.”

Textile Future was reflected through the Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone, featuring AI-supported workflows, digital product development tools and smarter production management. The nearby Pet Boutique display area highlighted new lifestyle-led applications for textile innovation.

Among the technology providers exhibiting in the zone was Coats Digital. Himanshu Mehrotra, Managing Director of Coats Digital, pointed in particular to demand for AI applications from the Chinese manufacturing sector.

“China is a vital market for our business, and we are developing new AI-enabled capacities for local factories,” Mehrotra said. “This edition of the fair has allowed us to present these AI-related strengths to buyers and industry participants, with many visitors showing strong interest and requesting follow-up presentations.”

International participation widened the fair’s sourcing potential

Global suppliers remained central to the fair’s identity, with country and region pavilions, international zones and overseas exhibitors contributing to a diversified sourcing landscape. New exhibiting countries and regions in this edition included Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, and Thailand.

For Côte d’Ivoire, participation was linked to the country’s efforts to attract investment further downstream in its cotton and textile value chain. Gervais Nagnontcha Coulibaly, Head of Communication, Media and Digital at the Investment Promotion Centre of Côte d'Ivoire (CEPICI), said the delegation was using the event to present the sector to potential investors.

“We came here to promote the cotton and textile sector in Côte d'Ivoire. We already have a primary industry in these sectors, but we are looking for investors to help complete the cotton value chain in the country,” Coulibaly said. “At this fair, we have seen many investors and exhibitors, and realised that people are interested in cotton from West Africa.”

International buyers, meanwhile, highlighted different aspects of the fair, ranging from broad supply chain coverage to the availability of certified suppliers and new product ideas.

For Alisa Teeprinyakul, Managing Director of Thailand-based Somprasongstudio 1989 and a repeat visitor to the event, the breadth of the textile value chain was a particular advantage.

“This is my fourth or fifth time visiting the fair. Compared with other industry exhibitions, Intertextile Apparel covers a more complete industrial chain, from raw materials to cutting-edge textile technologies,” Teeprinyakul said. “It allows us to accurately capture the latest industry directions and future market trends.”

For French fashion retailer Celio, sourcing requirements were more specific. Pik Ki Tsoi, Fabric Development Lead at Celio Sourcing Ltd, was looking particularly for knit, sportswear and outerwear fabrics and noted an improvement in the export readiness of suppliers.

“Our brand covers casual men’s and women’s apparel with a sportswear influence, and at the fair I found relevant knit, sportswear, and outerwear fabrics,” Tsoi said. “More suppliers at the show are now equipped for foreign trade and hold certifications required for the French market, which saves us a great deal of extra effort.”

Australian brand Wanderluxe Sleepwear was also using the fair for direct product development and supplier sourcing. Sherri Kiernikowski, Director of Wanderluxe Sleepwear, said she had already identified new materials and design elements for future products.

“My main objectives at this show are to source new suppliers, and discover innovations and fresh design ideas to drive our product development, while maintaining strong relationships with our existing partners,” Kiernikowski said. “I have already found some new trimmings and print patterns that could support our upcoming products.”

Fringe programme added topical insights for fairgoers

Mirroring the industry-driven themes across the show floor, the fringe programme provided additional context for sourcing decisions, covering trends, sustainability, functional innovation, digital transformation and supply chain development.

At the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum, the focus shifted from conventional trend narratives towards consumers’ emotions and lifestyles. Kai Chow, curator of the forum and Creative Director of MUSEATIVE, explained that this approach also shaped its first collaboration with Notes Shanghai.

“This time, we did something really special to the Trend Forum. Rather than planning the themes around stories and trends, we focused more on emotions and feelings – how people feel, how they live, and what they like to explore,” Chow said. “The first-time collaboration with Notes Shanghai fits perfectly with this season, allowing visitors to experience the overall feeling of the Trend Forum and understand the story we are trying to tell.”

For exhibitors, the seminar programme also provided an opportunity to discuss technical developments beyond their stands. Luka Yuan, Deputy President – Sales & Marketing Dept at Unifi Textiles (Suzhou), used the programme to address the company’s work in recycled polyester.

“Intertextile Apparel is a highly influential industry platform for our company, and its concurrent seminar programme gave us a valuable opportunity to share our corporate philosophy and technical expertise in recycled polyester,” Yuan said. “The fair’s fringe events create an efficient platform for dialogue across the supply chain, helping companies exchange insights and connect with potential partners.”

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition was held from 25 to 27 August 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The fair was co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT, and the China Textile Information Center, and took place alongside Yarn Expo Autumn, CHIC and PH Value.