7th Shanghai Textile & Apparel Trade Fair

16 06 2010

I am writing about a show that I attended called the 7th Shanghai Textile & Apparel Trade Fair from May 19 – 21st at the Shanghai Mart.  The organizers of the show offered foreign attendees up to $1500 USD towards accommodation and travel expenses for attending this show.  The show was held over three floors with an additional floor for fashion shows.  I attended the show on May 19th, below is a photo from the registration area:

Registration Area

I was advised the ground floor was for OEM but after a complete walk through I only saw a handful of OEM suppliers.  The ground floor looked like a Chinese branded show with the option for OEM.  But the focus was on the Brands that the manufacturers (wholesalers, designers) were showing.   I have noticed more shows are now organizing the show by region (country, province, and/or city) which is helpful to highlight the strength and size of the region but does not help when looking for a particular type of product.  Find below a few pictures from the aisle ways on the ground floor:

Ground Floor "Wuxi"

Ground Floor "Hangzhou"

The second floor was divided between fabrics and accessories and a Japan section called J-Mode 2010, highlighting the strengths of brands from Japan.  In the fabrics and accessories section I meet a handful of new suppliers and recorded my discoveries that will be featured on SourceTheGlobe.com and reported directly to clients.  The J-Mode section had lots of traffic and style.  See below photos from J-Mode 2010:

J-Mode 2010 Entrance

J-Mode 2010 aisle way

The third floor was a brand show called Mode Shanghai 2010 that featured brands domestic and international brands looking to create a presence in China.  There was lots of activity on this floor and it stood out from the rest of the show.

Mode Shanghai 2010 aisle way

Mode Shanghai 2010 aisle way

In the hallway near the escalators there a brand called “The Thing” was set up and they were screen printing logos onto pieces of paper.   As well they had an artist on hand that was hand drawing images of people directly on to recycled bags that were given to existing and new clients.   See below photos of “The Thing” promo area:

The Thing Promo Area

The Thing - Artist at work

There was a free lunch which was put on the China International Silk and Women’s Wear Fair 2010, below is a photo from the models and stage:

Lunch Fashion Show

That evening I attended a fashion how put on by an Italian brand called UMM (Underground Music Movement), www.ummclothing.it which was held at Bar Rouge in the Bund.  The stage was outdoors and the back drop was the Shanghai Pudong Skyline.  The owner expressed he was looking to establish a presence in China as he has distribution set up around the world.  Thanks to Gennaro and Vincenzo for a great evening and show.

To conclude this show had very interesting facets like the B-Match area on the ground floor which connected buyers to suppliers in two-hour sections.  But I did not find the OEM on the ground floor catered to actual factories but companies that created their own brands that offered their brands as well as OEM.  The 2nd floor fabrics and accessories area was very small and most likely only catered to local clientele attending the featured Mode Shanghai and J-Mode 2010 branded shows which were the highlight from this trade fair.  If you are looking to enter the Chinese marketplace or looking for a Chinese brand this would be a great show for you to attend or exhibit in.  If you have any comments or questions, please leave below or send an email directly to me at Jeffrey@SourceTheGlobe.com.  Cheers, happy and successful selling…


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China Keqiao Textile Expo

7 06 2010

I am writing about the China Keqiao International Textile, Fabrics, & Accessories Expo that ran from May 5 – 8th, 2010 in Keqiao, China which is located in Shaoxing, China which is known as the Textile City of China.  I arrived into Shaoxing via train from Shanghai on May 6th and attended the show on the 7th, when I got there I had to negotiate with a taxi to take me to Keqiao.  It was total Chaos and it was difficult to find a taxi to take me to Keqiao, finally one taxi had two other passengers going that way, so we agreed that I would pay him 50 RMB to take me to my hotel in Keqiao.

The organizer (Shanghai Gehua Exhibition) of the show and the Shaoxing Government provided a free 3 star hotel and transportation back to Shanghai on the 7th.  The hotel did not have A/C and it was warm so I slept with my window open the whole night as a cool breeze was refreshing.  But the mosquitoes were an issue so I decided it would be best to sleep with the window open but the blinds drawn.  Below is a picture of the driveway to the hotel:

New World Hotel - Keqiao, China Entrance Driveway

This was my fourth time at this show; previously I attended this show two times and exhibited another two times.  The organizer and government offer free transportation from Shanghai and hotel (4 star) to the show from May 5th through May 7th for all foreigners.  All foreigners means anyone holding a foreign passport who wants to attend.  I find that 95% of the foreigners they brought from Shanghai are just there for the experience and not industry professionals.   I also noticed that the hotel option was also downgraded as my current hotel was now a Chinese 3 star hotel.

On the 7th I was told to be downstairs at 8:30am for a bus ride to the expo from the hotel.  At 8:30am there was a handful of people on the bus, at 8:40am I was told the bus departure would be delayed til 9:30am.  At this point I decided it would be best to take a taxi to the show, so off to the busy rush hour to flag a taxi.  I finally arrived to the show at 9:00am, see below photos from the entrance:

Gala Entrance with balloons all over

Main building entrance

The entrance to registration area was busy with lots of people vying for the free promotional information, see below photo:

Promotional Counter - Everyone wants what is free

When I got to the front the show it was still not open and well I was standing around I noticed a group of students, so I asked that what they were doing at the show.  They expressed they were university students from Shaoxing visiting the show for interest.  They all wanted a picture with the foreigner, see below photo:

University students at the Expo

When the doors finally opened I noticed that some of the exhibitors still had not opened their booth right near the entrance, see below photo:

Early morning, booths not open

Inside the actual tradeshow it seemed smaller than previous shows; the quality of exhibitors has diminished.  I was told it was a challenge to find the exhibitors and that most who come to this show want lower priced suppliers.  I disagree as at the previous show I found a handful of great fashion and premium suppliers.  Beside the main hall of the show they had heavy industrial suppliers of equipment set up, see below photos:

Industrial Fabric Knitting Machinery

Industrial Knit Machinery

Inside the show they had a trending area in the middle of the hall, see below photos:

Trending Area

Fabrics China Creation Competition

Robotic Trends

Fabric Trends

A few booths had models to show off their fashions, see below photos:

Model showing off their new fashions

Model mannequins

At 1:30pm I needed to leave the show to catch a taxi back to the hotel where I could catch the bus back to Shanghai.  Upon leaving the main hall below is a photo of what I saw as I exited the show:

Expo Service Counter

Back in front of the hotel it seemed like the fashion industry was in full swing as trucks and workers kept on moving fabrics down the streets and into shops, see below photos:

Bulk Fabric Shops

Truck transportation

Human Transportation, how far did this guy travel?

Non-stop busyness

In closing I find the show is challenged with its identity and purpose.  It will need a complete over hall and re-branding to attract the right buyers, exhibitors and media attention.  The region of Zhejiang, Shaoxing and Keqiao is strong in the apparel industry and the show must demonstrate more of their strength to show that it has staying power and can compete and compliment against the larger Tier 1 and 2 cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing.

If you have any comments or feedback please leave below, thanks and happy textile sourcing.


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Warp Knitting Expo

2 06 2010

I am writing to report on a tradeshow I was invited to attend from May 21st through May 23rd which is called the 2010 Chinese – Maqiao Warp Knitting Expo which was held during the Chinese Warp Knitting Week (May 18th – May 23rd) in Haining, China.  It was a busy month and I didn’t think I would be able to attend but I found an evening and a day to attend and was there for the opening ceremony on May 21st.

The day before the show I called my friend in the government to ask her about attending the tradeshow and she advised she would look after me and my assistant during my visit to Haining.   So early Thursday evening I took a train from one city to another to make the event and was welcomed by a driver and four star hotel compliments of the government and expo promotion council.   The next day I wanted to be at the show early so I had the driver take us there at 8:30am.  When I arrived there were not many people there and the exhibitors were preparing for the opening, so I took some pictures of the venue, see below:

Street View, Warp Knitting Week, Warp Knitting Mart and Tower in the background

The gated entrance with the tents in the background

The schedule for the week - "Chinese only"

Tradeshow Tents

The registration area outside the tents at 8:45am

Shortly before 9:00am the government officials, organizers and delegates arrived below is a picture of the excitement with video and camera crews:

Government, Organizers and Delegates arrive otherwise known as "GOD"

The opening ceremony started at 9:00am, it was a beautiful day and the sun was shining.  Below are pictures with government officials and organizers giving speeches, wishes, and preparing for the inaugural ribbon cutting.   The great thing about the show is they took into consideration there foreign guests and all speeches were in Chinese and English.

Government, Organizers, Delegates (GOD)

The audience (Ms. Yu and I)

Ribbon Cutting and celebration of the opening of the Warp Knitting Expo

The show took place in two places, one was the outside tents were the registration and ribbon cutting was and the other was inside the China Warp Knitting Mart.   Below is a photo from inside the tent right after the opening ceremony.   The isle ways were busy.

Tradeshow isle after opening

I spent the morning visiting all the relevant suppliers in the tents.  It was good to discover new warp knitting suppliers offering jerseys, dazzles, mesh, lace, gingham cloth, waffle cloth, bleach cloth, mop thread and other sport/athletic fabrics.  As well there were some suppliers offering non warp knitted products such as jersey twill, jerseys and denim.  I ended up taking 280 product shots that will be featured on SourceTheGlobe.com in the near future.   I will also report my discoveries to specific clients; if you would like to be included on this list let me know?

At 11:00am I was advised it was time to go for lunch and we should meet back at the front near registration.  When I got there at 11:15am I was told to wait, so that’s what I did.  I noticed a lot of Yellow shirts (employees) standing around and only a few people at the registration area, see below photo:

Registration area at 11:10am

Finally we were taken by a Van with other foreign and local guests to the local restaurant which is owned by the Haining government.   When I arrived speeches were talking place at the restaurant.  See the picture below from inside the restaurant.

Speeches and Lunch

By 12:30pm we were finished lunch and I was heading back to the show on a bus as I was eager to visit the China Warp Knitting Mart.  When I got back to the show it appeared as everyone had left and there were only a few visitors in the Mart and at the show below is a picture from inside the mart and inside the tents:

China Warp Knitting Mart, 1:00pm

Tradeshow tents, 1:30pm

Back inside the Mart at the entrance they had a fashion show that featured warp knitted fashions that took place at 2:00pm, there was a handful of attendees/exhibitors that watched, see photos below:

Fashion Show - Warp Knitted Fashions

Fashion Show - Warp Knitted Fashions

Fashion Show - Warp Knitted Fashions

Fashion Show - Warp Knitted Fashions

Fashion Show - Warp Knitted Fashions

After the fashion show I spent another hour at the tradeshow in the mart and tent then hurried to the train station to see what was available for a seat to Shanghai, when I go there the line was out the door (30 minute wait) of the railway station, see below photo:

The 30 minute line up to purchase Train Tickets, Haining, China

When I finally go to the front of the line I found out that there were no more seats left on the fast train to Shanghai but I could have a standing space on a one hour journey which I gladly accepted.  Below is a photo of standing room only during the journey:

Fast Train Standing Room Only - Haining to Shanghai

The next day I spoke with an exhibitor inside the tent about the attendance on day two of the Expo and she advised there were not many people, she advised that the show ended early.   But she was ecstatic to see her favorite singer (Coco) on the evening of 22nd but advised the weather was not nice as it was cold and rainy.  She advised that there were about 5,000 people who turned up to see the show even with the bad weather.  See below a picture I took of the stage area for the concert which was located behind the mart and tower:

Concert Area

To conclude warp knitting is something every sport/athletic team will utilize and a few fashion and lingerie brands may also apply to their designs.  In addition warp fabrics/fibers are used in awnings, cloths and mops.  A show like this has many hurdles and challenges as warp knitting is very market specific and most warp knitting fabrics are staple products that do not change often.   If this is your business I believe it is a good show for you to visit and say hello to your existing and possible new suppliers as well as it’s a great opportunity to meet relevant government officials.  If you plan on attending let me know and I can try to guide or go with you.  If you can’t visit and have a specific question and/or want, and need please send me an email.

If you would like to share any comments or stories please leave a comment.   Thanks and happy warp knitting sourcing…


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Changing Fashions

10 05 2010

I am writing this post about an article I wrote about Changing Fashions that was published in Chaina Magazine this month, http://www.supplychains.com/chainamag/, the article is on page 14 and 15 here is the online magazine link, http://en.calameo.com/read/000184943281bc583b8bb.  You can view the PDF by clicking this link: Column-Jeffrey

The article reviews the changing show floors from 2008 til now at trade fairs in the Apparel industry.


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Spin Expo – March, 2010

15 03 2010

I would like to share with you one of the greatest shows that I attended since moving to Asia 18 months ago…

The show is called the Spin Expo, it was the 15th expo to be held in Shanghai, the Spin Expo ran from March 9th through the 11th. I have never attended this show in the past and was on the fence about going especially since the only day I could attend was the first day and it was starting to snow in Shanghai and was obviously cold outside. When I finally arrived at 10:00am I was ushered into a line that didn’t seem to have an end, below is a picture from the registration and entrance which was outside (yes, where it was snowing):

Spin Expo - Registration/Entrance

Once I got done filling out the registration and had someone review my application I was allowed to get into the line which went around the corner, the next picture shows the view of the line outside once I turned the corner:

Spin Expo - Entrance

This is when I started question this show and asking myself if this looks like a waste of time… I was the only foreigner in line… As I got closer to the front I started looking for other lines and then noticed that there was one shorter line for pre-registered attendees, but then even the pre-registered guests were slow to be processed as they had luggage and couldn’t find their business cards. I couldn’t help but document this insane line outside where it was damn cold and snowing lightly:

Spin Expo - Registration

I finally got through the line after waiting for 20 minutes.  I decided to take one more picture of the line and the registration area.   There is a portion that goes around the corner to the left were you are first required to fill out a form for registration, see first photo.

Spin Expo - Registration

Upon entering it was a totally different scene from outside, there was a long row of organized fabric swatches with inspirational trends from the show, see below for photos.  This was a refreshing change.

Spin Expo - Fabric Trends

Spin Expo - Fabric Trends

On my walk though the fabric trend area I noticed a few stalls that said Police and Custom restroom, which seemed a little out-of-place and not in use besides the attendees organizing their papers and having a rest:

The restrooms

Once I was finished downstairs I took the one way escalator to the next level (2nd Floor), this is  when the awe started… it was a designers dream, inspirations were everywhere. Fabrics were hanging with tags that profiled the spinner, stall number, and yarn of the maker. Below is design application of knitted fabric with the light shinning through:

Spin Expo - Inspirations

There were a few models near the entrance showing off the fashions and fabrics from Santoni and other designers profiled at the show, see below photos of the models:

Spin Expo - Models

Spin Expo - Models

Looking beyond the models, I was back in the discovery of the fabrics, there were plenty more areas that previewed fabric swatches and combination’s of fabrics from exhibitors at the show.  The 2nd floor was allocated to the designers and trends for the S011 season.  After the show I discovered the organizers of the Spin Expo divided the Trend areas into 7 zones called: White Light, Porcelain White, Ethnic White, Neon White, Active Wear, Looking to the future, and Healthy Beginnings.

Spin Expo - Fabric Trends

Spin Expo - Fabric Trends

Spin Expo - The Green family

In addition to all the fabrics there were great Blue inspirations (Porcelain White & Neon White) that could be utilized by all denim brands that live the Blue life or designers, merchandisers, developers and consumers who want Blue… imagine the endless possibilities.

Blue - help is here

Blue - color trends, mixing and matching fabrics

Blue - heathered Blues

Blues - melange heathered Blues

Blue - textured with waffle or honeycomb inspirations

Blue - textured and printed bliss with a blur

Blue - chemically processed

Blue - transitions with attention to dye and stitching

Blue - Slub with tie dye

Blue - Tie Dye over the top of Jacquard...

In addition to the above inspirational fabrics there were also inspirational samples that were designed by Sophie Steller, see below photos:

Blue - traditional with a little hippie - Tie Dyed Argyle

Blue - Grandpa or College with texture

Blue - Traditional Nautical, with a deep V

There were also inspiring fashion pieces (Looking to the Future and White Light) that you would see on the runways of Milan, Paris, London, or New York, see below for style inspirations:

Fashion - style inspirations

Fashion - style inspiration

Fashion - style inspiration

Fashion - style inspirations, designed by Sophie Steller

Fashion - style inspirations

Fashion - style inspirations, designed by LIU Hing Choi, WONG Man Sin and YIU Wan Yan

With the growth of the streetwear and athletic segment it was every so important to see this great athletic (Active Wear) street inspired collection, find below the story boards, designed by Giovanni Cavagna:

Athletic - Yoga Inspirations

Athletic - Dance Inspirations

Athletic - Tennis Inspirations

To go with the story boards there were inspirational samples highlighting even more creativity… I could think of handful of brands that could use this kind of talent and inspiration. If you are one of the those brands let me know and I will work with you on the procurement.

Athletic - Style Inspiration

Athletic - Style Inspiration

Athletic - Style Inspiration

Athletic - Style Inspiration

Athletic - Style Inspiration

Athletic - Style Inspiration

Athletic - Style Inspiration

Athletic - Style Inspiration

As a final post to the blog, I would like to start with were we all started in life as a new-born baby… This one focused on Organic and sustainable fabrics (Healthy Beginnings) that cater to a new born… The execution was done too a tee, I enjoyed this experience thoroughly and hope you do too…   The fabrics highlighted in the Healthy beginnings trend are Cotton, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo, Soya, Milk Protein, Wool, Cashmere, and fine animal hair fibers.

Why Organic?

Skin exposure 24/7, 7 days a week

Wool benefits

Wool reduces risk

Wool and Cotton, natural fibers

Organic - The new born inspiration

Inside the inspiration theme area I took some great pictures of items that highlighted the style and benefits for Organics and new borns. This is how we all started in our natural state, it’s all the chemicals that make us what we are today… imagine a world without?

Organics - Style Inspirations

Organics - Style Inspirations

All the above was only the inspirations on the second floor, as well their were designers from around the globe who offered there outsourced services, up on the top-level (3rd Floor) were the yarn suppliers and garment makers for all inspirations on the second floor and beyond, below are a few photos from the show floor:

The show - domestic and international exhibitors

The show - Quality product with room to view

All contact information or original files or additional files that are not posted I have available for paid members of SourceTheGlobe.com. The designers and suppliers are also interested in hearing from you, I can forward information as needed, as well suppliers can be found at www.sourcetheglobe.com. You can also view the url for the Spin Expo at: www.spinexpo.com .  I am also based in China and can attend shows, meet with suppliers, source your products, negotiate the best pricing, deliveries, and look after your production as you need. Let me know your needs and I will deliver above and beyond.

In conclusion the Spin Expo is a show to attendee for all knitwear Knit buyers to attend. If you are a designer, merchandiser, sourcing professional or buyer you should be attending this event.   As everything there is always gems to be found its just depends on how open your eyes and mind are… be positive, stay focused and have fun :) Cheers and happy sourcing


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Hong Kong Fashion Week – January, 2010

15 03 2010

I am writing to report on the HKTDC Fashion week this past January 18-21, 2010 in Hong Kong.  I attended the show from on the 18th, 19th and 20th.

Fashion Week in Hong Kong, is one of the largest apparel shows in Asia at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center…  You need to plan your day in advance and choose your areas and halls as there is plenty to see…  Also there are a few elevators that can take you to the top or you can get on the non-stop escalator that runs from the ground to the 5th floor.

One thing that still sticks with me today is how on earth can one person cover this show?  It seems as I was always making new discoveries.  Way too many halls, I think there is an average of 3 halls to a floor times five floors that’s fifteen halls… I decided it would be best to focus on OEM and Fashion Accessories.

On the main floors were the brands were I noticed that it was busy, but on the top two floors where the OEM was there was less traffic… On the fifth floor there were brands in one hall and OEM in the other two halls.   Below is a picture of the registration area on the first day from the fifth floor.

5th Floor Registration

Not so many people at the 5th floor registration… also the OEM halls were not so busy, below is a picture of the isle from the 5th floor on the first day at 3:30pm:

Tradeshow Floor - 5th Floor

I was curious about the traffic and decided it would be beneficial to check out the OEM suppliers on the 3rd floor as well, below is a picture from the third floor at 4:00pm on the first day:

Tradeshow Floor - 3rd Floor

The halls looked deserted, I talked to some of the vendors and they agreed.  I think the challenge is the growth is in brands from Asia seeking international exposure, looking to expand their business into foreign markets… I have noticed this transition and focus at most shows over the past few years.

On the way out of the venue, I was inspired by the metal rivets on the street which marked the start of the stairs… i like the order and consistancy:

Inspiration - metal rivets

On the second day I attended the WGSN Spring/Summer 2011 presentation which was well worth the visit… the speaker was Juliet Warkentin who is the Content Editor at WGSN.  The room was over capacity and I counted atleast 500 attendees…  Juliet gave a great presentation about the benefits of WGSN and the coming trends for the S11 season.  Below is a photo from the presentation before the start:

WGSN Trend Presentation

Photos were not allowed during the presentation so this is the only photo I took.

As mentioned the show itself is large and that’s probably the greatest benefit… but I found the size overwhelming and the actual quality not up to par…  way too many halls and vendors and everyone’s booth looked the same.  The show was missing the highlight vendors in each hall or area…  a theme or something for excitement, something to amuse the attendees and exhibitors.  This was my third time attending this show and I hope that I can see some changes in the near future.

A benefit of the show is that HKTDC offers new foreign attendees a voucher for a discount at pre-selected and booked hotels prior to the show… 1000 HKD the first day, 400 HKD the second day, and 400 HKD the third day, up to a total of 1800 HKD.  Also I was priveldged and I was invited into the Dragon VIP area which offered me a place to sit, have a beverage, snack, use the internet and print documents as needed.

If you have any additional questions please leave a comment or shoot me an email at jeffrey@sourcetheglobe.com.  Happy Sourcing :)


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