Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

The Indian apparel industry is gearing up for a showcase of trends, innovation, and business opportunities at the highly anticipated 79th National Garment Fair (NGF 2024) by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI). The event is scheduled to take place from July 23-26, 2024, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre and the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.

“National Garment Fair attracts national level manufacturers, distributors, retailers, industry professionals, promoting B2B sourcing relationships and offers access to new business opportunities that help drive growth. The four-day extravagant trade show is anticipated to attract over 30,000 trade buyers from all over India. To facilitate this large quantum of trade visitors and ensuring a productive experience for all stakeholders involved, we have bifurcated the total exhibition space of 1 million square feet across two largest venues of Mumbai—men’s wear and women’s wear at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, and kid’s wear at Jio World Convention Centre in BKC thus showcasing latest collections of over 1,300 apparel brands for trade bookings,” said Rohit Munjal, vice president and chairman of the fair committee, CMAI.

"As we gather to showcase cutting-edge apparel trends and foster business collaborations at the NGF, we are also embracing the future with a focus on sustainability and novelty. NGF symbolises our collective vision for an industry that is not only fashionable and dynamic but also responsible and forward-thinking. It's a platform where tradition meets modernity, and where the seeds of a sustainable future are sown," said Rahul Mehta, chief mentor of CMAI.

The NGF is renowned for its exclusiveness and holds significant prestige as India's foremost comprehensive sourcing fair. It is designed to maximise both time and cost efficiency for all stakeholders, providing a single sourcing destination that enhances efficiency and fosters seamless networking and collaboration opportunities within the garments and apparel ecosystem.

 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Researchers at the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) are pioneering a revolutionary approach to fashion with the development of dissolvable and recyclable T-shirts. In a study, a team of engineers and designers has created a DIY machine that spins textile fibres from sustainably sourced materials like gelatine. These innovative ‘biofibres’ mimic the feel of flax and can dissolve in hot water within minutes to an hour, allowing for the recycling and creation of new garments from the same material.

The study tackles a significant global issue: In 2018 alone, people in the US added over 11 million tons of textiles to landfills, accounting for nearly 8 per cent of all municipal solid waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The researchers envision a different path for fashion, aiming to reduce such waste through innovative textile recycling.

Their machine uses a plastic syringe to heat and extrude droplets of a liquid gelatine mixture. Rollers in the machine stretch the gelatine into long, thin fibres, similar to a spider spinning a web. During this process, the fibres pass through liquid baths where bio-based dyes or other additives can be introduced. For instance, adding genipin, an extract from fruit, strengthens the fibres.

As a proof of concept, the researchers created small textile sensors from gelatine fibres, cotton, and conductive yarns, akin to the Jacquard jacket. When these patches were submerged in warm water, the gelatine dissolved, releasing the yarns for easy recycling and reuse.

Lazaro Vasquez noted that designers could adjust the fibre chemistry to enhance resilience, ensuring garments don't dissolve in the rain. They could also explore spinning fibres from other natural materials like chitin, found in crab shells, or agar-agar, derived from algae.

 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

A symposium on Enabling Circularity and Sustainability in Textiles held in New Delhi recently engaged the next generation to expand the reach of the Circle Back campaign. It brought together industry experts, students from esteemed schools and colleges in Delhi alongside entrepreneurs, and researchers to share lessons and knowledge to tackle post-consumer textile waste.

Textile waste, responsible for enormous water, energy and chemical footprints, is a mounting issue in India and requires all stakeholders to come together to address it. This requires a shift from fast fashion to sustainable and mindful consumption. The potential for recycling and upcycling textile waste can catalyze a new green economy of jobs and startups, aligning with India's SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) targets.

Approximately 81 per cent of all fast fashion garments end up in landfills (either due to a short life cycle after consumer use or due to excess stock) and approximately 50 per cent of fabric ends up as waste during manufacturing. To meet the enormous demand for apparel, the textile industry consumes 4 per cent of the world's water. Producing a t-shirt takes around 2,700 litres of water, which equals the amount of drinking water needed by one person in 2.5 years.

The symposium also marked the launch of a new exhibition on Circle Back showcasing students' creatively upcycled products from NIFT-Delhi, IIT-Delhi, Dr BR Ambedkar School of Specialised Excellence, Sanskriti School and The Mother's International School. The students shared their experiences and lessons learnt in the Circle Back Campaign with all participants of the symposium.

"We try to tell the youth of the country, what the importance of reducing and reusing is. Till the time we don't inculcate a sense of pride in the student that they are doing a great service to society by reducing waste, we won't be able to generate ownership in them with respect to circularity,” Himanshu Gupta, secretary of CBSE, said.

 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

With eco-friendly products in the spotlight, this year’s spring show signalled a positive outlook for the global yarn and fibre market. Set to continue the momentum, Yarn Expo Autumn 2024 will open doors from 27 – 29 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), where exhibitors will showcase a wide spectrum of in-demand, innovative and sustainable yarns and fibres. Held concurrently with the 30th edition of Intertextile Apparel, as well as CHIC and PH Value, the fair will see the entire value chain come together for active business and insight exchange, encouraging industry growth and connection.

Exhibitors from a number of countries and regions have already confirmed their participation, including China, France, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, Türkiye, Vietnam, and more. Once again, business matching meetings will be organised to pair suppliers with relevant buyers.

Eclipsing the success of Yarn Expo Autumn 2023, the 2024 spring fair welcomed nearly 22,000 buyers from 107 countries and regions. At both editions, regenerated and cotton products were two of the most sought-after categories at the fairground, and are expected to be high on buyers’ lists this autumn.

Yarn Expo Autumn will be held concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, CHIC, and PH Value. The four fairs will bring the fibre and yarn, apparel fabrics and accessories, fashion, and knitted garments industries together under one roof, with the resultant synergy allowing exhibitors and buyers to maximise their business opportunities.

 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

From 5 – 7 June 2024, the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center (Futian) was the sourcing hotspot of South China’s apparel textile industry. Nearly 1,000 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions showcased various garment-related products, with major categories covering ladieswear, functional wear, and accessories. Together, Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2024 welcomed nearly 20,000 visits from 45 countries and regions, including two buyer delegations from Malaysia and one from the European American Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Witnessing an influx of brands, manufacturers, and regional designers, the apparel fair’s Trend Forum, fringe event venues, sustainability-centric display areas, and key Asian zones and pavilions all proved high-traffic platforms.

At Talking Point and Textile Dialogue, Intertextile Shenzhen’s two seminar venues, topics ranged from the transformative impact of AI in the textile landscape to upcoming fashion trends for both S/S 2025-26 and A/W 2025-26, equipping buyers with key product and industry information. Across three days of insight sharing and trading, key international sourcing brands included the likes of Club Monaco, Diesel, lululemon, Ralph Lauren, Quiksilver, ZARA, and many more.

Including both individual brands and various delegates, over 250 business matching meetings with exhibitors took place across the three-day show. The buyers included 20 Shenzhen-based designers and managers, from brands such as DAQINGLIU, CHICCOMAO, DiLiUnbound, and Yishangshi. Representing the likes of Annil, Dayang, and Marisfrolg, many other domestic brand buyers visited the early summer showcase.

On the show floor, the Spring / Summer 2025-26 Trend Forum by Fabrics China gave buyers a visual anchor for future vogues. Meanwhile, the Sustainability Zone provided insights into different brands’ applications of sustainability policies, as did the debut of featured display zones Eco Trends by Intertextile x Sateri and Functional Sustainability by Intertextile x Idole.

The early summer textile platform also included the Japan Zone, with exhibitors displaying accessories, cotton and man-made fabrics for menswear, ladieswear and sportswear; the Korea Pavilion, featuring jacquard, mixed woven, and more; and the Taiwan Pavilion, with a focus on high-quality lace, embroidery and yarn. Whether sourcing or showcasing, a range of exhibitors, visitors, and speakers offered positive assessments.