An extended and international offer: Yarns and Fibres, Knitwear Manufacturers and Knitwear Designers

SPINEXPO^TM is the indispensable meeting place for anyone using yarns and fibres and developing knitwear garments.  It addresses knitters, weavers, hosiery manufacturers and ready-to-wear brand manufacturers with collections of flat-bed and circular knits.

SPINEXPO^TM brings to Shanghai the world’s most comprehensive and selective international offer in the field of creative yarns and fibres, knitwear and knitted fabrics.

Yarns for Spring/Summer 2017 get finer and finer

All of the spinners are hard at work on their next Spring/Summer collections that will be on display in a couple of months at the 27th session of SPINEXPO^TM Shanghai(1-2-3 March 2016). The coming trends speak of very clean and refined fabrics, made of very sophisticated yarns and fibres, indicating a clear trend towards refinement and elegance.

Linens are important, but finer and cleaner than in previous seasons.  There are still some crafty linens in the collections, but the trends lean towards finer and cleaner products.

Silk is also making a strong comeback, mostly pure or in blends, targeting very upscale garments. This trend is completed by non-worsted silk noil yarns and blends.

Cottons and viscose blends become luxurious stretch or not.

Wool crepes, ultra-light merino and the use of metallic elements for iridescence and structure are key.

Neat surface aspects reveal a discreet shine in all the materials used.

This trend is completed by fancy yarns, small slub yarns, tape yarns, paper yarns, lily and cord yarns, spongy and foiled yarns, fitting a need for constructed macramé-like garments.

A revised trend area with a more extensive offering

With the success of SPINEXPO's new ? Active ? trend area, the main trend area will be dedicated to research in both activewear and more elaborated designer garments.

We have already analyzed that the activewear research inspired some of the couture trends, and that the reverse also happened, with elements of activewear structures inspiring top level designers from high level couture brands.

As a result, we will be presenting the two areas together in the centre part of the exhibition, and show how some designers from activewear drew their inspiration from concepts and constructions from couture, and vice-versa.

15 guest designers will present their ideas, and share their journey with us through their garments.

For China’s Top Spinners, Business Remains Stable

According to the majority of manufacturers based in China, the spinning and knitting sectors remain untouched by the economic slowdown the country is experiencing. In fact, many even report they have seen orders increase as brands start to consolidate their raw materials suppliers.

“Many companies are grouping together smaller orders and giving them to one reliable supplier,” said Yu Fei, Vice General Manager at Snow Cashmere Products Company  “The total volume of business hasn’t changed too much.  It’s just a matter of which manufacturers are getting a bigger share.”

Most manufacturers are scarcely aware of these national macro economic trends, as if it doesn’t affect all sectors of the economy equally.  Since most of China’s manufacturers still rely on exporting, the health of the overseas markets is more vital to them than a slow down in the domestic market.

“Overall, our sales have increased this year,” said John Liu, Sales director at Zhejiang Xinao Textile, noting that European customers were buying a significant amount of Xinao’s basic wool yarn.

“Our market share is increasing in major markets, particularly in the U.S., Japan and Korea,” said Boris Xue, Chairman of Ningbo Consinee, “and our sales to the EU market are pretty stable, despite the weak Euro.”

Regardless, any slowing of China’s economy has not impinged upon domestic knitwear sales. China’s growing middle class remains very stable.  Employment is still strong and wages are steady and trending upwards.  

“The domestic market is growing rather quickly and there are an increasing number of local brands coming up. This is building a demand for yarn,” added Mr. Liu.

For most suppliers, the focus is on product development.

“Sales to the export markets are slightly down this year, but business in the domestic market has stayed the same,” said Samson Lam, Director at Winning Textile Ltd., explaining that his concern was not about the economy but about developing new products that meet the changing requirements of his customers.

The 8th edition of SPINEXPO^TM New York

19-20-21 July 2016 at the newly built Brooklyn Expo Center (Greenpoint)

79 Franklin Street – Brooklyn – New York

The 1st edition of SPINEXPO^TM Paris

6-7 July 2016 at The Cité de la Mode & du Design

Quai d’Austerlitz  - 75003 – Paris  

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