Garment Sourcing « Jeffreyliving's Blog

Ningxia, China Buying Mission (Cashmere, Wool, and Garments) – Part I

13 09 2010

This post is in regards to the Ningxia, China buying mission that I co-operated with the Shanghai Mart and the government of Ningxia.

The government of Ningxia wanted more of a foreign presence at the tradeshows, opening ceremonies and business match making. I was asked to bring professional fashion industry buyers (non-Chinese) to Ningxia to attend the tradeshow, the government of Ningxia paid the airfares, hotel (5 star), breakfast, lunch and dinners. The date of travel was from September 2^nd – September 6^th, 2010.

The first day we were supposed to depart at 1:00pm but once on the plane, the plane was delayed for an hour, which turned into another hour, then they served us our snack and continued to give us drinks (cola, juice and water) to pass the time. Well after four hours of delays sitting on the plane we finally departed on our three-hour journey to Ningxia. I was later advised the plane was delayed due to the military protecting their aerospace due to conflicts between North Korea and the USA.

Upon arrival into Ningxia a majority of us choose to continue with our original plan and attend the opening ceremony play, we arrived to the play around 9pm and watched the performance til 10:30pm. It was an amazing, mystical and enchanting love story, see below photos:

The power struggle and the art of Love and War

The ladies stirring up the flower pedals

The Love Story (Blood, Sweat, and Tears)

The battle - Falling soldiers

The final passage to heaven (Innocence)

The End (forever happiness)

After the play we returned to the hotel for a great late night (11pm) dinner then we all retired to our individual rooms. Find below a picture of the grand lobby of the hotel:

The Grand Entrance

The next day we were up early for breakfast and a bus trip to the opening ceremony of:

- The 2^nd West China (Yinchuan) Clothing & Accessories Arts Fair

- The 3^rd China Ningxia International Cashmere Expo

Upon our arrival to the fair by bus there were lots of by standers who were curious to the event that stood outside the entry and watched behind the fence. Below is a photo of some of the observers:

Curious Bystanders

We then lined up one by one to file through the security that beeped at everyone who went through. See below photo:

The only entrance into the fair grounds

The other side

The opening ceremony was a delight to see, lots of speeches (English translation) and a big bang to celebrate the opening of the fair. See below photos from the opening ceremony:

The entrance of the delegates (government officials and guests)

The marching band for the guests, delegates, and opening ceremonies

Yinchuan Opening Ceremony

The big bang (fireworks) the delegates and audience steps away

During the speech I decided it would be a great time to capture the audience, find below a few pictures from the observers (audience):

Young ladies watching the opening ceremonies

More young ladies smiling for their photo

The BOSS... this guy looks famous, so I had to take his picture

Young ladies with matching tops posing for their photo

To top it off I noticed a few very stylish people in the crowd, see below fashions of the hipsters of Ningxia:

Big hair and tight acid wash jeans - Rock and Roll will never die

Big hair and candy cane stripe

After about 45 minutes of speeches it was time for the finally and celebration of the opening, see below photos from the big bang:

Let the show begin

Inside the show the energy was roaring, there was a drummer on the stage and then a fashion show, see below photo of the drummer:

Keeping the energy alive

This is where the show ended… unfortunately they forgot about the contents of the show. It appeared as it was:

- A retail show with brands selling products for immediate sale (clearance inventory)

- Wholesale brands showing products and quoting retail prices ($150 USD for a cashmere scarf) and 16,000 – 24,000 RMB ($2359 – $3539 USD) for a tailored suit.

- OEM suppliers but they were limited and hard to locate

I requested business cards, but many exhibitors did not have any. As well I requested volume pricing which lead to delays, phone calls and another person showing up who finally quoted the same price as the retail offered price. Conclusion they had nothing to offer. See below photos from the trade fair:

The aisle, corner stand selling accessories (retail)

Aisle, corner stand selling coats, the next stand selling pants, the one beside that selling jewelry (All retail)

Aisle - selling coats and personal steamers (the crowd)

In the afternoon we were ushered to an area near the stage for a mandatory introductory session where we would be introduced to potential suppliers. This event was called the B-Match event or otherwise by the photo known as the Overseas Buying Trip Party in Ningxia, see below photo of the stage and seating:

B Match Stage

The participants at B Match

Unfortunately only a few suppliers showed up for the introductory B Match session, a few contacts were made and the rest inter-mingled and found out more about each other businesses.

After all this excitement I decided it was time to go to the bathroom and after an opening like that I was shocked to see the bathrooms, it looked like a completely different world. The stench, the artificial turf on the floors, and the cleanliness made it look like a run down 2 or 3 star hotel. I decided only too show you one of the few pictures I took as you really don’t need to see it.

The bathroom - This picture does not do it justice... it is worse

In the end the trade fair looked like a miss mash of exhibitors who did OEM (few), Wholesale (brands) and companies looking to clear inventory (selling retail). There was no organization; even large brands did not have business cards. I was really baffled by the whole trade fair experience as everybody was grouped together into three halls. The organizers and government have great intent, they put on a fabulous opening ceremony, b match, but forget about the guts of the show which is why everyone comes to the fair. In conclusion I hope the organizers of the show put as much effort in the guts as the facade.

If you would like to see more photos from the trip you can check out my Picasa web albums page: http://picasaweb.google.ca/jeffreyliving/NingxiaBuyingTrip#. If you have any comments to share please leave below. If you are involved in the show please ask for HELP.

Happy sourcing from Northwest China…

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Tags: 2nd West China (Yinchuan) Clothing & Accessories Arts Fair, 3rd China Ningxia International Cashmere Expo, Apparel, B Match, Business in China, Buying Mission, China, Garment Sourcing, Hipster Trends, Mainland China, Ningxia, Ningxia Government, Passion, Shanghai Mart, Source the Globe, Sourcing
Categories : Business in China, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

Source the Globe – identity, brand and build

22 08 2010

Choosing the identity and building the brand, part of the processes…

Source the Globe logo, identity and motto

August, 2010 - Home Page

Choosing the Name

Why I choose SourceTheGlobe.com as the name? Because it was easy to remember and was key words that most people around the world would understand. Well looking for names I also registered the following domains:

- SourceTheGlobe.com

- SourceTheGlobe.net

- SourceTheGlobe.org

- SourceTheGlobe.cn

- TheGlobeSource.com

I was also considering other possible business names and registered the following domains:

- Ropario.com

- Garmint.net

- Manutrends.com

I also felt it was important to have names relating to my industry so I registered:

- Cottonsourcing.com

- Denimsourcing.com

- Decorativesourcing.com

- Trimsourcing.com

- Washsourcing.com

- Mexicandenim.com

- Fashionsourcing.net

- Americadenim.net

- Canadadenim.net

- Chinadenim.net

If you are interested in purchasing any of the unused domain names, let me know?

Company Motto

Choosing the company motto, in time we have seen the motto change and I believe this is a part of the company growth and maturity; some mottos were and now are:

- Apparel Manufacturing Supply Chain Intelligence

- Online Apparel B2B Global Marketplace

There is a new motto coming soon with the next phase and product release. Even more focused and market specific.

My ideal goal is to have a social responsible company who adds value, gives back and contributes to everyone’s lives who are involved in fashion. You can see our about us page for more information about our vision, core values, quality product, responsible sourcing, community involvement, and our history: http://www.sourcetheglobe.com/home/about_us

Company location

The next question is where the company should be based? I believe the best place for a global supply chain company is Asia and the strongest center is currently Hong Kong, so on September 18, 2008 I registered Source the Globe Limited in Hong Kong. Strategically this also got me closer to the Mainland China development team and largest supply chain. In September, 2008 I also moved to Shanghai, China.

I Choose Shanghai as 85% of the apparel global supply chain is produced in Asia and China leads on a supply and manufacturing scale. As well most countries speak English but in China less than 5% of the supply chain understands English.

Today the SourceTheGlobe.com website is available in English and Chinese. The goal is to continue to expand the languages so it is easy ad friendly for everyone to speak and talk shop in their own language.

Why Source the Globe?

Initial when I was building the company I thought it would cater to many products and categories hence the name Source the Globe. Then I decided to focus on one category where I have 22 years of expertise and have experienced the pain, difficulties and “disconnect” first hand. Now that I was narrowed done to one category (garment manufacturing) I intended to focus on consulting, trending, and global sourcing in Apparel Manufacturing. After many more months I again narrowed my focus to Apparel B2B Supply Chain Management and Global Sourcing.

Supply Chain Management

For supply chain management – How do you manage hundreds or thousands of fabric swatches and/or samples and suppliers every season?

- Do you use a file cabinet?

- If yes do you purge every season or every year? If yes do you keep essential fabrics and trims? How do you store the product information? Is the product information updated regularly? If yes by whom? What if the employee or position changes?

- Do you use Excel and word documents? Or file in folders? Is this purged on a regular or yearly basis?

- Is what you use designed specifically for apparel manufacturing?

- Is it available in multiple languages? Supplier friendly?

Additional supply chain management concerns and the management of suppliers, samples, and product, it is difficult and time-consuming to manage, hence why SourceTheGlobe.com is developed to help with Supply Chain Management by:

- Product type (Apparel, Fabric, Trim, Decorative, Wash, and Branding)

- By product category

- Product name, content and more

- You can also manage your suppliers by:

Location (country, province, city)
Business type
Specialty
Equipment
Capacity
Operation
Building
Personnel
CSR

April, 2009 - Company and Factory Detail

Global Sourcing

Global Sourcing – We help you locate suppliers by:

- Gender

- Region (Country)

- Product Type (Apparel, Fabric, Trim, Decorative, Wash and Branding)

- Product Category

- Product Market

April, 2009 - Search Detail (Detail, Inquire, Workbook, and View Supplier)

There are plenty more tools such as search (extensive possibilities), supplier affiliations, communication, connect, invite, testimonials, feedback, workbook and more.

Now in 2010 we offer off-line consulting, sourcing, procurement, management and online resources for supply chain management and global sourcing throughout the website. If you need more info on SourceTheGlobe.com please let us know?

We are looking for grandfather clients (users who want the system designed for their needs). Let me know if you want a system designed and made for your wants and needs!

Designing the company logo and GUI (Graphics User Interface)

I then utilized two designers to help with the GUI and brand; both designers were based in Shanghai, China. I had an Italian designer/art director work on the corporate GUI and another local designer with international clientele work on the brand identity.

At the time I believe my GUI worked for my needs by high lightening Buyers, Suppliers, Associations and Marts. Also I like the search engine by-product type and pull down. But now I believe it needs a complete overhaul to better communicate the simple functions and educate users about the website possibilities.

The next step was to find a designer and start on the corporate identity which was created with someone who shared my visions. The “S” logo was intended to apply to western and eastern beliefs and has the following elements:

The "S" Logo - all about synergie and flow

- Ying and Yang

- Masculine and Feminine

- Supplier and Buyer

- Association and Member

- Mart and Tenant

- Retailer and Consumer
As I find that it takes a perfect two to tango. As well if you continue the circle you will make an 8 which is considered to be a lucky number in Asia.

Design and Web Development

Now the name was confirmed the next question was how to get the site designed and developed. In 2006 I started looking for development partners in Canada and created a small site which barely represented the ultimate vision but it worked. I was told not to take it to market by a highly respected PR person in the USA as it would only provide trade insights and allow users to copy it. In 2007 I looked for others in North America to work with me on the site development but it was a challenge as I was under financed. So I attempted to look for web developers who were willing to work with equity. I found most were willing to work for 50% equity and 50% cash but that still meant I would need $200K in cash for development.

So in the spring of 2008 I decided to outsource. In March, 2008 I came to Mainland China on technology trade mission, 50% of expenses were paid by me and 50% by the government. We visited Jinan and Chongqing, China. In Chongqing I meet with an individual (Kane Lee) who I immediately connected with. Below is a photo from the Welcome reception in Chongqing.

Welcome reception - Chongqing, China

In the spring of 2008 I sent out RFP (request for pitch) for the websites to two companies and that April I choose Kane’s team in Chongqing to start on the site development.

Some of the development team, celebration cheers (Gambi) and dinner in Chongqing, China. Notice the time stamp on the photo 4:51am PST which is 7:51pm in China

Our first steps were to allocate a project manager (Zhang Le) and chief representative (Me) and approve the I.A. (information architecture) and for me to hand over the wire frames for each page. The wire frames were the page requirements (what and why, needs, wants and desires).

Back in Vancouver I recruited a Chinese born Canadian resident (James Yang) who would oversee the project in Chongqing. We agreed on his responsibilities and remuneration.

The next step was to initiate the project. In May, 2008 I flew to Chongqing to discuss the project scope, time-lines, deadlines, and human resources (who would work on the project). That month we started on the development of the SourceTheGlobe.com website.

In August, 2008 we launched the site but quickly discovered it didn’t work and was not scale able. So within 2 weeks the first Java site was off-line again and back in development. On review of the website requirements and needs James Yang believed that the site was still salvageable but the Chongqing team and I disagreed. James was fired and I replaced James for overseeing the development of the project.

At this stage based on previous experience of the development team we decided to build the platform in Ruby on Rails and set new timetables. The new target for the site release was December, 2008, but was quickly bumped to January, then February which quickly became problematic. I set a final deadline for March, 2009 and the Ruby beta site was finally launched.

By the time we completed the first phases of the site there would be a total of 6 developers working on the project for over 7 man years. I flew to Chongqing over 10 times during the development and implementation, and stayed at the Intercontinental Chongqing for approximately 45 days during the 10 months of building the site. After launching the site that March we continued to test, re-bug and look at improvements to the system.

I kept a log of bugs and site problems which I gave to the project manager on a weekly basis, resolution was given a priority and I was kept abreast of changes and implementations.

Today there are many new functions that are required on the site to keep up with industry demands, changes and business maturity. I am looking for partners who share the vision, passion and who would like to participate in a success filled future.

This month, August, 2010 there are buyers from twenty (2o) countries and suppliers from Fifteen (15) countries on the website. There are over 2600 registered users and the objective is to grow that too ten’s thousands, then hundreds and millions so that everyone involved in manufacturing and purchasing of apparel finds a benefit from the site.

So this is the story behind the company and brand… if you have any comments please leave below, if you are interested in SourceTheGlobe.com please send me a direct message. I can be reached by email at Jeffrey@SouceTheGlobe.com.

Thanks, best wishes, and many successes… Jeffrey

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Tags: Apparel, brand, brand building, build, Business, Business in China, Chongqing, Designing company logo, Factory Detail, Garment Sourcing, Global Sourcing, Global Sourcing Apparel, Graphics User Interface, Hong Kong, identity, identity design, Internet, James Yang, Jeffrey Clark, Kane Lee, Mainland China, management of suppliers, Masculine and Feminine, Product category, Product Types, Rails development, Ruby on Rails, Shanghai, Source the Globe, Source the Globe Limited, SourceTheGlobe.com, Sourcing, Supply Chain Management, web development, Ying and Yang, Zhang Le
Categories : Business, Business in China, Fashion, Garment Sourcing, Source the Globe, Work

China (Shanghai) International Textiles, Fabrics & Accessories Exhibition

23 06 2010

I am writing about the China (Shanghai) International Textiles, Fabrics & Accessories Exhibition I attended on June 9^th, the show ran from June 8^th – 10^th. The trade show was held at one of the halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. There were four other trade shows held at the same time at this location and they were: China Shanghai International Fashion Production (OEM) Exhibition 2010 put on by the same organizer, 4^th International Exhibition for Logistics, Telematics and Transport, Aluminum China 2010, and 104^th China Stationary Fair. Transportation was provided from Longyang Road subway station to the Expo centre, see below photo of transportation:

Transportation to the show from the Longyang subway station

Inside the expo centre there were four areas for registration and four entrances to attend each individual trade show. See below photos of registration and entrance:

Fashion registration

Trade show entrance, pick your show

Inside the Textiles, Fabrics & Accessories hall some aisles were busy and others were not, see below photos from the trade show floor:

Main Aisle, one hall to the next

The first aisle at entrance, front to back

The last aisle, front to back

Below are some photos of discoveries in the Textiles, Fabrics & Accessories hall:

Sustainable - recycled PET (Polyester)

Sustainable - Cocotex, environmental and health benefits

Double faced, loose weave

Flannel with Metallic stitch

Crinkle Indigo

Melange Jersey

Baby Phat - Patch embroidery in chenille

3D Embroidery

3D Embroidery, no fill

3D Heat Transfer

Inside the Fashion Production hall there were less people but it was still busy, see below photo from the trade show floor:

Aisle near entrance, front to back

Below are some photos of discoveries in the Fashion Production hall:

Lamb Leather

Polyurethane (PU), fake leather, leatherette

Suiting (value)

Knit fashion top

Woven fashion skirt

Fashion fleece

In China, Guanxi (relationship) building is very important and it is also important to understand the customs and culture of the country see below photo of card presentation:

Two handed card display with bow

It was disappointing to see a handful of booths that were vacant, see below photos of exhibitors who did not show up:

No show exhibitor

Like all the smaller shows there are a lot of challenges and it is easy to be disappointed, you need to be a good miner and look for the gems as there are great suppliers to be discovered. There were no areas for fashion trends, news, and/or seminars.

All in all, I took a few hundred photos and gathered information on products for clients, these items will be stored for access on SourceTheGlobe.com in the near future. If you see anything you like or need help with sourcing, developments, procurement, and management please let me know. It is much easier to utilize someone who knows the right suppliers than attempting to train and educate the suppliers that you already have.

My conclusion is it’s another textile and fashion trade fair in China that is held in Shanghai; a few of the suppliers that exhibit in this show do the circuit and exhibit in multiple shows. The show was lacking excitement and energy. It needs something special to give it some staying power.

Happy Sourcing…

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Tags: 3D Embroidery, 3D Heat Transfer, Accesories Exhibition, Apparel, Business in China, China, China (Shanghai) International Textiles, Cocotex, Double Faced Fabrics, Fabrics, Fashion, Fashion Fleece Manufacturer, Fashion Production Exhibition, Fashion trade fair, Flannel with metal, Garment Sourcing, Guanxi, Indigo, Knit Fashion Top, Lamb Leather Jacket Manufacturer, Mainland China, Melange Jersey, No Show Exhibitor, Patch chenille, PU Jacket Manufacturer, Recycled PET, Shanghai, Source the Globe, Sourcing, Suiting Manufacturer, Woven Fashion skirt manufacturer
Categories : Business in China, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

7th Shanghai Textile & Apparel Trade Fair

16 06 2010

I am writing about a show that I attended called the 7^th Shanghai Textile & Apparel Trade Fair from May 19 – 21^st 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 19^th, 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

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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Tags: Apparel, Business in China, China, Garment Sourcing, J Mode, J-Mode 2010, Japan Brands, Mainland China, Mode Shanghai 2010, OEM Suppliers, Shanghai Textile & Apparel Fair, Source the Globe, Sourcing, The Thing, The Thing China, UMM, Underground Music Movement
Categories : Business in China, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

China Keqiao Textile Expo

7 06 2010

I am writing about the China Keqiao International Textile, Fabrics, & Accessories Expo that ran from May 5 – 8^th, 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 6^th and attended the show on the 7^th, 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 7^th. 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 5^th through May 7^th 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 7^th 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.

Comments : 19 Comments »
Tags: Apparel, Business in China, China, China Keqiao, Fashion, Garment Sourcing, Keqiao, Mainland China, Shanghai Gehua Exhibition, Shaoxing, Source the Globe, Sourcing, Textile City
Categories : Business, Business in China, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

Warp Knitting Expo

2 06 2010

I am writing to report on a tradeshow I was invited to attend from May 21^st through May 23^rd which is called the 2010 Chinese – Maqiao Warp Knitting Expo which was held during the Chinese Warp Knitting Week (May 18^th – May 23^rd) 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 21^st.

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

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 22^nd 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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Tags: 2010 Chinese – Maqiao Warp Knitting Expo, Apparel, Athletic Fabrics, Business in China, China, Chinese Warp Knitting Week, Dazzles, Fabric Sourcing, Fashion, Fashion Show, Fashion Show Warp Knitting, Garment Sourcing, Haining, Jerseys, Lace, Mainland China, Mesh, Passion, Source the Globe, Sourcing, Warp Knitting Expo, Warp Knitting Suppliers
Categories : Business, Fashion, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

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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Tags: Apparel, Brand Fashion, Business, Canton Fair, Changing Fashions, CHIC Fair, China, Dalian, Garment Sourcing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong Fashion Week, Keqiao, Keqiao Fair, Mainland China, Ningbo, OEM Fashion, Shanghai, Shanghai Fair, Source the Globe, Sourcing, Spin Expo, Suzhou
Categories : Business in China, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

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

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

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 - 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

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 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

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

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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Tags: Apparel, China, design, Fashion, Fashion Design, Fashion Trends, Garment Sourcing, Giovanni Cavagna, LIU Hing Choi, Mainland China, Passion, Shanghai, Sophie Steller, Sourcing, Spin Expo, Trends, Wong Man Sin, Yiu Wan Yan
Categories : Fashion, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

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 18^th, 19^th and 20^th.

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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Tags: Apparel, China, Fashion, Fashion Accessories, Garment Sourcing, HKTDC, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Fashion Week, OEM, Sourcing, WGSN
Categories : Fashion, Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows

Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows and more

28 02 2010

Last year (2009) I attended 18 and exhibited in 3 fashion related (OEM, sourcing, and brand) tradeshows. Since I am based in Mainland China I visited most tradeshows in China including but not limited to:

- Shanghai International Clothing and Textile Expo

- Shanghai Textile and Apparel Trade Fair

- International Sourcing Fair (Shanghai, China)

- Functional Fabrics High Performance Exhibition

- ITMA Asia + CITME

- Premiere Vision Shanghai

- Korea Textile & Apparel Show (preview in Shanghai)

- China International Textile & Apparel Trade Fair

- Shanghai Mode Lingerie

- Hong Kong Mode Lingerie

- Hong Kong Fashion Week

- Canton fair

- CHIC Beijing

- Intertextile Beijing

- Intertextile Shanghai

- Ningbo International Textile Fabrics, Accessories & Yarns and Garment Manufacturers Fair

- China (Suzhou) International Clothing & Accessories OEM processing Exhibition

- China (Dalian) International Garment & Textile Fair

- China Keqiao International Textiles, Fabrics & Accessories Exhibition

In North America I attended Sourcing at Magic, Magic, WWD Magic, Project, and Pool tradeshow in Las Vegas. In addition to the fashion tradeshows I also attended a few non fashion related tradeshows like China International Gold, Jewelry & Gem Fair, China Joy, Music China and Auto Shanghai.

In addition to attending tradeshows I also visited fashion, manufacturing marts, attended conferences, meet with federal and provincial government related officials. Toured factories, manufacturers, and suppliers for the apparel sourcing supply chain.

My objective in doing all this was to build my knowledge and resources and add to the 10,000 plus contacts I already have in the apparel manufacturing supply chain. I have documented and recorded some of the findings on www.sourcetheglobe.com, as well suppliers have created their own profiles on the site.

My passion is to share my knowledge, intelligence and spirit with everyone in the Apparel Manufacturing Industry by bridging the gap and hopefully simplifying the Apparel sourcing process.

Let me know if you are interested in attending any of the above tradeshows as I may know the right contacts to assist with your hotel accommodation, food or travel needs at sometimes no cost to you. In the near future I am also planning to take serious buyers to key provinces, regions, and cities to visit with key suppliers in the apparel manufacturing supply chain.

I am available to assist with your garment supply chain sourcing needs and I can be reached by various methods:

Email: Jeffrey@sourcetheglobe.com

Linkedin: http://cn.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyrclark

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Fashionsourcing

Blog: http://jeffreyliving.wordpress.com/

Cheers and happy sourcing…

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Categories : Garment Sourcing

Jeffreyliving's Blog

Ningxia, China Buying Mission (Cashmere, Wool, and Garments) – Part I

Source the Globe – identity, brand and build

China (Shanghai) International Textiles, Fabrics & Accessories Exhibition

7th Shanghai Textile & Apparel Trade Fair

China Keqiao Textile Expo

Warp Knitting Expo

Changing Fashions

Spin Expo – March, 2010

Hong Kong Fashion Week – January, 2010

Garment Sourcing, Tradeshows and more

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