Newly added Digital Printing Forum and panel discussion equip industry with latest knowledge
　　
Apparel Fabrics is seen by the industry as a comprehensive learning platform as well. Responding to the rapidly growing demand for digital textile printing， a debut Digital Printing Forum and series of panel discussions are added to the show this edition which takes place from 13 – 15 October at the National Exhibition and Convention Center （Shanghai）. The apparel fabrics and accessories industry’s leading trade fair will feature some 4，000 exhibitors from around 30 countries and regions.
　　
The forum will be hosted by experts from digital printing machinery companies and digital printing fabrics suppliers such as Digital Textile Solution， Konica Minolta， Kornit Digital Ltd. and more. And a representative from the UK department store Liberty London will host a seminar titled ’Liberty Style： Print and pattern in Fashion from 1875 to Modern Day’. Participants will learn about the latest technology developments， digital textile printing market trends as well as print and pattern fashion trends.
　　
Another new feature at the fair is a series of panel discussions held by organisations from a range of industry sectors. Five speakers and topics currently confirmed include：
　　
·Americas Apparel Producers’ Network： Activewear – the impact of this hot ‘fashion’ trend in the US
　　
·CELC European Flax： flax & linen –the fibre of the future
　　
·HKRITA： new materials for better living
　　
·Redress： E-Commerce – an exciting opportunity for sustainable fashion？
　　
·Textile Clothing Footwear Leather Resource Centre of West Australia： Designers Insights： Fibres， colours， inspiration and innovation
　　
Trend forum reveals A/W16-17 trends in three themes
　　
Carrying on the fair’s tradition of providing the latest fashion information， the Autumn / Winter 2016-17 international trends envisioned by the DirectionsTrend Committee will be revealed in the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum （hall 6.2）. The committee is comprised of top trends forecasters from the NellyRodi？ Agency （France）， Elementi Moda （Italy）， Doneger Creative Services （USA） as well as Ms. Sachiko Inoue （Japan）. Elementi Moda has designed the forum concept based on three themes：
　　
Make （rural – treasure）： human nature awash with art-mindful inspirations. A pure devotion of beauteous universality embedded in nature. Focal thoughts on handwork and craft feel， evoking a rural nostalgia while our dreams voyage to a faraway land seeking a high-spirited bohemian mood. 　　
Create （bespoke – lyrical）： create an essential design that connects tradition and the future with a spirit awash with modernity， rationality as well as sensibility. Seek a dual elegance； a graciously disciplined manner with a classy feel while championing aestheticism adorned with lyrical， delicate and playful femininity.
　　
Innovate （cosmos – cyber）： cosmic mystique of translunar reliefs of shading and luminescence， while perpetual fantasy unfolds via intoxication and arousal. Art and technology meet for an innovative approach. Infinite possibilities fascinated with space impart bold， futuristic imaginations and cyber-inspired novelties.
　　
To help buyers understand the trends on display in more detail， Ms Ornella Bignami， Creative Director of Elementi Moda， will conduct three Trend Tour sessions during the first two days of the fair to further demonstrate the seasonal trend stories.
　　
In addition to the Trend Forum， various seminars in different themes will be held during the fair to offer more in-depth information about the upcoming trends. Experts from the fashion industry have been invited to share the latest updates on fashion trends， including Mr. Massimo Carminati， Trend & Style Director of Peclers Paris， who will share the A/W 16-17 women’s fashion trends to inspire and guide the product innovation of next season’s ladieswear. As well as the trend tours， Ms. Bignami will also hold a seminar to elaborate on next season’s colour and fabric directions in more detail.
　　
Planet Textiles 2015 – how to achieve environmental compliance
　　
Tough new environmental legislation in the Chinese textile sector and how it is being enforced will be key topics at the forthcoming Planet Textiles Summit on textiles and sustainability which takes place on 14th October in Shanghai alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics， which runs from 13 – 15 October and is organized by Messe Frankfurt.
　　
Key speakers at the event include Phillip Courtenay， senior VP， apparel sourcing with the adidas Group， Sean Cady， VP product stewardship & sustainability， VF Corp， Hu Kehua， deputy director， China National Textile and Apparel Council （CNTAC）， Veronique Rochet， Head of Sustainability Asia for H&M， along with representatives from The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Group （ZDHC）， bluesign technologies， Nimkartek and the influential Chinese NGO the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs （IPE）. The platinum event sponsor is Bayer Material Science. 　　
Also speaking is Zhao Lin of Solidaridad who will highlight the work of the Better Mill Initiative in China. Solidaridad launched the three-year Better Mill Initiative （BMI） in partnership with H&M and other major international retailers. The programme supports 43 textile dyeing and printing mills in China to improve their environmental and social performance through tailor made support， group learning and experience exchange.
　　
Both the summit and fair will take place at the newly built National Convention and Exhibition Center， Shanghai， China， where for its Spring Edition in March this year， Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics saw a 56% increase in buyers compared to 2014. Last year’s Autumn Edition featured 3，844 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions while over 71，000 visitors from 93 countries and regions attended， numbers that are expected to be exceeded this year.
　　
In addition to Planet Textiles， the fair features an increasingly popular ’All About Sustainability’ zone which was created in response to market demand both in China and from the global textiles industry. This year’s zone increases in size by nearly 30%， and features three sections： an educational zone， ecoBoutique display and seminar area. In the educational zone， sustainability related NGOs， certifiers， testing companies， as well as manufacturers with eco-friendly products will feature， as will the returning Oeko-Tex Pavilion which expands by over 40%. The ecoBoutique area will highlight exhibitors’ outfits and collec- tions made from eco fabrics， while a full seminar programme will present new trends and the latest sustainability issues.
　　
“Sustainability has become a key issue in China in the last few years， not just at a government and textile industry level， but also among consumers as they become more conscious of environmental protection，” explained Ms. Wendy Wen， Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt （HK） Ltd. “Both the Planet Textiles Summit and All About Sustainability are a response to this increasing interest in China， and they provide the perfect platform for overseas organizations in the field of sustainability to share their experience & expertise and promote their brand， not only to a domestic audience， but to the global industry as a whole.”
　　
“The issue of environmental sustainability in the Chinese textile industry now extends way beyond the boundaries of the supply chain，” said MCL Global director John Mowbray. “Thanks to the work of the IPE and the government， Chinese consumers can now become stakeholders and take a unique role in the governance of textile pollution in China. The Planet Textiles Summit will outline just how this will take place and the event is a crucial learning platform for all industry stakeholders who want their products to be compliant with new， tighter， Chinese and global environmental legislation.”
　　
Planet Textiles 2015 will take place in English with simultaneous translations into Chinese.
　　
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics– Autumn Edition 2015 is co-organized by Messe Frankfurt （HK） Ltd.； the SubCouncil of Textile Industry， CCPIT； and the China Textile Information Centre.