China

The assumption that vertical stripes are always the most slimming choice has been overturned. Stripe spacing and orientation interact to determine how a clothed body is perceived, with narrow horizontal pencil stripes producing the strongest effect. Results vary by viewing angle and stripe width, and women have been found more sensitive than men to these effects.

Environmental permitting systems across ten major textile-producing nations contain significant gaps in how industrial pollution from spinning mills, dye houses and garment factories is regulated, a new UNEP report has found. Most national legislation fails to classify textile activities as environmentally significant or to consider gendered impacts on workers.

The global yarn and fibre trade has spent years positioning sustainability as a responsible choice. At Yarn Expo Spring 2026 in Shanghai, it arrived as a competitive one. Over 600 exhibitors from 12 countries presented recycled, regenerated, bio-based, and certified materials not as ethical alternatives but as technically advanced inputs, drawing more than 25,000 visitors from 113 countries and regions.

The global apparel textile trade convened in Shanghai earlier this month under conditions of friction and disruption—and arrived in force regardless. Over 96,000 visitors from 119 countries moved through seven halls across three days, engaging more than 3,000 exhibitors at the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics. The scale was familiar. The fair's growing role as an organiser of industry perception was rather less so.

China’s textile and apparel industry emissions were driven largely by household consumption and exports between 2000 and 2018, according to new modelling research. The study found that integrating renewable energy adoption with expanded clothing recycling could curb long-term emissions growth across interconnected supply chains while supporting continued industrial development.

As extreme heat becomes a defining global hazard, cooling clothing can no longer depend on incremental tweaks. A new biodegradable fabric promises a step-change: lighter, cooler, and engineered for real-world performance. If commercialised at scale, it could reshape how outdoor workers, athletes and emergency crews stay safe and functional in rising temperatures.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2026 will be held from 11 to 13 March at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC), Shanghai, spotlighting sustainability, performance and AI-driven innovation. The event features a 60 per cent larger Econogy Hub and an enhanced Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone, with forums and labs focused on smart materials, digitalisation and circular economy applications in textiles.

Researchers in China have used artificial intelligence to design better carbon-based materials that can clean toxic dyes from industrial wastewater. By analysing hundreds of lab results, the system identified the most effective combinations for dye removal, helping make low-cost, eco-friendly solutions for the textile and chemical industries more efficient.

China’s textiles and apparel sector stands at a crossroads of sustainability, competitiveness, and workforce responsibility. With decarbonisation targets, rising labour costs, and export diversification, the industry faces profound transformation. Policies under the 14th Five-Year Plan and “dual carbon” strategy will determine how the sector adapts to shifting global sourcing and compliance landscapes.

The three-day Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics opened today at National Exhibition and Convention Center, featuring over 3,700 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions. Eight overseas buyer delegations will attend, including first-time delegations from Brazil and Türkiye, alongside established programmes from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for international sourcing opportunities.